Commercial solar in Lisburn and Castlereagh

Solar in Lisburn and Castlereagh in figures

What the figures show

Capacity in Lisburn and Castlereagh has grown by -8% since the end of 2020, slower than the UK as a whole (69%). In 2025 alone it rose from 72.3 MW to 74.5 MW.

There are 50.3 installations for every 1,000 households, close to the Northern Ireland median of 49.4 and below the UK median of 67.0. That is 255th of 361 council areas, and 5th of 11 in Northern Ireland.

The average installation is 25.5 kW, several times a typical home system of about 4 kW, so solar farms and large commercial or farm roofs make up much of the capacity here.

What a business roof in Lisburn and Castlereagh could generate

Modelled with PVGIS for the centre of Lisburn and Castlereagh, a south-facing roof at 30 degrees produces about 919 kWh per kWp a year. That is 293rd of 361 council areas; the UK median is 998 kWh.

Same sums as our commercial solar calculator: illustrative, not a quote. East- or west-facing roofs, shading and how much power you use in daylight all move these figures, and a company paying corporation tax can usually shorten the payback with capital allowances. See the cost guide for price ranges by system size.

Planning and grid connection

Planning in Northern Ireland is run mainly by the 11 councils, so Lisburn and Castlereagh council decides most applications, with the Department for Infrastructure handling regionally significant ones. Rooftop solar on many non-domestic buildings can go ahead without an application, within limits. Our planning permission guide sets out the conditions.

NIE Networks runs the network across Northern Ireland, and systems connect under the G98/NI and G99/NI process. There is no Smart Export Guarantee in Northern Ireland, so sizing the system to the power you use on site matters even more.

For funding, see grants and reliefs in Northern Ireland.

Nearby council areas

• Belfast, about 8 miles away
• Antrim and Newtownabbey, about 15 miles away
• Ards and North Down, about 16 miles away
• Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon, about 18 miles away
• Newry, Mourne and Down, about 24 miles away
• Mid and East Antrim, about 25 miles away

Or see every council area and the Northern Ireland page.

Where these figures come from

Installations, capacity, generation and households: Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Regional Renewable Statistics, renewable electricity by local authority 2014 to 2025 (workbook). They cover all solar PV, homes and businesses, including ground-mounted schemes. Yield: PVGIS 5.3 (European Commission Joint Research Centre), SARAH3 data and 14% system losses, for the council area's centre point (ONS boundaries, December 2024), modelled 4 November 2026. Distances are between centre points.