Commercial solar surveys in Nottingham

Key facts

Grid connection with National Grid Electricity Distribution

Nottingham is in the East Midlands licence area of National Grid Electricity Distribution (NGED). Commercial systems above the G98 limits need G99 approval before they connect. Boundaries can vary at the edges of licence areas, so confirm your operator with the Energy Networks Association postcode tool.

Business parks around the city, and the large logistics sites near the M1, often have modern supplies, but export capacity still varies by substation. Where export is limited, an export limitation scheme under G100 or a battery can allow a larger array. Our page on G99 and DNO applications explains the process.

Planning in and around Nottingham

Nottingham City Council covers a tightly drawn city area, so many of the employment sites people think of as Nottingham sit in neighbouring boroughs. The Boots campus straddles the boundary between the city and Broxtowe, and its redevelopment as part of the Nottingham Enterprise Zone was approved by both councils. Beeston Business Park is in Broxtowe. To the south, Rushcliffe covers the former Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station site, part of the East Midlands Freeport, while East Midlands Airport, a major air cargo hub, is over the county line in North West Leicestershire.

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. The Lace Market, with its Victorian lace warehouses, is a conservation area with many listed buildings. Our planning permission guide explains the conditions.

The local economy and solar

Nottingham's economy includes health and life sciences, retail and consumer goods, professional services, two universities, the Queen's Medical Centre and wider hospital estate, manufacturing and logistics along the M1. Campuses, hospitals and manufacturers with heavy weekday demand tend to use most of their generation on site. Distribution sites near the motorway have large roofs that suit big arrays; see warehouses.

Clean air, the Workplace Parking Levy and EV charging

Nottingham does not have a charging clean air zone. In 2018 ministers approved the city's air quality plan, which relied on cleaner buses and taxi measures rather than a charging zone.

What Nottingham does have is a Workplace Parking Levy. Employers in the city council area that provide 11 or more liable workplace parking places pay the levy on every one of those places; the council has set the charge for 2026 to 2027 at £592 per liable place. If you are reviewing parking, fleet electrification and charging at the same time, it helps to model them together. Our page on EV charging for business explains how chargers and solar are sized, and the council's levy pages explain what counts as a liable place.

Roofs and buildings in Nottingham

• Victorian lace and textile warehouses in the Lace Market, many listed, with ornate brick facades and roofs that need heritage consent and a structural check.
• Hosiery and textile mills and 1960s to 1980s industrial units across the city and the Nottinghamshire towns, where asbestos cement roofs are common; see asbestos roofs.
• Modern distribution sheds and business park offices near the M1 and around Beeston and the Nottingham Science Park, with profiled metal or flat roofs.

Expected generation

A well-oriented commercial array in Nottingham typically produces about 860 to 960 kWh per kWp a year (indicative). The European Commission's PVGIS model gives close to 985 kWh per kWp for an ideally angled south-facing array with standard losses, and nearer 785 for a low-pitch east-west flat roof layout.

How the free survey works

Fill in the short form and we review your enquiry, then call to understand the site, your energy use and any plans for parking and charging. If the site looks suitable we arrange a free survey with one MCS certified installer matched to it, in person or virtual. Your details go to that installer only, and there is no obligation. See our East Midlands page for the wider region.