Key facts
| Council area | Huntingdonshire |
| Population | 25,600 (Huntingdon built-up area, usual residents, Census 2021 (ONS)) |
| Network operator | UK Power Networks (Eastern Power Networks licence area) |
| Main employment areas | Alconbury Weald Enterprise Campus; Ermine Business Park |
| Indicative yield | About 1,034 kWh per kWp a year (south facing, 30 degrees) |
| Nation support page | Grants and reliefs in England |
Where businesses are in Huntingdon
- Alconbury Weald Enterprise Campus: Urban&Civic's business campus at Alconbury Weald, Huntingdon. It says businesses there occupy over 1.5 million sq ft of employment space, with more than 3,000 employees based on site.
- Ermine Business Park: Office and business park in Huntingdon, including Spitfire Close. In October 2025 BTG Eddisons sold Global House, a 3,552 sq ft three-storey office building on the park, to an investor planning specialist education use.
Large employers and sectors with sites here include:
- Food production (Hilton Foods UK): Hilton Foods' Huntingdon site, expanded continually since 1994, produces on average 2.75 million packs a week of beef, lamb, ready to cook, slow cooked, vegan and vegetarian products, and supplies 41% of UK households each year.
- Chocolate manufacturing (Hotel Chocolat): Hotel Chocolat, owned by Mars since January 2024, was making more than 200 million chocolates a year from 400 recipes at its Hadley Park production headquarters in Huntingdon in December 2025.
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
Huntingdon 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 Huntingdon
Huntingdon follows the national planning rules for England, decided by Huntingdonshire 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:
- Huntingdon Conservation Area, designated in 1972, is large at about 203 hectares and holds 119 listed buildings, including the Grade I Hinchingbrooke House, Huntingdon Bridge and the churches of All Saints and St Mary, so roofs across much of the town centre need more care.
Our guides on listed buildings and conservation areas explain what these mean for a solar project.
What a business roof in Huntingdon could generate
Modelled with PVGIS for the town centre, a south-facing roof at 30 degrees produces about 1,034 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 103,400 kWh a year |
| Used on site | 70% at 24p = £17,371 saved |
| Exported | 30% at 5p = £1,551 earned |
| Total a year | About £18,922 |
| Simple payback | About 4.8 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 Huntingdon 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 Huntingdonshire
At the end of 2025, Huntingdonshire had 7,031 solar PV installations with 162.1 MW of capacity, up 77% since 2020, according to government figures. The Huntingdonshire page has the full local figures and how they compare.
Nearby towns
- St Neots, about 8 miles away
- Rushden, about 18 miles away
- Bedford, about 18 miles away
- March, about 19 miles away
Sources
- ons.gov.uk: census2021
- ons.gov.uk: datadownload.xlsx
- alconbury-weald.co.uk: working
- eddisons.com: investor buyer secured for office building at huntingdons
- hiltonfoods.com: hilton foods uk
- confectioneryproduction.com: exclusive behind the scenes at hotel chocolat
- en.wikipedia.org: Hotel Chocolat
- gov.uk: enterprise zones
- heritagecheck.co.uk: huntingdon
- 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 Huntingdon?
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 Huntingdon?
About 103,400 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 £18,922 a year. Your own roof, orientation and use will change this.
Can a business in Huntingdon 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
- Huntingdonshire7,031 installations, 162.1 MW of solar and about 1,032 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.