Commercial property solar blog
Written for property owners, landlords and investors. Every regulatory point is dated and sourced. For the overview, start with solar panels for commercial property.
BBP Green Lease Toolkit: The Solar Clauses an Owner Needs
What the Better Buildings Partnership Green Lease Toolkit says about on-site solar, which clause tier to ask for, and the five solar-specific clauses worth drafting into a lease.
20 October 2026
Ownership & leasesDo Tenants Benefit From Solar Panels on a Landlord's Roof?
When a landlord puts solar on a let building, does the tenant benefit? The four routes that decide it, and why a tenant who gains is the tenant who lets you build.
20 October 2026
Ownership & leasesMulti-Let Building Solar Metering: A Landlord's Guide
How metering decides whether solar pays on a multi-let building: the landlord supply, tenant meters, MID-approved sub-metering and the half-hourly data you need.
20 October 2026
Ownership & leasesRent a Roof for Solar Panels: What a Commercial Roof Owner Needs to Know
Rent-a-roof solar was a domestic scheme tied to the feed-in tariff. Commercial roof rental still exists, on different terms. How it works, what you give up and what to check.
20 October 2026
Ownership & leasesSolar Panel Lease vs Roof Lease: Which Are You Being Offered?
A solar panel lease and a solar roof lease are different contracts with different parties. How to tell which one is on the table for your commercial building.
20 October 2026
Ownership & leasesSolar Panels on Commercial Property: Ten Questions an Owner Asks First
The ten questions a commercial property owner asks before putting solar on a let building, with short answers and links to the full guide on each.
20 October 2026
Ownership & leasesCommercial Solar Lease Agreement: A Landlord's Clause Checklist
Ten clauses to check before you sign a commercial solar roof lease: term, rent, exclusive possession, lender consent, SDLT, reversion, export, access and assignment.
20 October 2026
Ownership & leasesWhat Is a Green Lease? A Plain-English Guide for Commercial Landlords
A green lease is an ordinary commercial lease with environmental clauses added. What it covers, when to introduce one and how it helps a landlord who wants solar.
20 October 2026
EconomicsAre Commercial Solar Panels Worth It in 2026?
A direct answer with the 2026 numbers — payback, the tax stack, self-consumption, and the cases where commercial solar isn't worth it. For owners and businesses.
27 June 2026
FundingBusiness Grants for Solar Panels in 2026: The Honest Answer
Are there grants for commercial solar? Mostly no — but the tax stack (100% AIA, business-rates exemption to 2035) and funded roof leases do the same job. The 2026 reality.
27 June 2026
TechnicalHow Long Do Commercial Solar Panels Last?
Panel lifespan, degradation, inverter replacement, warranties and what determines whether a commercial array lasts its full 25–30 years.
27 June 2026
TechnicalHow Many Solar Panels Does a Commercial Building Need?
How commercial solar systems are sized — from half-hourly load, not roof area — with worked examples by building type and the self-consumption that drives returns.
27 June 2026
ComplianceMEES and EPC B 2031: What Commercial Landlords Must Actually Do
The dated, accurate 2026 position — EPC E is law, EPC B by 2031 is proposed for buildings over 1,000 m² — and the practical steps a commercial landlord should take now.
26 June 2026
EconomicsCommercial Solar ROI in 2026: What to Expect
What ROI commercial solar delivers in 2026 — typical 4–8 year payback, 12–18% IRR ranges, and the levers (self-consumption, tax) that drive it. For owners.
25 June 2026
TechnicalDo Commercial Solar Panels Work in Winter?
Yes — commercial solar generates year-round, less in winter and more in summer. How UK seasonal output works and why annual yield is what matters.
25 June 2026
Ownership & leasesYour Tenant Pays the Bills — So How Do You Profit From Solar?
The split incentive explained for commercial landlords, and the five ownership routes that make rooftop solar pay even when the tenant holds the energy contract.
25 June 2026
CostHow Much Does Commercial Property Solar Cost in 2026?
Real 2026 UK numbers — £/kWp by system size, total project values, payback, and the tax levers that shorten it — written for property owners and investors.
24 June 2026
OperationsCommercial Solar Monitoring: Protecting the Asset
How commercial solar monitoring works — performance tracking, fault alerts and yield reporting — and why it protects asset value and EPC. For owners.
24 June 2026
OperationsCommercial Solar Panel Maintenance Cost
What commercial solar maintenance costs — O&M contracts, inverter replacement, cleaning and monitoring — and why upkeep is low. For commercial property owners.
24 June 2026
How-toHow to Install Commercial Solar Panels: The Process
How commercial solar is installed — feasibility, structural survey, design, Class J prior approval, G99 grid connection, install and commissioning. The full 2026 process.
23 June 2026
Ownership & leasesCan a Landlord Recover Solar Costs Through the Service Charge?
Mostly no — and here is exactly why, under the RICS Service Charges standard, plus the routes that do work: PPA, capped green-lease contribution, or rent.
23 June 2026
EconomicsSolar Panels for Small Business: Is It Worth It?
Are solar panels worth it for a small business? Often yes — a 50–100 kWp system at £35,000–£110,000 with a 4–7 year payback. The 2026 numbers, honestly.
23 June 2026
TaxAre Solar Panels Tax Deductible for Landlords?
Can commercial landlords claim tax relief on solar? Yes — via the £1m AIA on fixtures, but NOT full expensing (the leasing exclusion). The 2026 position, explained.
22 June 2026
Asset valueDoes Solar Increase Commercial Property Value?
What the green-premium data actually shows (JLL, Knight Frank), how to read it honestly, and how solar contributes to EPC, BREEAM and GRESB for owners and investors.
22 June 2026
TechnologyWhat Is a Solar Carport?
A solar carport is a canopy over parking that generates electricity and can charge EVs. How they work, Class OA permitted development, costs and best-fit assets.
22 June 2026
TaxCan I Claim Solar Panels as a Business Expense?
Can you claim or write off commercial solar against tax? Yes — via capital allowances (100% AIA), not as a simple expense. The honest 2026 position for businesses.
21 June 2026
CostCommercial EV Charging Station Cost (2026)
What a commercial EV charging station costs in 2026 — AC 7–22kW from ~£1,000–£3,000 and DC rapid 50kW+ from ~£20,000 — and how solar cuts the running cost.
21 June 2026
FundingSell Your Roof or Fund It Yourself? Commercial Solar Funding Compared
Owner-funded vs a developer roof lease vs a PPA — capex, control, lender consent, reversion and the after-tax position, compared for commercial property owners.
21 June 2026
Buyer guideBest Commercial Solar Panels for UK Businesses (2026)
How to choose the best commercial solar panels for a UK business in 2026 — tier-1 vs budget, warranties, efficiency, and why the installer matters more than the panel.
20 June 2026
FundingCapital Allowances on Commercial Solar: AIA vs Full Expensing
Why solar gets 100% relief through the Annual Investment Allowance, not full expensing — the special-rate classification, the leasing exclusion, and what it means for landlords.
20 June 2026
CostCommercial Solar Battery Storage Cost in 2026
What commercial battery storage costs in 2026 — roughly £400–800 per kWh — when it pays, and how it lifts solar self-consumption to 60–95%. For owners.
20 June 2026
TechnicalHow Efficient Are Commercial Solar Panels?
How efficient are commercial solar panels — typical 20–22% module efficiency, what affects real-world output, degradation, and why self-consumption matters more.
19 June 2026
TechnicalHow Much Roof Space Do You Need for Commercial Solar?
How much roof space commercial solar needs — roughly 5–8 m² per kWp — but why the binding constraint is usually electrical load, not area. For owners.
19 June 2026
PlanningDo You Need Planning Permission for Commercial Rooftop Solar in 2026?
The 1 MW cap is gone — but it is permitted development with a prior-approval step, and the G99 grid connection is now the real bottleneck. The 2026 reality for owners.
19 June 2026
TechnicalCan You Put Solar Panels on a Flat Commercial Roof?
Yes — flat roofs are ideal for commercial solar, using ballasted systems that preserve the membrane warranty. How flat-roof installs work and what to check.
18 June 2026
TechnicalHow Big Are Commercial Solar Panels?
How big are commercial solar panels — typical dimensions (~2m x 1.1m), wattage (400–590W), efficiency and how much roof space a system needs. For owners.
18 June 2026
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