Where to start
- Preparing for a survey? Read the commercial solar survey checklist.
- Working out the size? Read how much solar does my business need.
- Comparing quotes? Read choosing a commercial solar installer.
- Checking the rules? Read planning permission and fire safety and insurance.
For costs and money, see the cost guide, solar payback and PPA vs CapEx.
All guides
- Planning permissionPermitted development for commercial rooftop solar and car park canopies in England, prior approval, heritage limits, ground-mounted schemes and the other UK nations.
- Fire safety and insuranceRC62 in plain terms, insurer questions, DC isolation, cable routing, separation from rooflights and fire breaks, and inspection regimes for commercial rooftop solar.
- Solar panel lifespanProduct and performance warranties, degradation, inverter replacement, roof life, end of life recycling and how lifespan affects payback and lease length.
- Survey checklistA practical checklist of the energy data, drawings, consents and decisions to gather before a commercial solar survey, plus what to expect on the day and after.
- Choosing an installerCertification by system size, insurance, warranties, design documents, yield assumptions, questions to ask and red flags, with a table for comparing quotes like for like.
- Solar maintenanceMonitoring, inspections, cleaning, thermography, electrical testing, bird proofing, roof access safety, O&M contracts and what insurers expect from rooftop PV owners.
- Sizing your systemHow to size commercial solar from consumption data, roof area and grid limits, with typical rules of thumb, a worked illustrative example and notes on batteries and future loads.
- Solar and carbon reportingHow on-site solar affects Scope 2 emissions, location-based and market-based reporting, SECR, carbon reduction plans, supplier questionnaires and REGOs, in plain terms.
Related pages
Commercial solar costIllustrative prices per kWp by system size, extra costs, running costs, VAT and tax.- PPA vs CapExA side by side comparison of outright purchase, rooftop PPAs and lease or asset finance, including how lease length and site tenure change the answer.
- What the survey includesThe full list of what is checked: energy use, roof, structure, grid, costs and finance.
- FAQsAnswers to common questions.