Key facts
| Network operator | SP Energy Networks (SP Manweb licence area: Merseyside, Cheshire, North Wales and North Shropshire) |
| Planning authority | Liverpool City Council; Sefton, Knowsley, Wirral, St Helens and Halton councils for their own areas |
| Clean air zone | No charging clean air zone was chosen in 2022; see the note below |
| Indicative yield | About 850 to 950 kWh per kWp a year for a well-oriented array |
| Nation support page | Grants and support in England |
Grid connection with SP Energy Networks
Liverpool and the rest of Merseyside are served by SP Energy Networks through its SP Manweb licence, which also covers Cheshire, North Wales and North Shropshire. This is a different licence area from Greater Manchester, so a business with sites in both cities deals with two operators. On the eastern side of the city region, towards Wigan and Warrington, check which operator serves your postcode using the Energy Networks Association postcode tool, because boundaries do not always follow council lines.
Commercial systems above the G98 limits need G99 approval before connection. Large port and logistics roofs can generate far more than the building uses at weekends, so export capacity is often the deciding factor; a G100 export limitation scheme or a battery can help. Read our guide to G99 and DNO applications for the detail.
Planning across Merseyside
Liverpool City Council covers the city, including Speke and the business parks around Liverpool John Lennon Airport. Much of the area's heavy industry and logistics is in neighbouring boroughs:
- The Port of Liverpool at Seaforth, including the Liverpool2 deep-water container terminal opened in 2016, is in Sefton.
- Knowsley Industrial Park and the Jaguar Land Rover plant at Halewood are in Knowsley.
- Wirral Waters in Birkenhead falls to Wirral Council, and 3MG in Widnes to Halton. Both are tax sites in the Liverpool City Region Freeport.
England's permitted development rights for non-domestic rooftop solar were widened in December 2023 and the 1 MW limit removed, with conditions for flat roof height, listed buildings and conservation areas. Liverpool's waterfront was removed from the World Heritage List in 2021, but its conservation areas and listed buildings, such as the Albert Dock warehouses and the Stanley Dock tobacco warehouse, remain protected. Our planning permission guide covers the conditions.
The local economy
Port activity, logistics and distribution, automotive manufacturing, life sciences, the visitor economy, health and universities are all significant on Merseyside. For solar, look first at warehouses and cold stores serving the port, manufacturers in Knowsley and Speke with long daytime shifts, and hospitals and campuses with high base loads. Cold storage is a particularly good match because refrigeration demand peaks on sunny days.
Clean air and vehicle charging
In 2022 Liverpool City Council's cabinet chose a package of non-charging measures to tackle air quality instead of a charging clean air zone. There is therefore no daily vehicle charge to plan around, but port hauliers and van fleets are still electrifying, and a depot roof can supply much of the daytime charging. Our page on EV charging for business explains how chargers, solar and batteries are sized together.
TODO for the site owner: Confirm on the council's Let's Clear the Air Liverpool pages that no charging clean air zone has since been proposed or introduced before publishing.
Roofs and buildings in Liverpool
- Victorian brick dock warehouses, many listed, with heavy timber or iron roof structures. Most need a structural survey and heritage consent before panels.
- 1960s to 1980s industrial units in Speke, Kirkby and Bootle, frequently with asbestos cement roofs that must be surveyed first.
- Large modern sheds at Seaforth, Knowsley and 3MG, with profiled metal roofs that are ideal for big arrays.
Coastal sites also see more wind and salt exposure, so ask the installer about fixing specifications and corrosion protection.
Expected generation
Liverpool's coastal position gives it more sunshine than inland Greater Manchester. A well-oriented array typically produces about 850 to 950 kWh per kWp a year (indicative). The European Commission's PVGIS model gives close to 970 kWh per kWp for an ideally angled south-facing array with standard losses, and nearer 775 for a low-pitch east-west layout.
How the free survey works
Send us the basics through the short form. We review your enquiry and call you to understand the site; if it looks suitable we arrange a free survey with one MCS certified installer matched to it. Your details go to that installer only, and there is no obligation. Listed dock buildings usually need an in-person visit, while modern sheds can often begin with a virtual survey. See our North West page for the wider region.
Frequently asked questions
Why is Liverpool's network operator different from Manchester's?
Great Britain's distribution network is split into licence areas inherited from the old regional electricity boards. Merseyside sits in the SP Manweb area run by SP Energy Networks, while Greater Manchester sits in the area run by SP Electricity North West. Both are now in the same group, but they remain separate licences with separate G99 processes.
Our warehouse is at Seaforth. Which council handles planning?
Sefton Council, because the Seaforth docks and the surrounding port estate are in the borough of Sefton rather than Liverpool. Port land can also carry its own lease and operator consents, so check with the port landlord as well as the council. Most rooftop systems on modern sheds proceed under permitted development, subject to the national conditions.
Can we put solar on a listed dock warehouse?
It is possible, but expect to need listed building consent and a careful structural assessment. Panels are usually limited to roof areas that cannot be seen from the waterfront or the street, and fixing methods must avoid damaging historic fabric. Talk to Liverpool City Council's conservation team early and allow extra time in the programme.
Does a cold store in Knowsley suit solar?
Usually very well. Refrigeration runs all day and works hardest in warm, sunny weather, which is exactly when panels generate most. That means a high share of generation is used on site, which gives the best saving per unit. The survey looks at your half-hourly data to size the array against that load.
Related pages
- North WestTwo network operators, realistic northern yields, Trafford Park, the Port of Liverpool, Cheshire chemicals and Cumbrian farming, and Greater Manchester's non-charging clean air plan.
- ManchesterG99 with SP Electricity North West, planning across Manchester, Trafford and Salford, the non-charging clean air plan and the city's mill, warehouse and shed roofs.
- BelfastNIE Networks G99/NI connections, council planning since 2015, no Smart Export Guarantee, and roofs at Belfast Harbour, Mallusk and the city's old linen buildings.
- WarehousesLarge unshaded roofs and daytime shift work make many warehouses a strong fit for rooftop solar, provided the roof structure, rooflights and lease terms stack up.
- G99 and DNO applicationsG98 versus G99, what goes into a DNO application, connection offers, export limitation under G100, reinforcement costs and how the survey checks your supply.