Niche sector

Solar PPA for vehicle hire depots

Forecourt + workshop + EV charging — strong stacking case for solar + battery.

Typical system size	100–500kWp
Year-1 tariff	12–16 p/kWh
Best-fit structure	On-site PPA (sleeved for multi-site groups)

A depot on the edge of a demand surge

A vehicle-hire depot today runs a fairly ordinary mix of loads: forecourt and canopy lighting, a valet and jet-wash bay, a maintenance workshop with lifts and compressors, and the booking office. On its own that supports a solar system in the 100–500kWp range at roughly 12–16 p/kWh. What sets this niche apart is what comes next — fleet electrification is about to multiply the site's electricity appetite, and the operators planning for it now are the ones who will sit comfortably later.

Solar and storage, not solar alone

The stacking logic here is stronger than almost anywhere. Hire vehicles return through the day and dwell overnight, so pairing panels with a battery lets a depot bank cheap midday generation and release it to charge cars as they come back or before the morning turnaround. That solar-plus-storage combination smooths the depot's own demand and cuts the cost of every electric mile the fleet covers. The how-it-works overview explains how storage is folded into an agreement.

Charging the fleet from your own roof

Once chargepoints are in, the economics change character. Instead of buying grid power to refuel an electric fleet, the depot refuels partly from generation it already owns the output of — turning what would be a rising cost into a controlled one. Model both the current load and the electrified one, because sizing only for today undersells the array; the solar savings calculator lets you test a fleet-charging scenario.

• Array sized for today's load and tomorrow's charging demand
• Battery specified to shift midday solar into charging windows
• Chargepoint rollout sequenced with fleet electrification

Storage-inclusive deals aren't offered by every financier — check which funders support solar-plus-battery before committing.

FAQs

Sector FAQs

What's the typical PPA tariff for a vehicle hire depot in 2026?

For vehicle hire depots, indicative 2026 tariffs are 12–16 p/kWh. Specifics depend on system size, off-taker covenant and DNO context.

What system size suits a typical vehicle hire depot?

Typical 2026 systems for vehicle hire depots range 100–500kWp. Larger sites suit the upper end of that range.

Why is this sector a good PPA fit?

Forecourt + workshop + EV charging — strong stacking case for solar + battery.