Key facts
Best fitHigh daytime base load, high import tariff, suitable roof and clear grid connection details.
FundingCheck local business grants, industrial decarbonisation routes, SEG, tax allowances and business rates treatment.
Tax cautionHMRC designates solar panels as special-rate expenditure, so full expensing should not be assumed.
Grid issueIndustrial sites may need more detailed DNO, protection and metering work before final price.
Quote evidenceHalf-hourly data, single-line diagram if available, supply capacity, roof survey and insurance requirements.
Industrial solar checklist
| Area | Why it matters | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Load profile | Factories often self-use a high share of generation. | Half-hourly data, production hours, weekend operation |
| Electrical design | Large systems may need protection, metering and shutdown design. | MPAN, supply capacity, distribution board details |
| Roof and fire | Insurers may set roof, access and isolation requirements. | Roof survey, fire strategy, insurance guidance |
| Finance | Tax and grant treatment can change payback. | Accountant review, grant terms, capex approval |
Battery and export modelling
Battery storage can be useful where a factory has evening shifts, peak demand charges, export limits or resilience needs. It can also be unnecessary where most generation is consumed immediately. Ask installers to show self-consumption, export, payback and battery assumptions rather than a single blended saving.
Sources checked
- GOV.UK - Find government grants
- GOV.UK - business green funding
- Ofgem - Smart Export Guarantee
- GOV.UK - VAT Notice 708/6
- HMRC - solar panels capital allowances
- GOV.UK - full expensing and first-year allowances
- GOV.UK - green business rates measures
- GOV.UK - Rural England Prosperity Fund example
- Salix - Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme
- GOV.UK - Public Sector Low Carbon Skills Fund
- Planning Data - non-domestic solar permitted development
Great British Energy is an independent guide and is not affiliated with the government-owned Great British Energy at gbe.gov.uk. Funding rules change; verify against official sources before committing spend.