Commercial solar for UK businesses
Solar for offices, warehouses, factories and farms: what it costs, how it's paid for and how to choose an installer. Compare up to three quotes from vetted UK installers, free.
- Cost per kWp
- £800–£1,200
- Typical payback
- 4–8 years
- Enquiry to switch-on
- 6–16 weeks
- Generates for
- 25+ years
PowerPilot is a free comparison service. We match your enquiry with up to three vetted installers, and you choose. How we work
- MCS register checked
- Insurance confirmed
- Companies House checked
- Never more than three installers
Where to start
- Solar installationRooftop and ground-mount, quoted by vetted installers.Compare quotes
- Find an installerWhat to check, and up to three to compare.Compare quotes
- Solar for farmsBarn roofs and fields: cost, grants, installers.Compare quotes
- What it costsPrices per kWp and typical payback.Read the guide
- Grants and tax reliefWhat support is open in 2026.Read the guide
Commercial solar in brief
Is commercial solar worth it?
Solar pays best where the power it makes is used on site, in daylight, for years to come: factories, warehouses, cold stores, offices, schools and farms with steady weekday demand. Every unit you use from your own panels is one you don't buy from the grid at your full unit rate.
Most rooftop systems cost around £800–£1,200 per kWp installed, with larger systems towards the lower end, and often pay back in 4–8 years. The panels then keep generating for 25 years or more. For prices by system size and worked examples, see commercial solar panel cost.
Rooftop, ground-mount or both
Most businesses start with the roof: it's usually the cheapest place per kWp and rarely needs planning permission. Ground-mounted arrays suit sites with spare land and are more likely to need planning consent. Farms often combine both, with barn roofs feeding the farm and fields for larger systems. See commercial solar installation and solar panels for farms.
Paying for it
You can buy the system outright, spread the cost with finance or a lease, or let a third party fund it under a Power Purchase Agreement and buy the power it makes. If you buy, the Annual Investment Allowance lets you deduct up to £1 million of qualifying spending from taxable profits in the year you spend it. There is no general government grant for business solar, but some local and regional schemes help. See solar panel grants for businesses.
Choosing an installer
Look for commercial projects like yours, in-house design, a clear safety process and warranties in writing, and compare quotes on the same system size and assumptions. Every installer PowerPilot introduces has their MCS certification, insurance and Companies House record checked. See compare commercial solar installers.
What could solar save your business?
Four numbers from your electricity bill and site. You get a system size, cost, payback and carbon saving to compare quotes against.
How we work this out
- Size: 0.15 kWp per m² of usable roof or land, capped so the system makes no more than 80% of your annual use.
- Generation: kWp × typical yield for your region (South West England 1,000, London and South East 980, East of England 960, Midlands and Wales 930, North of England 880, Scotland and Northern Ireland 840 kWh per kWp a year). Shading, orientation and tilt move this by ±10%.
- Saving: 80% of generation used on site at your unit rate; the rest exported at 5p per kWh (a typical Smart Export Guarantee tariff).
- Cost: £1,000 per kWp up to 100 kWp, £900 per kWp up to 500 kWp, £800 per kWp above that, shown as a ±15% range. Roof works, grid upgrades and batteries are extra.
- Payback: mid-range cost ÷ first-year saving. No tariff rises, panel ageing, finance costs or tax relief are included.
- CO₂: generation × 0.207 kg CO₂e per kWh of grid electricity (DESNZ 2024 conversion factors).
Common questions
Anything else, email hello@powerpilot.green or read how PowerPilot works.
How much does commercial solar cost?
Most rooftop systems cost around £800–£1,200 per kWp installed, so a 50 kWp system is roughly £40,000–£60,000. Larger systems cost less per kWp. Roof works, grid upgrades and batteries are extra.
How long does commercial solar take to pay back?
Often 4–8 years where most of the power is used on site during the day. Payback is longer if a lot of the power is exported or your unit rate is low.
Are there grants for business solar panels?
There's no general government grant for business solar in the UK. Some local and regional schemes help small businesses, and tax reliefs such as the Annual Investment Allowance can lower the real cost.
Do I need planning permission?
Rarely for rooftop systems, which usually fall under permitted development. Ground-mounted arrays, listed buildings and conservation areas are more likely to need consent; your installer will check.
What does PowerPilot do?
PowerPilot is a free comparison service. We match your business with up to three vetted installers who survey, design and quote, and you choose.
Compare quotes for your site, free
- Tell us about your site Three questions now, contact details after.
- We match up to three installers MCS-certified, insured and covering your area.
- Compare and decide Free to you. No obligation to go ahead.
How we vet installers: MCS certification checked against the MCS register, public liability insurance confirmed, Companies House record and trading history checked, reviews monitored. Installers pay us for introductions; it never changes what you pay. More about PowerPilot