Key facts
| Council area | Derry and Strabane |
| Population | 13,456 (Strabane settlement, usual residents, Census 2021 (NISRA table CT0046, exact settlement count)) |
| Network operator | NIE Networks |
| Main employment areas | Strabane Business Park; Orchard Road Industrial Estate |
| Indicative yield | About 822 kWh per kWp a year (south facing, 30 degrees) |
| Nation support page | Grants and reliefs in Northern Ireland |
Where businesses are in Strabane
- Strabane Business Park: Invest NI owned business park on the A5 Melmount Road, opened in 2013, where KES Group's phased expansion is due to occupy almost 60% of the park by 2027.
- Orchard Road Industrial Estate: Industrial estate where Strabane Enterprise Agency, the local enterprise agency, has its registered office.
Large employers and sectors with sites here include:
- Electrical engineering (KES Group): KES Group, which began making energy efficient modular buildings and now supplies global data centre providers, opened its Phase 3 expansion at Strabane Business Park in November 2025, creating 40 electrical engineering jobs with average salaries over £48,000.
- Sportswear manufacturing (O'Neills): Strabane based GAA kit maker O'Neills, founded in 1918, increased its workforce to 829 in 2024 and made a pre-tax profit of £1.4m that year.
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
Strabane 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 Strabane
Planning in Strabane is decided by Derry and Strabane 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:
- 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 more than 2 m above a flat roof and at least 2 m from its edge), but not on a wall or roof slope 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 Strabane could generate
Modelled with PVGIS for the town centre, a south-facing roof at 30 degrees produces about 822 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 82,200 kWh a year |
| Used on site | 70% at 24p = £13,810 saved |
| Exported | 30% at 5p = £1,233 earned |
| Total a year | About £15,043 |
| Simple payback | About 6.0 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 all commercial and non-domestic properties in Northern Ireland, with the applicant paying 80% and additional caps possible. Measures include solar PV and lighting (grant capped at £30,000), boiler replacement, intelligent heating controls, solar thermal, infra-red heating, turbo blowers and UV LED curing systems. 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 Derry and Strabane
At the end of 2025, Derry and Strabane had 3,254 solar PV installations with 13.3 MW of capacity, up 6525% since 2020, according to government figures. The Derry and Strabane page has the full local figures and how they compare.
Nearby towns
- Omagh, about 17 miles away
- Limavady, about 25 miles away
- Cookstown, about 32 miles away
- Enniskillen, about 34 miles away
Sources
- nisra.gov.uk: census 2021 person and household estimates for settlements
- nisra.gov.uk: census 2021 commissioned table ct0046.xlsx
- irishnews.com: green light for latest multimillion pound investment at
- economy-ni.gov.uk: northern ireland enhanced investment zone
- investni.com: kes group celebrates expansion strabane business park
- find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk: NI018768
- irishnews.com: higher costs hit profit at sportswear manufacturer oneills
- 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 Strabane?
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 Strabane?
About 82,200 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 £15,043 a year. Your own roof, orientation and use will change this.
Can a business in Strabane 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
- Derry and Strabane3,254 installations, 13.3 MW of solar and about 822 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.