Key facts
| Council area | Flintshire |
| Population | 16,762 (Connah's Quay built-up area, the largest settlement in Deeside, Census 2021. Shotton is a separate built-up area. No single 2021 figure covers the whole of Deeside.) |
| Network operator | SP Energy Networks (SP Manweb: Merseyside, Cheshire and North Wales) |
| Main employment areas | Deeside Industrial Park; Hawarden Business Park; Sandycroft Industrial Area; Warren Hall |
| Enterprise or investment zone | Deeside Enterprise Zone (2,000 hectares) |
| Enterprise or investment zone | Flintshire and Wrexham Investment Zone (Deeside and Warren Hall tax sites) |
| Indicative yield | About 964 kWh per kWp a year (south facing, 30 degrees) |
| Nation support page | Grants and reliefs in Wales |
Where businesses are in Deeside
- Deeside Industrial Park: Large manufacturing and logistics park in the Northern Gateway area of the Deeside Enterprise Zone. Also an Investment Zone tax site.
- Hawarden Business Park: Business park inside the Deeside Enterprise Zone.
- Sandycroft Industrial Area: Industrial area inside the Deeside Enterprise Zone.
- Warren Hall: Strategic site near Broughton, named as a Flintshire and Wrexham Investment Zone tax site.
Large employers and sectors with sites here include:
- Aerospace: Airbus Broughton: Airbus wing factory on a 700-acre site at Hawarden Airport.
- Automotive: Toyota Deeside engine plant: Builds hybrid and petrol engines. It produced its six millionth engine in 2026.
- Steel: Tata Steel Shotton Works: Makes metallic coated and pre-finished (painted) steel for construction.
- Defence: Raytheon UK: Named by Business Wales as one of the manufacturers in the Deeside Enterprise Zone.
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.
Enterprise, investment and freeport zones
- Deeside Enterprise Zone (2,000 hectares)
- Flintshire and Wrexham Investment Zone (Deeside and Warren Hall tax sites)
These zones can bring business rates relief or enhanced capital allowances for eligible firms on qualifying sites; check the current terms with the zone before relying on them.
Grid connection
Deeside is served by SP Energy Networks (SP Manweb: Merseyside, Cheshire and North Wales). Almost every commercial system needs G99 approval from the network operator before it is switched on, and the question is usually how much the local network can take back. Where export is limited, a G100 export limitation scheme can let a larger array connect. See G99 and DNO applications.
Planning in Deeside
Planning in Deeside is decided by Flintshire council under the Welsh rules. Many non-domestic roofs are covered by Welsh permitted development, with conditions, but not within 3 km of an airport or aerodrome or on listed buildings.
Points that come up locally:
- The Dee Estuary next to Connah's Quay and Shotton is protected as a Special Area of Conservation, a Special Protection Area, a Ramsar site and an SSSI.
- Hawarden Airport (Airbus) is in the middle of the area, so ground-mounted arrays nearby may need glint and glare checks.
Our guides on airports, glint and glare, bats, birds and ecology explain what these mean for a solar project.
What a business roof in Deeside could generate
Modelled with PVGIS for the town centre, a south-facing roof at 30 degrees produces about 964 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 96,400 kWh a year |
| Used on site | 70% at 24p = £16,195 saved |
| Exported | 30% at 5p = £1,446 earned |
| Total a year | About £17,641 |
| Simple payback | About 5.1 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
- Flintshire Investment Zone SME Manufacturing Grants; Development Bank of Wales Green Business Loan Scheme: Flintshire grants of £5,000 to £100,000 (30% match funding), including a property adaptation and decarbonisation strand for manufacturers. They opened in February 2026. Separately, Welsh Government and Development Bank of Wales loans of £1,000 to £1.5m for energy efficiency and decarbonisation, including solar PV, with funding available until 2028. Check the scheme's own page for eligibility and closing dates.
National reliefs apply too: see grants and reliefs in Wales.
Solar across Flintshire
At the end of 2025, Flintshire had 7,590 solar PV installations with 112.3 MW of capacity, up 22% since 2020, according to government figures. The Flintshire page has the full local figures and how they compare.
Nearby towns
- Chester, about 6 miles away
- Birkenhead, about 14 miles away
- Crewe, about 25 miles away
- Shrewsbury, about 36 miles away
Sources
- citypopulation.de: W45000081 connahs quay
- en.wikipedia.org: Deeside
- businesswales.gov.wales: deeside enterprise zone
- flintshire.gov.uk: Home
- deeside.com: investment zone grants open to manufacturers in flintshire
- en.wikipedia.org: Hawarden Airport
- media.toyota.co.uk: toyota marks production of six millionth engine at
- tatasteeluk.com: 3 million upgrade for north wales steelworks to
- deeside.com: connahs quay power station developer admits it cannot
- developmentbank.wales: green
- gov.wales: extra 10 million support welsh businesses their journey
- 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 Deeside?
SP Energy Networks (SP Manweb: Merseyside, Cheshire and North Wales). 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 Deeside?
About 96,400 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 £17,641 a year. Your own roof, orientation and use will change this.
Can a business in Deeside 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
- Flintshire7,590 installations, 112.3 MW of solar and about 962 kWh per kWp a year for a south-facing roof.
- WalesNGED and SP Energy Networks connections, Planning Policy Wales and Welsh permitted development, the Welsh rates exemption to 2035, and farm, factory and port roofs.
- 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.
- WalesCurrent solar support in Wales for businesses, farms, public bodies and community groups, with 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.