Key facts
| Council area | Knowsley |
| Population | 45,560 (Kirkby built-up area, usual residents, Census 2021 (ONS, rounded to the nearest five)) |
| Network operator | SP Energy Networks (SP Manweb, Merseyside and North Wales licence area) |
| Main employment areas | Knowsley Business Park; Image Business Park |
| Indicative yield | About 942 kWh per kWp a year (south facing, 30 degrees) |
| Nation support page | Grants and reliefs in England |
Where businesses are in Kirkby
- Knowsley Business Park: Invest Knowsley calls it the largest business park in the Liverpool City Region, with about 800 businesses and 18,000 employees including QVC and Amazon, and its own rail freight terminal. The 107,000 sq ft Knowsley 107 warehouse there, rated BREEAM Excellent and EPC A, was completed in April 2024.
- Image Business Park: The former Kodak site on Knowsley Industrial Park, about 38 acres with around 400,000 sq ft of office, warehouse and industrial space, bought by an associate of Seybourne Estates in 2018.
Large employers and sectors with sites here include:
- Distribution, retail and manufacturing (Knowsley Business Park): Invest Knowsley says the park's key sectors are manufacturing, distribution and retail, transport and communication, and finance, and that it contributes £214 million a year in Gross Value Added.
- Professional football (Liverpool FC training complex): Liverpool FC completed its £50 million training complex in Kirkby in November 2020, bringing its Academy and first team training together on one site for the first time.
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
Kirkby is served by SP Energy Networks (SP Manweb, Merseyside and North Wales 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 Kirkby
Kirkby follows the national planning rules for England, decided by Knowsley 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:
- Knowsley's Core Strategy policy CS22 names Knowsley Industrial Park and Knowsley Business Park as a Priority Zone for renewable and low carbon energy, where new development may be required to connect to, or be designed to connect later to, a decentralised energy network, and asks all new development to use renewable and low carbon energy where feasible.
Our planning permission guide sets out the rules.
What a business roof in Kirkby could generate
Modelled with PVGIS for the town centre, a south-facing roof at 30 degrees produces about 942 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 94,200 kWh a year |
| Used on site | 70% at 24p = £15,826 saved |
| Exported | 30% at 5p = £1,413 earned |
| Total a year | About £17,239 |
| Simple payback | About 5.2 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 Kirkby 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 Knowsley
At the end of 2025, Knowsley had 5,272 solar PV installations with 19.4 MW of capacity, up 83% since 2020, according to government figures. The Knowsley page has the full local figures and how they compare.
Nearby towns
- Bootle, about 4 miles away
- St Helens, about 7 miles away
- Skelmersdale, about 7 miles away
- Birkenhead, about 8 miles away
Sources
- ons.gov.uk: census2021
- ons.gov.uk: datadownload.xlsx
- investknowsley.co.uk: knowsley business park
- thebusinessdesk.com: northwest
- thebusinessdesk.com: northwest
- investknowsley.co.uk: liverpool fc training ground
- gov.uk: maps of liverpool city region freeport tax sites
- gov.uk: maps of liverpool city region investment zone tax
- gov.uk: enterprise zones
- knowsley.gov.uk: knowsley local plan adopted core strategy
- en.wikipedia.org: Kirkby
- 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 Kirkby?
SP Energy Networks (SP Manweb, Merseyside and North Wales 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 Kirkby?
About 94,200 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 £17,239 a year. Your own roof, orientation and use will change this.
Can a business in Kirkby 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
- Knowsley5,272 installations, 19.4 MW of solar and about 938 kWh per kWp a year for a south-facing roof.
- North WestTwo network operators, realistic northern yields, Trafford Park, the Port of Liverpool, Cheshire chemicals and Cumbrian farming, and Greater Manchester's non-charging clean air plan.
- 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.