Why commercial rooftops suit solar
UK commercial buildings — warehouses, factories, retail parks, logistics depots, and distribution centres — often have large, uncomplicated roof areas and high daytime electricity consumption. That combination drives strong self-consumption economics: generation used on site avoids retail import tariffs, which are typically worth more than export payments.
The challenge is not whether solar works in principle but whether it works on your roof, with your load profile, under your grid connection and planning constraints. That is what a commercial solar feasibility study answers before you spend on surveys.
Feasibility by building type
Different building types bring different roof geometries, load patterns, and engineering risks. Stage1Energy publishes use-case guides for the most common UK commercial categories:
- Warehouse solar feasibility — large flat roofs, high bay lighting loads.
- Factory rooftop solar — mixed roof faces, process loads, shift patterns.
- Retail park solar — multi-tenant consumption, varied roof zones.
- Logistics depot solar — 24/7 operations, EV charging growth.
- Distribution centre solar — very large footprints, refrigeration loads.
- Commercial landlord portfolios — ranking multiple assets.
- Property developer solar — testing solar before acquisition.
- Estates team solar — internal capex business cases.
What to check before you survey
Four engineering screening flags catch most early-stage blockers on UK commercial roofs:
- Wind loading — uplift on panels, ballast vs penetration implications.
- Structure — whether roof load capacity is plausibly sufficient.
- DNO / grid — G98 or G99 connection route and likely timeline.
- Planning — permitted development under Class J or full application needed.
Full guide: commercial solar engineering flags. Each flag in the Stage1Energy dossier names its next step if verification is required.
Financial case essentials
Boards and asset managers typically want simple payback, 25-year NPV, and a cashflow chart — not a salesman's estimate. A proper feasibility study models capex from per-panel pricing plus site adders, matches generation to your consumption hour by hour where data allows, and escalates tariffs and O&M over 25 years.
Financial guides: commercial solar financials hub, payback in the UK, NPV explained.
Start with screening
You do not need to commission the full dossier to get a first answer. Free screening on one UK commercial building delivers a verdict, panel placement, and monthly generation profile within three working days — no card needed.
When the roof looks worth pursuing, the full 29-page feasibility dossier (£1,250 per site, five working days) adds the financial model, engineering flags, scenario optimisation, and sourced workings. See the example report before you book.