Science & Tech · Science & Environment · 1 hr ago
Study identifies 156 Brisbane car parks for potential solar EV charging
Queensland University of Technology researchers identified 156 Brisbane car parks that could suit solar canopies with electric-vehicle chargers.
They studied 10 sites in more depth, including shopping centres and train-station park-and-rides.
Those 10 sites could generate 1.93 gigawatt-hours of electricity a year, enough to serve more than 31,000 vehicles annually.
The researchers assessed sunlight, how people use the car parks, access to transport and whether local electricity networks could handle the extra demand.
Australia has one public charging point for every 52.7 electric vehicles, while people in apartments may struggle to charge at home.
Solar charging at suitable sites could give drivers more places to charge, and the canopies could also provide shade.
The study offers planners a way to assess suitable locations, but the sources do not say when or whether any of the proposed sites will be built.
Queensland University of Technology researchers identified 156 Brisbane parking locations that could suit solar canopies with electric-vehicle charging.
They examined 10 high-turnover car parks in more depth, including shopping centres and public transport park-and-ride sites.
The researchers estimated solar canopies at those 10 sites could generate 1.93 gigawatt-hours a year and serve more than 31,000 vehicles.
Their assessment considered solar potential, travel patterns, charging access and local electricity network capacity.
- Who
- Researchers from Queensland University of Technology, led by PhD candidate Niklas Tilly.
- What
- A study identified 156 Brisbane parking locations that may suit solar-powered EV charging. It examined 10 sites in more depth.
- When
- The article was published on November 4, 2026.
- Where
- Brisbane, Australia.
- Why
- To identify potential locations for solar canopies and EV charging while considering site use and electricity network capacity.
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- Potential locations
- 156 parking sites in Brisbane
- Sites examined in depth
- 10
- Estimated annual generation
- 1.93 gigawatt-hours
- Estimated vehicles served
- More than 31,000 a year
- Example site
- Mount Gravatt Shopping Centre
What people are saying
A car park may look suitable on a map, but we also need to understand how it is used and whether the local electricity network can accommodate charging.
Bringing them together means considering where people park, how long their cars stay there and how charging can make use of locally generated solar electricity.
We then screened electricity network capacity to assess potential constraints.