Key facts
| Council area | Wigan |
| Population | 45,495 (Leigh (Wigan) built-up area, usual residents, Census 2021 (ONS, rounded to the nearest five)) |
| Network operator | Electricity North West (North West licence area) |
| Main employment areas | Moss Industrial Estate (Centenary Court); Leigh Commerce Park and Leigh Business Park |
| Indicative yield | About 919 kWh per kWp a year (south facing, 30 degrees) |
| Nation support page | Grants and reliefs in England |
Where businesses are in Leigh
- Moss Industrial Estate (Centenary Court): Industrial estate in Leigh where GM Property Management built Centenary Court, six insulated industrial units totalling 26,000 sq ft with solar panels and electric car charging, due to complete in early 2025.
- Leigh Commerce Park and Leigh Business Park: Hurstwood Holdings' Leigh Commerce Park, about two miles from the town centre next to the East Lancashire Road, has three blocks of industrial and business units from 800 sq ft; Hurstwood also owns the adjoining Leigh Business Park.
Large employers and sectors with sites here include:
- Food manufacturing (AB World Foods): AB World Foods, whose brands include Patak's and Blue Dragon, lists Kiriana House on Kiribati Way, Leigh, as one of its two UK sites.
- Healthcare (Leigh Infirmary): A £10m Community Diagnostic Centre with the site's first CT and MRI scanners began services at Leigh Infirmary in November 2023 and was officially opened in November 2024, and in March 2025 a new breast surgery theatre made it one of only four accredited Surgical Hubs in Greater Manchester.
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
Leigh is served by Electricity North West (North West 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 Leigh
Leigh follows the national planning rules for England, decided by Wigan 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:
- Leigh has five conservation areas in Wigan Council's list: Leigh Town Centre, Railway Road and Pennington, plus Leigh Bridge (about 4.2 hectares) and Bridgewater Canal (about 29.4 hectares), which the council classes as special industrial areas, so older mill and canalside roofs may need more care.
Our guides on listed buildings and conservation areas explain what these mean for a solar project.
What a business roof in Leigh could generate
Modelled with PVGIS for the town centre, a south-facing roof at 30 degrees produces about 919 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 91,900 kWh a year |
| Used on site | 70% at 24p = £15,439 saved |
| Exported | 30% at 5p = £1,379 earned |
| Total a year | About £16,818 |
| Simple payback | About 5.4 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 Leigh 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 Wigan
At the end of 2025, Wigan had 6,529 solar PV installations with 32.4 MW of capacity, up 53% since 2020, according to government figures. The Wigan page has the full local figures and how they compare.
Nearby towns
- Wigan, about 6 miles away
- Bolton, about 7 miles away
- Warrington, about 8 miles away
- St Helens, about 9 miles away
Sources
- ons.gov.uk: census2021
- ons.gov.uk: datadownload.xlsx
- news.fmbusinessdaily.com: energy efficient industrial units near completion
- placenorthwest.co.uk
- abworldfoods.com
- wwl.nhs.uk
- wwl.nhs.uk
- gov.uk: investment zones in england
- gov.uk: enterprise zones
- gov.uk: maps of uk freeports
- wigan.gov.uk: ConservationAreas25kb
- heritagecheck.co.uk: leigh town centre
- en.wikipedia.org: Leigh, Greater Manchester
- 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 Leigh?
Electricity North West (North West 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 Leigh?
About 91,900 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 £16,818 a year. Your own roof, orientation and use will change this.
Can a business in Leigh 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
- Wigan6,529 installations, 32.4 MW of solar and about 916 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.