Who Commercial Solar Works For
Buildings with meaningful daytime electricity consumption can often use a large share of solar generation on site — reducing imported power during working hours.
Offices & professional services
Daytime electricity use often aligns well with solar generation, reducing imported power during working hours.
Workshops & small industrial units
Machinery, compressors, and process loads can benefit when usage overlaps with daylight production.
Retail & hospitality premises
Refrigeration, lighting, and daytime trade can make on-site solar worthwhile when consumption is understood.
Medical & community buildings
Surgeries, clinics, clubs, and similar organisations with steady daytime demand are often a good fit within our size range.
Farms & rural businesses
Barns, farm offices, and outbuildings with suitable roof or land may suit a modest commercial system rather than a large solar farm.
Schools & similar organisations
Term-time daytime use can pair well with solar, subject to site survey, DNO approval, and any planning considerations.
Our Typical Small-Commercial Envelope
We focus on modest commercial projects — not utility-scale solar farms or very large industrial rooftops.
Our normal design envelope is based around up to approximately 50 kW of inverter capacity (AC). That is the limit of the inverter’s AC output — not necessarily the size of the panel array on the roof.
- Solar panels are rated in DC kilowatt-peak (kWp) — the maximum DC power the array could produce in ideal conditions.
- The inverter converts that DC power to AC for your building and is rated in kilowatts (kW) AC.
- A well-engineered system can connect a DC array larger than the inverter’s AC rating where the design, export limits, and DNO connection allow — the inverter clips peak output rather than wasting the roof space.
- Projects needing inverter capacity well above 50 kW AC usually involve a substantially more involved grid-connection process. That is not the commercial market we primarily target.
Three-Phase Commercial Supplies
Many commercial premises are supplied on three-phase electricity rather than the single-phase supply typical in homes.
We assess your existing supply, main distribution board, and spare capacity during survey. System layout, inverter selection, and cable routes are designed to suit three-phase installations where that is what the site requires.
DNO & Grid Connection
Connecting generation to the grid requires coordination with your Distribution Network Operator (DNO).
We handle the relevant DNO application and notification work as part of the project. The exact route depends on system size, export arrangements, and what your local network operator requires — we explain the steps in your proposal rather than promising a single outcome for every site.
Export Limitation
The grid may not always accept unlimited export from a new solar system.
Where export is constrained, we can design with export limitation or inverter controls so the system operates safely within what the connection allows. Surplus energy is then used on site first, which is often where the best savings come from on commercial tariffs anyway.
Commercial Battery Storage
Battery storage is useful on some commercial sites — but not every project needs one.
Batteries can shift solar energy into evening hours, support peak-shaving, or work with time-of-use tariffs. We recommend storage only where your usage pattern and economics justify it. Many commercial projects are designed without batteries.
Half-Hourly Consumption Data
Roof space alone is a poor way to size a commercial system.
Where available, half-hourly electricity data (from a smart meter or your supplier) helps us model when you actually use power through the day and week. That leads to a system sized around real consumption rather than simply filling the roof.
- Annual kWh totals are helpful, but interval data shows peak demand and overnight baseload.
- If you do not have half-hourly data yet, we can advise how to obtain it from your supplier or meter operator.
- The goal is a design that maximises on-site use of generated electricity.
Financial Modelling
We build proposals around your site’s numbers — not generic savings claims.
A commercial business case typically considers self-consumed solar (avoided imported electricity), any exported electricity, equipment lifetime, maintenance, and payback over the expected system life. Exact figures depend on your tariff, usage, and system specification; we set these out in your written proposal.
- Self-consumption usually delivers the strongest savings on commercial electricity rates.
- Export income may contribute where surplus is sold under a Smart Export Guarantee or supplier export tariff.
- VAT treatment for non-domestic solar can differ from residential projects. We do not quote VAT rates on this page — your formal quote will reflect the VAT position applicable to your project.
Discuss a Commercial Solar Project
Request a commercial assessment or send us your energy bills. We'll review usage and advise whether solar is a good fit for your site.