Key facts
| Council area | Mid Ulster |
| Population | 9,647 (Magherafelt settlement, usual residents, Census 2021 (NISRA table CT0046, exact settlement count)) |
| Network operator | NIE Networks |
| Main employment areas | Station Road Industrial Estate; Aughrim Road Industrial Estate; Ballyronan Road |
| Indicative yield | About 885 kWh per kWp a year (south facing, 30 degrees) |
| Nation support page | Grants and reliefs in Northern Ireland |
Where businesses are in Magherafelt
- Station Road Industrial Estate: Named in Mid Ulster Council's 2018 industrial land monitor as one of Magherafelt's main areas of existing industry, where light industry was the main use followed by storage and distribution.
- Aughrim Road Industrial Estate: Another of the main areas of existing industry the council's 2018 monitor identified in Magherafelt, shown on Map 5 of the Magherafelt Area Plan 2015.
- Ballyronan Road: Listed by the council's 2018 monitor among Magherafelt's main areas of existing industry; the same monitor showed a further 1.9 hectares of zoned industrial land at Ballyronan Road still undeveloped.
Large employers and sectors with sites here include:
- Advanced manufacturing and engineering: Mid Ulster District Council says the district has Northern Ireland's fastest growing business base and its largest outside Belfast, with clusters in advanced manufacturing and engineering, construction and recycling equipment, and food and agri-food.
- Engineering (Topframe Engineering): In August 2025 Invest NI said Topframe Engineering in Castledawson, near Magherafelt, was investing almost £2m and creating 21 jobs, part of over £55m of investment and 450 new jobs it had supported across Mid Ulster.
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
Magherafelt 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 Magherafelt
Planning in Magherafelt is decided by Mid Ulster 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:
- Magherafelt does not appear on the Department for Infrastructure's list of conservation area guides (nearby Moneymore does), so conservation area rules rarely affect its business roofs, though listed buildings still need consent.
- In Northern Ireland, solar panels on a non-domestic building are permitted development within limits (no more than 20 cm proud of a roof slope facing and visible from a road, no higher than 2 m above a flat roof and at least 2 m from its edge), but not on a roof or wall facing and visible from a road in a conservation area, nor within the curtilage of a listed building without listed building consent.
Our guides on listed buildings and conservation areas explain what these mean for a solar project.
What a business roof in Magherafelt could generate
Modelled with PVGIS for the town centre, a south-facing roof at 30 degrees produces about 885 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 88,500 kWh a year |
| Used on site | 70% at 24p = £14,868 saved |
| Exported | 30% at 5p = £1,328 earned |
| Total a year | About £16,195 |
| Simple payback | About 5.6 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 and lighting (grant capped at £30,000), boiler replacement and intelligent heating controls. 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 Mid Ulster
At the end of 2025, Mid Ulster had 2,776 solar PV installations with 25.7 MW of capacity, up 348% since 2020, according to government figures. The Mid Ulster page has the full local figures and how they compare.
Nearby towns
- Cookstown, about 9 miles away
- Ballymena, about 15 miles away
- Antrim, about 16 miles away
- Dungannon, about 19 miles away
Sources
- nisra.gov.uk: census 2021 person and household estimates for settlements
- nisra.gov.uk: census 2021 commissioned table ct0046.xlsx
- midulstercouncil.org: MUDC302 Industrial Land Monitor October 2018.pdf
- midulstercouncil.org: key statistics
- investni.com: over ps55m be invested mid ulster economy creating
- economy-ni.gov.uk: northern ireland enhanced investment zone
- nienetworks.co.uk
- infrastructure-ni.gov.uk: conservation area guides z list
- legislation.gov.uk
- uregni.gov.uk: NISEP List of Schemes 2026 27 updated
- 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 Magherafelt?
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 Magherafelt?
About 88,500 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 £16,195 a year. Your own roof, orientation and use will change this.
Can a business in Magherafelt 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
- Mid Ulster2,776 installations, 25.7 MW of solar and about 884 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.