Discover how our Commercial Solar solutions can reduce your energy costs, increase your resilience, and deliver against your net zero goals. Centrica Business Solutions specialises designs, builds, funds, operates and maintains Solar installations over 500kWp.
Imagine your business as a self-sufficient energy hub. The sun rises, and instead of watching your electricity meter tick up with costly grid imports, your site quietly begins generating clean, low-cost power. No noise, no fuel, no fuss – just sunlight transformed into savings.
This isn’t a futuristic fantasy. It’s the reality for thousands of organisations that have embraced Solar. They’re not just chasing sustainability targets – they’re making smart commercial decisions. Solar helps slash operating costs, delivers strong returns, and can be installed with no upfront capital. It’s also about resilience. Your business becomes less dependent on the grid, so better protected against price volatility.
Solar can reduce your electricity bills by up to 30%, delivering immediate savings from the first year. With stable solar pricing, your business gains budget certainty, even when energy markets are volatile. Over time, as grid prices rise, your solar costs remain low and predictable, increasing your savings.
A typical Solar installation pays for itself in just 4–6 years, and a well-maintained system can generate returns many times greater than the initial outlay. You can even install Solar with no upfront capital using options like Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs). Whether you invest directly, use a PPA, or combine both, you benefit from immediate cost savings and long-term value.
Solar produces no direct emissions, helping you cut your carbon footprint and progress towards net zero goals. The carbon savings and renewable energy generation are easy to communicate in annual reports, ESG dashboards, and customer communications. Demonstrating strong sustainability credentials also enhances your reputation with customers, investors, and employees.
On-site solar generation reduces your reliance on the grid, protecting your business from price volatility and unexpected spikes. Whether it's installed on your roof, ground or as a carport, Solar systems can be tailored to your site maximising available space for energy generation. With professional maintenance and monitoring, your system operates reliably, boosting energy yield and minimising downtime.
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The shape of your site, the rhythm of your operations, the space you have to work with – it’s all unique. But that’s exactly where Solar shines. It’s a technology that flexes to fit your world.
Whether it’s a pitched roof, a flat one, open land, or even your car park, Solar transforms overlooked spaces into something powerful: a source of clean energy and long-term savings. It’s not just about the modules – it’s about making the most of what you already have.
Some organisations go further, generating more energy than they need and selling the surplus back to the grid. Others use Solar to cover part of their demand, with the rest drawn seamlessly from the grid. Either way, it’s a step towards greater control, resilience, and sustainability. This isn’t just a technical upgrade. A way to rethink your site, your energy, your balance sheet and your role in the wider energy landscape.
An ideal option for organisations with a large rooftop – warehouses, factories, manufacturing production buildings, distribution centres, shopping centres and more. A 10,000 m² industrial roof can usually accommodate roughly 2 – 2.5 MW of Solar modules.
With ground-mounted Solar, modules are set up in rows on mounting frames, either on your premises or on nearby land that you own or lease. The modules can be oriented and tilted optimally (often due south at ~20 – 30° in the UK and Ireland) for maximum yield.
A Solar carport is a canopy structure that’s built over your car park, with Solar modules on top. Your employees park underneath in the shade, and the Solar modules above generate electricity. Electric Vehicle (EV) charging points and battery storage can be added if needed, too.
Picture a world where energy isn’t a volatile, uncontrollable expense for your business. Where you can forecast future costs with confidence, and where shifts in global energy prices have little impact on your business. That’s the future you’re moving towards by installing Solar.
The total cost of electricity generated by Solar installations is around 30% lower than you’d pay if you bought the same amount of energy from the grid. You can expect to see immediate bill reductions from year one, with savings increasing over time as grid prices continue to rise while the Solar portion of your supply remains low-cost and stable.
Freed from buying as much expensive grid energy, you can reinvest these savings into your core operations or other projects – effectively self-funding further improvements using money that would have otherwise gone to utility bills.
For many businesses, electricity is one of the biggest contributors to carbon emissions. Solar helps tackle that head-on. By replacing grid electricity with Solar, you make a direct and measurable dent in your carbon footprint. And over time, those savings add up – helping you move steadily towards net zero.
The impact is easy to communicate. Carbon savings. Renewable energy generated. Emissions avoided. These are the kinds of metrics that resonate in annual reports, ESG dashboards and customer communications. They’re specific, tangible, and hard to ignore.
The world’s moving toward carbon disclosure, carbon pricing and, possibly, requirements for renewable usage. Get ahead with Solar now, and when mandatory decarbonisation measures kick in, you’ll be well-prepared (and already enjoying lower costs, while others scramble to catch up).
Solar systems work hard – but they need regular care to keep performing at their best.
Without proper Operations and Maintenance, efficiency drops, faults go unnoticed, and savings shrink. Think of maintenance as your solar system’s MOT, keeping everything safe, efficient and reliable. With the right service plans in place, you can:
Even a basic annual inspection can catch issues early, such as blown fuses or cracked modules. More comprehensive plans offer additional peace of mind, with features like remote monitoring, thermal imaging, guaranteed response times, and availability guarantees to ensure the system operates to the maximum when the sun shines.
Your energy needs aren’t static. You might start with Solar today, but tomorrow it could be Combined Heat and Power, Heat Pumps, Battery Storage or EV Charging. Few providers can tie together multiple energy solutions the way we can.
When design, planning, financing, construction and maintenance are all handled under one roof, things run smoother. No chasing contractors. No confusion over who’s responsible. Just one team, working together to deliver the outcome you need.
We don’t just drop hardware and leave. We partner in achieving the outcomes that matter to you. With Centrica Business Solutions, you get a trusted advisor and long-term support, not just an installer. This is Solar done properly. Thoughtfully. Seamlessly. With the right people in place from day one, you can focus on your core business, while we focus on your Solar installation.
Ensuring the highest standards of safety and quality is paramount in every Solar installation project. It’s critical that all relevant regulations and industry standards are adhered to, to safeguard the safety of the installation itself and your employees.
It’s critical that your project is executed with the highest safety standards – protecting your people and property during installation and operation of your Solar array.
Centrica Business Solutions has an uncompromising focus on Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE). Our motto is “zero harm” on projects. The result is a Solar installation built to last – fully warranted, high-quality systems built for peace of mind.
If you're a Solar Installer, you can partner with Centrica Business Solutions to unlock a new tier of opportunity for projects over 500kWp.
If you're installing mid- and large-scale Solar systems, we can fund, manage and wrap the project with a fully-funded Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). We can help to plug your customers' financial gaps, and help you to deliver even greater value to your customers.
Are solar panels worth it for UK businesses?
Solar panels have a potential payback period of between two and six years, and an overall system lifetime of over twenty years. By reducing your electricity bill versus importing grid electricity, this means solar panels are worth it to secure long-term savings for your business.
Can solar energy be used in homes and businesses?
Solar energy can be used in homes and businesses by generating a source of power onsite. By converting sunlight into usable AC electricity, they can power your everyday business activities.
How long do commercial solar panels last?
Commercial solar panels can last for between 20 and 25 years, when taken care of with a high-quality aftercare solution.
How long does it take to install commercial solar panels?
It takes between 3 and 8 months to complete a commercial solar panel installation project. Aftercare will then last for the duration of the system’s 20+ year lifetime.
How can solar panels cut business costs?
Solar panels cut business costs by reducing your reliance on grid electricity, which can be volatile in price. Operating solar panels can often lead to a lower electricity bill than importing grid electricity.
Can I claim solar panels as a business expense? Are solar panels tax deductible for business?
Depending on your agreement and the technology you deploy, you may be able to claim capital allowances on your commercial solar panels in the United Kingdom.
Do you have a Solar project in mind? With over 20 years of expertise installing large-scale solar systems, we can help transform your unused roof or ground space into a source of renewable energy – with electricity cost savings of up to 30%. If you’re a large organisation that consumes over 500,000kWh of electricity annually, and are interested in starting a new energy project in the next 12 months, we can help. Tell us about your project by completing our simple form.
