Summary
Carman Contracting engaged EvoEnergy to provide specialist renewable energy consultancy to accelerate the delivery of a solar carport project at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth. The brief required rapid progression from early feasibility to RIBA Stage 3–4 design, enabling the project to move swiftly into construction within a fixed funding-driven programme.
EvoEnergy’s consultancy support de-risked the scheme, confirmed buildability, and provided clear technical and delivery guidance, allowing the client to proceed with confidence.
The challenge
Carman Contracting was appointed as contractor to an NHS hospital trust with a defined requirement for a solar carport of a specific size on a known site. However, the project lacked the technical certainty needed to progress to construction.
Critical unknowns included ground and structural conditions, underground services, electrical connection points, grid constraints, and realistic cost and programme implications.
With funding timelines driving an ambitious delivery target, the client needed to move from limited early information to a construction-ready design in a matter of months, without introducing avoidable risk or delay.
Our Solution
EvoEnergy was appointed to take ownership of the early feasibility and rapidly develop the project through to RIBA Stage 3–4 design. We carried out coordinated site visits and commissioned specialist surveys, including geotechnical investigations, utilities tracing, electrical surveys, and structural design development.
Alongside this, our team provided clear guidance on technology selection and grid limitations, ensuring the proposed carport solution was technically appropriate and deliverable within the client’s timeframe.
While we did not engage directly with the DNO, we equipped the client with the necessary technical information to progress those discussions efficiently.
Insights & Recommendations
Through focused analysis and practical assessment, EvoEnergy was able to quickly narrow the range of viable design and delivery options, prioritising solutions that could realistically be designed, procured, fabricated, and installed within the required programme.
The consultancy uncovered several risks that could have materially impacted the scheme, including underground services in unexpected locations and constraints caused by adjacent structures, both of which influenced the final system layout and capacity.
We provided clear recommendations on delivery phasing, procurement strategy, survey sequencing, and product selection, alongside detailed advice on fabrication lead times and construction logistics.
The Result
Armed with a fully developed RIBA Stage 3–4 design and a clear, de-risked delivery strategy, Carman Contracting was able to move decisively into the construction phase.
The client acted directly on EvoEnergy’s recommendations, progressing the project to installation while avoiding unforeseen cost and programme risks. The consultancy support enabled the project team to move faster, meet funding deadlines, and proceed with confidence that the solar carport scheme was technically sound, buildable, and ready for delivery.