Calculate how much your business could save with commercial solar panels. Enter your annual electricity spend and roof size to get instant estimates for system cost, annual savings, payback period, and 25-year return on investment. UK commercial solar typically delivers 15–20% annual ROI with 3–5 year payback.
Small business (10–30kW): £9,000–£30,000 installed. Saves £2,500–£7,500/year. Suitable for offices, shops, and small workshops. 25–75 panels on 50–200m² roof space.
Medium business (30–100kW): £27,000–£95,000 installed. Saves £7,500–£25,000/year. Ideal for warehouses, hotels, and manufacturing. 75–250 panels.
Large business (100kW–1MW): £80,000–£800,000 installed. Saves £25,000–£200,000/year. Distribution centres, factories, and multi-site operations. 250–2,500 panels.
Our calculator uses PVGIS solar irradiance data for your UK location, current commercial electricity rates (averaging 24–30p/kWh), MCS-certified system pricing, and BEIS degradation factors (0.5% per year). Results include year-by-year projections accounting for electricity price inflation at 5% per year, panel degradation, and maintenance costs. All figures exclude VAT (currently 0% on commercial solar).
UK businesses typically save 40–70% on electricity bills with commercial solar. A business spending £20,000/year on electricity could save £10,000–£14,000 annually with a 50kW system. Over 25 years, total savings exceed £350,000 on a £50,000 investment.
Divide your annual electricity consumption (kWh) by 950 to estimate the system size in kW. A business using 50,000 kWh/year needs approximately a 53kW system. This requires around 132 panels and 220m² of south-facing roof space.
Commercial solar in the UK currently pays back in 3–5 years when purchased outright. With 0% VAT and 100% Annual Investment Allowance, the effective payback is even shorter. After payback, businesses enjoy 20+ years of near-free electricity.
Our calculator uses PVGIS irradiance data from the European Commission — the same dataset used by MCS-certified installers. Enter your postcode and annual electricity consumption for: annual solar generation by location, self-consumption ratio by business type, annual savings at current commercial rates, payback period with 0% VAT and AIA tax relief, 25-year total benefit with 5% electricity inflation, and CO2 avoided. View detailed costs and finance options.
| Business | System | Savings/yr | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warehouse | 100kW | £25,000–£35,000 | 2.5–3.5 yrs |
| Factory | 100kW | £25,000–£32,000 | 3–4 yrs |
| Hotel | 50kW | £12,000–£18,000 | 3–4 yrs |
| School | 50kW | £6,000–£12,000 | 4–6 yrs |
| Farm | 50kW | £12,000–£16,000 | 3–4 yrs |
| Restaurant | 20kW | £5,000–£9,000 | 2.5–4 yrs |
Self-consumption explained: Electricity used onsite saves 24–30p/kWh. Exported electricity earns 4–15p/kWh. Higher self-consumption = faster payback. Warehouses and factories achieve 75–95%. Hotels achieve 60–80%. Offices 40–60%. Adding battery storage increases self-consumption by 15–25%.
Tax benefits factored in: Our calculator includes 0% VAT saving and 100% AIA tax relief in the payback calculation. At 25% corporation tax, a £100,000 system has an effective cost of just £55,000 after 0% VAT (£20,000 saving) and AIA (£25,000 saving). See all available business solar grants.
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Calculate your commercial solar savings instantly. UK businesses save 40-70% on electricity with solar. Average payback: 3-5 years. With 0% VAT and 100% AIA, the effective cost drops by 30-45%.
Small office (10-20kW): £12,000-£24,000 installed, saves £3,000-£6,000/year. Medium warehouse (50-100kW): £50,000-£100,000, saves £15,000-£30,000/year. Large factory (200-500kW): £180,000-£450,000, saves £60,000-£150,000/year. All 3-4 year payback.
Our calculator uses PVGIS irradiance data from the European Commission — the same dataset used by MCS-certified installers. Enter your postcode and annual electricity consumption for: annual solar generation by location, self-consumption ratio by business type, annual savings at current commercial rates, payback period with 0% VAT and AIA tax relief, 25-year total benefit with 5% electricity inflation, and CO2 avoided. View detailed costs and finance options.
| Business | System | Savings/yr | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warehouse | 100kW | £25,000–£35,000 | 2.5–3.5 yrs |
| Factory | 100kW | £25,000–£32,000 | 3–4 yrs |
| Hotel | 50kW | £12,000–£18,000 | 3–4 yrs |
| School | 50kW | £6,000–£12,000 | 4–6 yrs |
| Farm | 50kW | £12,000–£16,000 | 3–4 yrs |
| Restaurant | 20kW | £5,000–£9,000 | 2.5–4 yrs |
Self-consumption explained: Electricity used onsite saves 24–30p/kWh. Exported electricity earns 4–15p/kWh. Higher self-consumption = faster payback. Warehouses and factories achieve 75–95%. Hotels achieve 60–80%. Offices 40–60%. Adding battery storage increases self-consumption by 15–25%.
Tax benefits factored in: Our calculator includes 0% VAT saving and 100% AIA tax relief in the payback calculation. At 25% corporation tax, a £100,000 system has an effective cost of just £55,000 after 0% VAT (£20,000 saving) and AIA (£25,000 saving). See all available business solar grants.
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