Key facts
| Council area | Lisburn and Castlereagh |
| Population | 51,447 (Lisburn City settlement, usual residents on Census Day 21 March 2021 (NISRA)) |
| Network operator | NIE Networks |
| Main employment areas | Lissue Industrial Estate; Blaris Industrial Estate; KH1 Business Park, Knockmore Hill |
| Indicative yield | About 912 kWh per kWp a year (south facing, 30 degrees) |
| Nation support page | Grants and reliefs in Northern Ireland |
Where businesses are in Lisburn
- Lissue Industrial Estate: Long-established industrial estate on the Moira Road, with 49 hectares developed or committed under the Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan zoning.
- Blaris Industrial Estate: Industrial estate on Altona Road with about 24.5 hectares developed or committed under the Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan zoning.
- KH1 Business Park, Knockmore Hill: A 31 acre park for up to 400,000 sq ft of industrial space. Its first 106,000 sq ft unit, completed in 2025, has roofs designed to take solar panels.
Large employers and sectors with sites here include:
- Soft drinks (Coca-Cola HBC): About 550 people work at the Knockmore Hill bottling plant, where a €31 million recycled plastic bottle line was announced in November 2025.
- Public sector: Public service jobs are about a third of the district's employment, including the British Army's Northern Ireland headquarters at Thiepval Barracks and the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service headquarters.
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
Lisburn is served by NIE Networks, which runs the network across Northern Ireland. Systems connect under the G98/NI and G99/NI process, and there is no Smart Export Guarantee in Northern Ireland, so sizing the system to the power you use on site matters even more. See G99 and DNO applications.
Planning in Lisburn
Planning in Lisburn is decided by Lisburn and Castlereagh council. Rooftop solar on many non-domestic buildings can go ahead without an application within the Northern Ireland limits; listed buildings need consent.
Points that come up locally:
- The Lisburn Conservation Area, originally designated in 1992, covers Market Square, Bow Street, Railway Street, Bridge Street, Castle Street and Castle Gardens.
Our guides on listed buildings and conservation areas explain what these mean for a solar project.
What a business roof in Lisburn could generate
Modelled with PVGIS for the town centre, a south-facing roof at 30 degrees produces about 912 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 91,200 kWh a year |
| Used on site | 70% at 24p = £15,322 saved |
| Exported | 30% at 5p = £1,368 earned |
| Total a year | About £16,690 |
| 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
- NISEP Commercial Energy Saving Scheme (2026/27): A Northern Ireland Sustainable Energy Programme grant of 20% for commercial and non-domestic properties anywhere in Northern Ireland, with the applicant paying 80%. Measures include solar PV (grant capped at £30,000), boiler replacement, intelligent heating controls and lighting. Applications go to Power NI. The list of schemes covers April 2026 to March 2027. Check the scheme's own page for eligibility and closing dates.
National reliefs apply too: see grants and reliefs in Northern Ireland.
Solar across Lisburn and Castlereagh
At the end of 2025, Lisburn and Castlereagh had 2,920 solar PV installations with 74.5 MW of capacity, up -8% since 2020, according to government figures. The Lisburn and Castlereagh page has the full local figures and how they compare.
Nearby towns
- Newtownards, about 15 miles away
- Banbridge, about 15 miles away
- Craigavon, about 15 miles away
- Antrim, about 16 miles away
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org: Lisburn
- lisburncastlereagh.gov.uk: 3 Employment and Economic Development Updated Nov 19
- syncni.com: kh1 business park phase one 10m development completed
- commercialpropertyfinder.nibusinessinfo.co.uk: knockmore hill industrial park knockmore road lisburn
- rte.ie: 1543100 coca cola hbc to expand lisburn plant
- nienetworks.co.uk
- lisburncastlereagh.gov.uk: conservation areas
- uregni.gov.uk: NISEP List of Schemes 2026 27 updated
- investni.com: energy efficiency capital grant
- 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 Lisburn?
NIE Networks. 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 Lisburn?
About 91,200 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 £16,690 a year. Your own roof, orientation and use will change this.
Can a business in Lisburn 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
- Lisburn and Castlereagh2,920 installations, 74.5 MW of solar and about 919 kWh per kWp a year for a south-facing roof.
- Northern IrelandNIE Networks and the G98/NI and G99/NI process, no Smart Export Guarantee, council-led planning, and the agri-food and manufacturing buildings that suit solar.
- 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.
- Northern IrelandCurrent solar support in Northern Ireland for businesses, community groups, public bodies and farms, plus export, 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.