Solar Panel Grants for Businesses

With a focus in the UK on moving away from fossil fuel heating and transitioning to more energy-efficient systems, low-carbon heating alternatives are becoming commonplace. Solar panels meet this goal perfectly and are a great investment for businesses if you have the right space on your roof or on your premises.

Unfortunately, not all business properties are ideal for solar panels. To get the most out of solar panels they need to be predominantly south-facing and the roof should be unshaded during the peak period for daylight (roughly 10am-4pm). That said, it is still possible to have east/west facing systems and generate a good 80%+ compared to a south-facing roof. Regardless of the orientation, your roof does need to be in good condition and the space needs to be quite sizeable to accommodate the solar panels.

The majority of business properties rely on burning fossil fuels or converting electricity into heat. Solar panels are a great option because they generate electricity using daylight as the source, so are a low-carbon, renewable energy. Not only can the energy produced heat power your business, but the excess can also be stored in batteries for use later, or can even be sold back to the grid.

The electricity produced by solar panels will have a direct impact on your electricity bills, though the savings will depend on many different factors. The size of your solar set up, local weather conditions, shading and orientation, your electricity use, how much of your workforce is in the workplace during daylight hours and therefore using the electricity that is being produced, are just some of the factors that impact on your savings. With energy bills generally on the rise, producing your own electricity with solar can have a positive impact.

Aside from the savings solar businesses would make by producing their own electricity, it is also possible to get paid for the excess energy you generate. Originally the Feed-in Tariff scheme provided financial incentives by paying for excess electricity from solar. This was closed to new applicants in March 2019 but has been superseded by the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG). It should be noted that SEG tariffs can differ widely between energy suppliers and the amount received for each kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity generated from solar panels, but not used. It is therefore recommended that you shop around for the best imported electric rates.

In the majority of cases planning permission is not usually required for solar panels installed onto commercial roof spaces. Solar panels will normally come under ‘Permitted Development’ if the installation meets all the conditions below

• Pitched roofs: solar panels must not protrude more than 20cm above the roofline;
• Flat Roofs: The highest part of the solar panels must be less than 1m higher than the highest part of the roof (not including any chimney);
• Solar panels must be more than 1m away from the external edges of the roof;
• Solar panels should be set up to have minimal effect on the external appearance of the building.

Ground-mounted solar installations also usually come under ‘Permitted Development’ when specific conditions are met regarding size, height, distance from the property boundary, and visibility from the highway if in conservation or world heritage site.

For business properties, the installation of solar panels will very much depend on the size and specific requirements. Commercial installations can take several days to be installed, and the bigger the premises, and therefore the amount of roof space, the more panels would be required.

It is worth noting that it doesn’t have to be sunny to generate electricity and that electricity will still be produced on dull days, admittedly at a lower rate. When you are not producing enough electricity to meet your demand, your business will just draw electricity from the grid in the normal way, as you did prior to solar being installed.

Solar panels should be expected to last between 20-25 years, but some manufacturers suggest in some instances this could be as much as 40 years. Over time efficiency can fall (reducing by about 15% over their lifetime) and inverters may need to be replaced, but overall the lifespan of solar panels is lengthy.

Make the first step towards lower energy bills and a much-reduced carbon footprint for your business.