Is commercial solar worth it in Scotland? Seven things that decide it
Business owners in Edinburgh and the Lothians ask us the same question: "Will solar actually pay for itself here?" The honest answer is that it depends, and it depends on things you can check before you spend a penny. Here are the seven that matter most.
1. When you use electricity
This is the big one. Solar makes power in daylight, mostly between mid-morning and mid-afternoon, and much more in summer than winter. Every unit you use yourself saves you the full price you'd pay your supplier. Every unit you export earns you much less, if anything.
So a workshop running machines from 8 to 5 gains far more than an office that's empty by 4, or a bar that's busiest at night.
What to do: ask your supplier for your half-hourly consumption data. Most businesses with a smart or half-hourly meter can get a full year. It shows exactly when your site uses power, and it's the best tool for sizing a system.
2. Your roof's condition and remaining life
Panels are designed to last decades. If your roof needs replacing in five years, you'll pay to take the panels off and put them back on. On older industrial buildings, check for fibre-cement sheets that may contain asbestos. They shouldn't be drilled or walked on without the right checks and controls.
What to do: get the roof looked at first. If it needs work, do it before solar.
3. Structure and wind
Scottish sites, especially exposed ones in East and West Lothian, see strong winds. The roof structure has to take the extra weight and the wind uplift on the panels. Profiled-sheet roofs on portal frames are often fine, but it needs checking. A structural engineer may need to sign it off.
4. Grid capacity
Almost every commercial system needs a G99 application to SP Energy Networks before it connects. On some networks the DNO will limit export, or ask for upgrades before a big system can connect. That can change the best size for your site. Read our G98 and G99 guide.
5. Your tariff and contract
What you pay per unit, and whether your contract has standing charges or capacity charges that solar won't touch, affects the saving. If you're mid-way through a fixed contract, the saving is clearer. If your contract is about to renew, think about solar and tariff together.
6. Whether a battery helps
A battery moves daytime surplus into the evening. For businesses that close in the afternoon, or that run evening loads, it can add value. For businesses that already use nearly all their solar, it adds cost without much gain. Model it both ways.
7. How you'll pay and how it's treated for tax
Businesses don't get the residential 0% VAT rate, but VAT-registered businesses usually reclaim VAT in the normal way. Ask your accountant how solar equipment is treated in your accounts and for tax. It can make a real difference to the net cost. We'll give them a clear equipment breakdown.
Home Energy Scotland's grant and loan is for homeowners, so it doesn't fund business roofs.
What a good survey and proposal should give you
Your usage pattern, and how the system fits around it
System size, with the reasoning
Expected annual generation, with the assumptions written down
How much you'll use on site and how much you'll export
The grid route (G98 or G99) and likely timescale
Equipment list, warranties and maintenance needs
A clear price: [PRICE: Iain to confirm]
Be wary of any proposal that gives you a payback figure without showing the inputs behind it.
How Pentland Renewables can help
We survey small commercial sites across Edinburgh and the Lothians, look at all seven of these factors, and tell you straight if solar doesn't stack up. See our commercial solar page.
FAQs
Does solar work for businesses in Scotland's weather?
Yes. Solar panels work in daylight, not just sunshine. Output is lower in winter, so design should be based on the full year.
What data do I need for a commercial solar quote?
Ideally a year of half-hourly consumption data from your supplier. If you don't have it, twelve months of bills are a start.
Can businesses get a solar grant in Scotland?
Home Energy Scotland's grant and loan is for homeowners. Business funding changes, so check current schemes and speak to your accountant about tax treatment.
Should I fix my roof before fitting solar?
If the roof is likely to need work in the next few years, yes. Removing and refitting panels later adds cost.
Do commercial systems need DNO approval?
Almost always. Most commercial systems go through a G99 application to SP Energy Networks.
Book a commercial survey
Send your site address and a recent bill, or your half-hourly data if you have it. We'll take it from there.
Send the form with your postcode and what you want priced. We survey your home, then send the written quote. You decide after you have read it.