Key facts
| Council area | Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon |
| Population | 21,091 (Portadown sector of the Craigavon Urban Area, usual residents on Census Day 2021, as given in Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council's September 2025 Craigavon Urban Area report (NISRA table CT0046 does not list Portadown separately; the whole Craigavon Urban Area including Aghacommon had 72,721)) |
| Network operator | NIE Networks |
| Main employment areas | Mahon Road Industrial Estate; Carn Industrial Estate; Seagoe Industrial Estate |
| Indicative yield | About 900 kWh per kWp a year (south facing, 30 degrees) |
| Nation support page | Grants and reliefs in Northern Ireland |
Where businesses are in Portadown
- Mahon Road Industrial Estate: Industrial estate in Portadown which, with James Park, the council names as where the town's industry is located, from long established firms to newer multinationals.
- Carn Industrial Estate: Industrial area that is part of the Carn, Seagoe and Charlestown Road cluster of pharmaceutical, food, logistics and manufacturing firms, with a concentration of Food Heartland businesses; Irwin's Bakery is on Carn Road.
- Seagoe Industrial Estate: Industrial estate in Craigavon, part of the same cluster as Carn, and the registered home of Almac Group at Almac House, 20 Seagoe Industrial Estate.
Large employers and sectors with sites here include:
- Life sciences (Almac Group): Almac, registered at Seagoe Industrial Estate, reported revenue of £1.1 billion for the year to September 2025 and over 7,900 staff worldwide by May 2026, with over half of the 2,000-plus roles it has added since November 2021 in Northern Ireland.
- Bakery (Irwin's): Irwin's Bakery, which traces its roots in Portadown to 1912 and bakes on Carn Road, had turnover of £30.2 million and about 222 staff in the year to the end of September 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
Portadown 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 Portadown
Planning in Portadown is decided by Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon 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 council counts 57 listed buildings in the Portadown sector, four of them at risk and most concentrated in the town centre, plus an area of townscape character at Bachelors Walk, so check a building's status before planning roof panels there.
- 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 Portadown could generate
Modelled with PVGIS for the town centre, a south-facing roof at 30 degrees produces about 900 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 90,000 kWh a year |
| Used on site | 70% at 24p = £15,120 saved |
| Exported | 30% at 5p = £1,350 earned |
| Total a year | About £16,470 |
| Simple payback | About 5.5 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 Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon
At the end of 2025, Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon had 3,909 solar PV installations with 38.5 MW of capacity, up 276% since 2020, according to government figures. The Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon page has the full local figures and how they compare.
Nearby towns
- Craigavon, about 3 miles away
- Banbridge, about 9 miles away
- Armagh, about 9 miles away
- Dungannon, about 14 miles away
Sources
- armaghbanbridgecraigavon.gov.uk: Draft CUA Discovery Report Sept 2025
- nisra.gov.uk: census 2021 person and household estimates for settlements
- nisra.gov.uk: census 2021 commissioned table ct0046.xlsx
- en.wikipedia.org: Portadown
- find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk: NI041551
- almacgroup.com: almac group delivers record year of growth
- irishnews.com: robust trading year for irwins despite cooler fire
- economy-ni.gov.uk: northern ireland enhanced investment zone
- nienetworks.co.uk
- 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 Portadown?
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 Portadown?
About 90,000 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 £16,470 a year. Your own roof, orientation and use will change this.
Can a business in Portadown 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
- Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon3,909 installations, 38.5 MW of solar and about 908 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.