Key facts
| Council area | Welwyn Hatfield |
| Population | 41,560 (Hatfield built-up area, usual residents, Census 2021 (ONS)) |
| Network operator | UK Power Networks (Eastern Power Networks licence area) |
| Main employment areas | Hatfield Business Park; HatTech |
| Indicative yield | About 1,014 kWh per kWp a year (south facing, 30 degrees) |
| Nation support page | Grants and reliefs in England |
Where businesses are in Hatfield
- Hatfield Business Park: A mixed use business park near the University of Hertfordshire campus and around 2,000 homes. Occupiers named by the Trident Place development include Computacenter, Affinity Water, Eisai, Royal Mail, DHL and BT.
- HatTech: A business centre set up by Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council in 2020 with £751,000 of grant funding from Hertfordshire Futures, offering affordable office space. In September 2025 it housed 16 businesses employing 156 people.
Large employers and sectors with sites here include:
- IT services (Computacenter): Computacenter, which supplies, implements, supports and manages IT systems, is based in Hatfield, has about 20,000 employees and reported revenue of about £9.2 billion in 2025.
- Higher education (University of Hertfordshire): The University of Hertfordshire is mainly based at its College Lane and de Havilland campuses in Hatfield and has over 3,400 staff, with 33,575 undergraduates and 20,305 postgraduates listed for 2024/25.
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
Hatfield is served by UK Power Networks (Eastern Power Networks licence area). 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 Hatfield
Hatfield follows the national planning rules for England, decided by Welwyn Hatfield council. Rooftop solar on most non-domestic buildings is permitted development, within height and edge limits, and systems above 50 kW need a prior approval application covering design and glare.
Points that come up locally:
- Old Hatfield Conservation Area, designated in 1968, covers about 11.5 hectares and holds 52 listed buildings, including the Grade I Parish Church of St Etheldreda and The Palace, so roofs in the old town need more care.
Our guides on listed buildings and conservation areas explain what these mean for a solar project.
What a business roof in Hatfield could generate
Modelled with PVGIS for the town centre, a south-facing roof at 30 degrees produces about 1,014 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 101,400 kWh a year |
| Used on site | 70% at 24p = £17,035 saved |
| Exported | 30% at 5p = £1,521 earned |
| Total a year | About £18,556 |
| Simple payback | About 4.9 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
We found no council or regional grant for business solar open in Hatfield at the time of writing (November 2026). National reliefs still apply, such as capital allowances and, in England, the business rates exemption for onsite renewables: see grants and reliefs in England.
Solar across Welwyn Hatfield
At the end of 2025, Welwyn Hatfield had 2,383 solar PV installations with 10.9 MW of capacity, up 101% since 2020, according to government figures. The Welwyn Hatfield page has the full local figures and how they compare.
Nearby towns
- Stevenage, about 10 miles away
- Hemel Hempstead, about 11 miles away
- Harlow, about 14 miles away
- Dunstable, about 15 miles away
Sources
- ons.gov.uk: census2021
- ons.gov.uk: datadownload.xlsx
- tridentplacehatfield.com: location
- one.welhat.gov.uk: council celebrates five years of success for hattech
- en.wikipedia.org: Computacenter
- en.wikipedia.org: University of Hertfordshire
- gov.uk: enterprise zones
- hertfordshirefutures.co.uk: herts iq
- gov.uk: investment zones in england
- en.wikipedia.org: Freeports in the United Kingdom
- heritagecheck.co.uk: old hatfield
- 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 Hatfield?
UK Power Networks (Eastern Power Networks licence area). 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 Hatfield?
About 101,400 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 £18,556 a year. Your own roof, orientation and use will change this.
Can a business in Hatfield 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
- Welwyn Hatfield2,383 installations, 10.9 MW of solar and about 1,019 kWh per kWp a year for a south-facing roof.
- East of EnglandUK Power Networks connections, strong yields, the Felixstowe and A14 logistics corridor, arable farming and food processing across Norfolk, Suffolk and the Fens.
- 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.
- EnglandCurrent solar support in England for businesses, schools, public bodies, community groups and farms, plus rates, planning and who to contact.
- 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.