Best Green Project 2025 – Paultons Park Solar Canopies

Paulton’s Park near Romsey recently introduced four solar car ports and battery storage to its existing parking area.

The car ports have a cantilever design by local architects Studio Four with more than a thousand solar panels fitted to a streel framework. The car ports are 4.5 metres at the highest point, and 2.7 metres at the lowest, allowing ample room for vehicles to park underneath.

In total, the car ports cover 173 spaces and have generated 770,000 kWh annually – with 82% used on site. As of March 2025, Paulton’s Park has saved 68 tonnes of CO2 – the equivalent of planting 4,000 trees.

The judges called the solar canopy project ‘an exemplary green scheme’, praising its contemporary yet highly functional design and innovative reuse of brownfield land. They also highlighted the scheme’s minimal impact on the National Park’s landscape character, noting its sensitive siting and thoughtful integration as key reasons it won Best Green Project.