Key facts
| Council area | North Northamptonshire |
| Population | 54,425 (Wellingborough built-up area, usual residents, Census 2021 (ONS)) |
| Network operator | National Grid Electricity Distribution (East Midlands licence area) |
| Main employment areas | Park Farm Industrial Estate; Indurent Park Wellingborough |
| Indicative yield | About 1,017 kWh per kWp a year (south facing, 30 degrees) |
| Nation support page | Grants and reliefs in England |
Where businesses are in Wellingborough
- Park Farm Industrial Estate: Industrial estate about 1.5 miles north-west of Wellingborough town centre. Mileway owns a 16-unit terrace there totalling 96,908 sq ft, and other occupiers on the estate include Full Support Healthcare, Cummins and Booker.
- Indurent Park Wellingborough: Warehouse park about two miles from the town centre, part of the £1 billion Stanton Cross development. Indurent says its more than 320,000 sq ft of warehousing is fully let to companies including CTDI, Premier Paper and Transglobal.
Large employers and sectors with sites here include:
- Engineering and supply chain services (CTDI): Global engineering firm CTDI, which employs over 20,000 people worldwide, took a 10-year lease on a 184,000 sq ft unit at Indurent Park Wellingborough, a building with rooftop solar panels and BREEAM Excellent and EPC A+ ratings.
- Automotive machining (Autocraft Machining Solutions): In January 2022 Autocraft's Wellingborough factory was machining hundreds of engine heads and blocks a week on new Heller machines. Companies House lists Autocraft Machining Solutions Ltd as active, making parts for motor vehicles, with accounts filed to 31 December 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
Wellingborough is served by National Grid Electricity Distribution (East Midlands 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 Wellingborough
Wellingborough follows the national planning rules for England, decided by North Northamptonshire 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:
- Wellingborough Conservation Area covers about 58.2 hectares of the town centre and holds 93 listed buildings, including the Grade I Church of All Hallows and Tithe Barn, so roofs inside it need more care.
Our guides on listed buildings and conservation areas explain what these mean for a solar project.
What a business roof in Wellingborough could generate
Modelled with PVGIS for the town centre, a south-facing roof at 30 degrees produces about 1,017 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 101,700 kWh a year |
| Used on site | 70% at 24p = £17,086 saved |
| Exported | 30% at 5p = £1,526 earned |
| Total a year | About £18,611 |
| Simple payback | About 4.8 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 Wellingborough 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 North Northamptonshire
At the end of 2025, North Northamptonshire had 11,601 solar PV installations with 184.3 MW of capacity, up 38% since 2020, according to government figures. The North Northamptonshire page has the full local figures and how they compare.
Nearby towns
- Rushden, about 4 miles away
- Kettering, about 6 miles away
- Northampton, about 10 miles away
- Corby, about 13 miles away
Sources
- ons.gov.uk: census2021
- ons.gov.uk: datadownload.xlsx
- mileway.com: park farm industrial estate
- indurent.com: indurent park wellingborough fully occupied following c 184000
- mtdcnc.com: how do you reliably make 100s of these
- find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk
- heritagecheck.co.uk: wellingborough
- 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 Wellingborough?
National Grid Electricity Distribution (East Midlands 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 Wellingborough?
About 101,700 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 £18,611 a year. Your own roof, orientation and use will change this.
Can a business in Wellingborough 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
- North Northamptonshire11,601 installations, 184.3 MW of solar and about 1,020 kWh per kWp a year for a south-facing roof.
- East MidlandsNGED connections, Golden Triangle logistics, Lincolnshire farming and food processing, Derby manufacturing and the Nottingham Workplace Parking Levy.
- 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.