Guide article

Green tariffs, solar and the depot carbon story

To strengthen the carbon case, a green tariff and on-site solar cut the emissions of the electricity itself — moving toward a genuinely clean depot.

Last updated 15 August 2026

Electrifying the fleet cuts your direct emissions; the next step is cleaning up the electricity itself. A green tariff and on-site generation take the carbon story from “better than diesel” toward “genuinely clean.”

Green tariffs

A certified green tariff means the electricity you buy is matched to renewable generation, lowering the reported emissions attached to your charging. It’s often a straightforward switch that improves your Scope 2 figure without any change to how you operate — an easy win for the carbon account.

On-site solar

Solar panels go further by generating clean power on site. Used directly — especially where there’s daytime charging or other site demand — solar reduces both the electricity you buy and the emissions attached to it. Pair it with a battery to store daytime surplus for later charging, and you use more of your own clean generation.

The fuller picture

Together, a green tariff and solar (with storage) move a depot from simply lower-carbon than diesel toward a genuinely clean operation. That gives you a richer, more credible sustainability story to tell customers, regulators and your board — and stronger evidence of a low-carbon fleet.

Keep it honest and measured

As with the rest of the carbon case, the value depends on measurement: track your generation, self-consumption and green-supply figures so the claims are evidenced, not asserted. Done properly, the electricity behind your fleet becomes part of the story, not a footnote — and the running-cost tool helps show the cost side alongside the carbon one.

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