Key facts
| Council area | Causeway Coast and Glens |
| Population | 10,903 (Ballymoney settlement, usual residents, Census 2021 (NISRA table CT0046, exact settlement count)) |
| Network operator | NIE Networks |
| Main employment areas | Garryduff Road Industrial Estate; Acorn Business Centre |
| Indicative yield | About 859 kWh per kWp a year (south facing, 30 degrees) |
| Nation support page | Grants and reliefs in Northern Ireland |
Where businesses are in Ballymoney
- Garryduff Road Industrial Estate: Industrial estate on Garryduff Road where Invest NI markets a 4.5 acre unserviced site for leasing to its client companies.
- Acorn Business Centre: Business centre at 2 Riada Avenue run by Acorn The Business Centre Ltd, a charity set up to promote the regeneration of Ballymoney, whose income was £45,600 in the year to March 2025.
Large employers and sectors with sites here include:
- Soft drinks (Maine Soft Drinks): Family owned Maine Soft Drinks, formed in 1949, has made drinks at 35 Ballymena Road since 1959; it employs over 100 people, about half of them in Ballymoney, and supplies more than 40,000 homes by doorstep delivery.
- Engineering (Terex): Terex, which bought the Ballymoney fabrication site in 2015, announced in June 2022 a £9.5 million expansion with a new assembly hall and powder coating line that was expected to create 60 permanent jobs.
Large, simple roofs on distribution sheds and modern industrial units are usually the quickest and cheapest to fit. Older mill, factory and workshop buildings can work well too, but often need a structural survey first, and roofs from before 2000 may contain asbestos cement: see asbestos roofs.
Grid connection
Ballymoney is served by NIE Networks, which runs the network across Northern Ireland. Systems connect under the G98/NI and G99/NI process, and there is no Smart Export Guarantee in Northern Ireland, so sizing the system to the power you use on site matters even more. See G99 and DNO applications.
Planning in Ballymoney
Planning in Ballymoney is decided by Causeway Coast and Glens council. Rooftop solar on many non-domestic buildings can go ahead without an application within the Northern Ireland limits; listed buildings need consent.
Points that come up locally:
- Ballymoney's historic core around The Diamond was designated a conservation area in 1994, and the council says its design guide should be the first point of reference for development there.
- In Northern Ireland, solar panels on a non-domestic building are permitted development within limits (no more than 20 cm proud of a roof slope facing and visible from a road, no higher than 2 m above a flat roof and at least 2 m from its edge), but not on a wall or roof slope facing and visible from a road in a conservation area, nor within the curtilage of a listed building without listed building consent.
Our guides on listed buildings and conservation areas explain what these mean for a solar project.
What a business roof in Ballymoney could generate
Modelled with PVGIS for the town centre, a south-facing roof at 30 degrees produces about 859 kWh per kWp a year.
| Item | Illustrative figure |
|---|---|
| System | 100 kWp, south facing at 30 degrees |
| Installed cost | £900 per kWp, so £90,000 excluding VAT |
| Generation | About 85,900 kWh a year |
| Used on site | 70% at 24p = £14,431 saved |
| Exported | 30% at 5p = £1,289 earned |
| Total a year | About £15,720 |
| Simple payback | About 5.7 years before tax relief |
Illustrative, not a quote: the same sums as our commercial solar calculator. A company paying corporation tax can usually shorten the payback with capital allowances.
Funding and support
- NISEP Commercial Energy Saving Scheme (2026/27): A Northern Ireland Sustainable Energy Programme grant of 20% for commercial and non-domestic properties anywhere in Northern Ireland, with the applicant paying 80%. Measures include solar PV and lighting (grant capped at £30,000), boiler replacement, intelligent heating controls and solar thermal. Applications go to Power NI. The list of schemes covers April 2026 to March 2027. Check the scheme's own page for eligibility and closing dates.
National reliefs apply too: see grants and reliefs in Northern Ireland.
Solar across Causeway Coast and Glens
At the end of 2025, Causeway Coast and Glens had 3,089 solar PV installations with 75.6 MW of capacity, up 30% since 2020, according to government figures. The Causeway Coast and Glens page has the full local figures and how they compare.
Nearby towns
- Coleraine, about 7 miles away
- Ballymena, about 17 miles away
- Limavady, about 17 miles away
- Magherafelt, about 22 miles away
Sources
- nisra.gov.uk: census 2021 person and household estimates for settlements
- nisra.gov.uk: census 2021 commissioned table ct0046.xlsx
- commercialpropertyfinder.nibusinessinfo.co.uk: garryduff road industrial estate garryduff road ballymoney
- opencharities.uk: 101481.md
- nigoodfood.com: maine soft drinks
- mainesoftdrinks.co.uk
- khl.com: 8021392.article
- londonderrychamber.co.uk: terex to create 60 new local jobs at
- nienetworks.co.uk
- causewaycoastandglens.gov.uk: conservation areas
- legislation.gov.uk
- uregni.gov.uk: NISEP List of Schemes 2026 27 updated
- Yield: PVGIS 5.3 (European Commission Joint Research Centre), SARAH3 data, 14% system losses, for the town centre, modelled 4 November 2026.
- Council area figures: DESNZ, renewable electricity by local authority 2014 to 2025.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the electricity network operator in Ballymoney?
NIE Networks. Most commercial solar systems need its G99 approval before they are switched on. The operator follows the postcode, so confirm yours with the Energy Networks Association postcode tool.
How much would a 100 kWp solar system generate in Ballymoney?
About 85,900 kWh a year for a south-facing roof at 30 degrees, modelled with PVGIS for the town centre. At 70% used on site at 24p and the rest exported at 5p, that is worth about £15,720 a year. Your own roof, orientation and use will change this.
Can a business in Ballymoney get a free solar survey?
Yes. Answer six short questions and we match the site with one MCS certified installer, who surveys it on site or by video call. It is free, with no obligation. Get a free survey.
Related pages
- Causeway Coast and Glens3,089 installations, 75.6 MW of solar and about 859 kWh per kWp a year for a south-facing roof.
- Northern IrelandNIE Networks and the G98/NI and G99/NI process, no Smart Export Guarantee, council-led planning, and the agri-food and manufacturing buildings that suit solar.
- Commercial solar calculatorEstimate commercial solar savings and payback, with the generation, price and cost assumptions shown and sourced, and the limits of a simple estimate explained.
- Northern IrelandCurrent solar support in Northern Ireland for businesses, community groups, public bodies and farms, plus export, rates, planning and official contacts.
- 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.