Supermarkets, offices and shopping centres could be required to install solar panels over their car parks under plans being considered by the Government. The proposal to create “solar carports” would generate energy to power homes, businesses and electric vehicles.

The call for evidence from Ed Miliband’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero will consider making solar panels mandatory for new car parks but also explore extending that to existing parking lots. It will also examine the cost of installing the panels above parking spaces.

Officials believe that mandating the installation of solar panels in canopies over car parks would unlock “underutilised” space, create shaded parking spots and more charging points for electric vehicles.

Energy Secretary Mr Miliband said: “Right now, the sun is shining on hundreds of thousands of car parking spaces across the country which could be used to power our homes and businesses.

“We want to work with businesses and car park operators to turn our car parks into solar carports to save families and businesses money with clean, homegrown British energy.”

The Government estimates that an 80-space car park could save around £28,000 per year in electricity bills by installing solar carports and using all electricity generated.

Petrol and diesel motorists are also set to be supported by the government’s fuel finder scheme – which appointed a supplier to begin the first phase of delivery that requires all petrol stations to share prices within 30 minutes of a change, driving down prices at the pump and saving drivers between 1-6p a litre on average.

Mr Miliband plans to ban the UK’s national energy company from investing in projects that use solar panels linked to Chinese slave labour after bowing to pressure from Labour and Conservative MPs.

He dropped his previous resistance to rewriting the bill establishing Great British Energy and will now introduce an amendment that forces the company to make sure there is no slavery or human trafficking in its supply chain.

China dominates the market for green technology and the scale of its development has helped push prices of solar panels down 90% in the last decade.

Up to 40% of polysilicon, the key raw material for solar panels, is produced in Xinjiang where the Muslim Uyghur population has been subject to arbitrary detention and forced labour.