Key facts
| Council area | Blaenau Gwent |
| Population | 19,630 (Ebbw Vale built-up area, usual residents, Census 2021 (ONS)) |
| Network operator | National Grid Electricity Distribution (South Wales) |
| Main employment areas | Rassau Industrial Estate; Rhyd-y-Blew |
| Enterprise or investment zone | Ebbw Vale Enterprise Zone |
| Indicative yield | About 930 kWh per kWp a year (south facing, 30 degrees) |
| Nation support page | Grants and reliefs in Wales |
Where businesses are in Ebbw Vale
- Rassau Industrial Estate: Industrial estate beside the A465 just north of the town and one of the Ebbw Vale Enterprise Zone sites. FI Real Estate Management's light industrial and manufacturing units of 9,982 to 25,000 sq ft are fully let.
- Rhyd-y-Blew: Enterprise Zone site where the Welsh Government built RYB1, a 52,582 sq ft speculative low carbon industrial unit, with £8.9 million. Halton Flamgard, a damper manufacturer moving from Pontypool, became its first tenant in January 2025.
Large employers and sectors with sites here include:
- Battery manufacturing (GS Yuasa): GS Yuasa has been a key employer in Blaenau Gwent since 1981. In June 2021 it announced 105 new jobs and protected 360 at its Rassau plant, which makes VRLA standby batteries.
- Engineering (Halton Flamgard): Halton Flamgard, which makes damper units, moved into RYB1 at Rhyd-y-Blew in 2025 and expected its staff to rise from 70 to 168 by 2028.
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
- Ebbw Vale Enterprise Zone: Still listed by Business Wales as one of Wales's eight Enterprise Zones, with a manufacturing focus, outline planning permission and fast track planning across the zone. The Welsh Government confirmed in March 2022 that the eight zones remain designated, though the zone's advisory board was disbanded after a 2018 review and the Business Wales page names no tax incentive.
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
Ebbw Vale is served by National Grid Electricity Distribution (South 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 Ebbw Vale
Planning in Ebbw Vale is decided by Blaenau Gwent 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:
- Blaenau Gwent's only two conservation areas are both in Tredegar, so conservation area rules rarely affect business roofs in Ebbw Vale; the borough has 53 listed buildings.
- Business Wales says there is outline planning permission throughout the Ebbw Vale Enterprise Zone, with a fast track planning process.
Our guides on listed buildings and conservation areas explain what these mean for a solar project.
What a business roof in Ebbw Vale could generate
Modelled with PVGIS for the town centre, a south-facing roof at 30 degrees produces about 930 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 93,000 kWh a year |
| Used on site | 70% at 24p = £15,624 saved |
| Exported | 30% at 5p = £1,395 earned |
| Total a year | About £17,019 |
| Simple payback | About 5.3 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
- Development Bank of Wales Green Business Loan Scheme: Loans of £1,000 to £1.5m at a discounted fixed interest rate (never below 3%) for energy efficiency and low carbon projects, with solar PV listed as a typical eligible project. Businesses must be based in Wales and have traded for at least two years with filed accounts. A grant of up to 50% of the cost of a detailed energy audit, to a maximum of £10,000, is also offered. Check the scheme's own page for eligibility and closing dates.
National reliefs apply too: see grants and reliefs in Wales.
Solar across Blaenau Gwent
At the end of 2025, Blaenau Gwent had 2,081 solar PV installations with 29.9 MW of capacity, up 22% since 2020, according to government figures. The Blaenau Gwent page has the full local figures and how they compare.
Nearby towns
- Bargoed, about 6 miles away
- Merthyr Tydfil, about 8 miles away
- Abergavenny, about 9 miles away
- Pontypool, about 9 miles away
Sources
- ons.gov.uk: census2021
- ons.gov.uk: datadownload.xlsx
- figroup.co.uk: rassau industrial estate
- businesswales.gov.wales: ebbw vale enterprise zone
- gov.wales: international engineering firm first agree lease grade welsh
- gov.wales: more 100 new jobs ebbw vale thanks 25
- businesswales.gov.wales: enterprise zones
- gov.wales
- gov.uk: growth and local jobs top of the agenda
- blaenau-gwent.gov.uk: conservation of the built environment
- developmentbank.wales: green
- developmentbank.wales: Green Business Loan Fund campaign guide Eng final
- 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 Ebbw Vale?
National Grid Electricity Distribution (South 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 Ebbw Vale?
About 93,000 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 £17,019 a year. Your own roof, orientation and use will change this.
Can a business in Ebbw Vale 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
- Blaenau Gwent2,081 installations, 29.9 MW of solar and about 940 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.