Commercial solar panels

Maximise returns & get energy security for the future

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Solar panels – supply, installation
and maintenance

We’re helping record numbers of clients take control of their energy with a complete turnkey solution.

Our smart energy services and battery storage solutions can help you optimise your energy usage even further, providing substantial savings while firmly establishing your green credentials to investors and customers with clean, self-generated energy.

The UK’s leading provider of solar power systems

With more than 70 years of combined management experience, we deliver a variety of bespoke solar energy services and technologies to help you achieve your specific organisational goals – whether you’re looking to boost your energy efficiency, save on costs, reduce your emissions, or future-proof your business.

Working with clients across the UK and Ireland, we have a proven track record of delivering tailored energy solutions that produce tangible results for large organisations in a broad range of sectors.

We use a suite of advanced technologies to analyse your existing energy usage and identify the options that will deliver the best results for you.

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Installed over 70mW
of commercial solar
Installed from 50kW to multi-mW
rooftop & ground mount systems
15 years of serving the UK
and Ireland
Over 370,000,000 kWh of clean
energy generated
Over 250,000 solar
panels installed

What can you expect from us here at Low Carbon Energy?

From initial planning to the final installation and ongoing maintenance of your solar system, our comprehensive turnkey service has you covered. With a focus on your unique energy needs, our in-house designers and technicians ensure your project is completed on budget and on schedule.

We also offer a comprehensive service and maintenance programme with a focus on ensuring your solar systems reliably stay at maximum efficiency, so you can continue enjoying peak energy generation and cost savings.

As a multi-award-winning business, we’re a widely trusted name within our industry. Known for our diligence, proactiveness and flawless health and safety record – you can expect the highest of industry standards from us. We also take care to ensure total transparency throughout our entire supply chain.

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Maximise returns and get energy security for the future

At Low Carbon Energy, we help large commercial businesses save up to 40% on energy costs with solar panels, offering a range of funding options to suit your needs.

We design and install your Solar PV system based on your unique energy profile, ensuring maximum efficiency and optimal ROI for your business.

Begin paving the way to Net Zero

75% of UK consumers think that climate change is a serious threat, which is a big part of the reason why sustainability is becoming a much bigger influence in their day-to-day purchasing decisions.

Today, increasing numbers of customers are expecting businesses to demonstrate sustainability credentials and a firm commitment to achieving Net Zero emissions. Installing solar panels is a great way to demonstrate that commitment, giving you the edge over your competitors.

The advantages of solar panels

Enjoy a fixed level of energy at a
low levelised cost
Reduce your energy costs
Cut your carbon footprint and
achieve your Net Zero ambitions
Increase your energy security and
futureproof your business
Boost your CSR and ESG
credentials
Cheap to install, with high
ROI
Fully funded options available
Low maintenance, with 25-year
operational lifespan

Get in touch to see how much you can save

Give us a call today on +44 (0)1282 421 489

to discuss what we can do for your business

Reduce your energy costs
Commercial solar PV systems give you the ability to generate your own clean, free energy on-site, so that you can continue powering your business while buying less from the National Grid. That can quickly help you to make significant savings on your energy bills. The exact amounts will vary from business to business, and can depend on a number of factors; including the size of your business, the sector you work in, and your operating hours (just to name a few). Whatever your circumstances though, you can expect tangible results – some organisations have been able to slash their energy costs by as much as 50%.

Find out how much you could save
Cut your carbon footprint and achieve your Net Zero ambitions
Installing solar PV is a reliable way of helping you to cut down on your business’ carbon emissions, which can make it instrumental in helping you to achieve your sustainable business goals. This is particularly true if your sustainable strategy shares the UK’s aim of achieving Net Zero – essentially, striking a balance between the amount of emissions you generate, and the amount you’re able to remove from the atmosphere. It’s one of the many advantages of commercial solar panels that make them so attractive to businesses in especially energy-intensive or high-emissions sectors, like industrial manufacturing, agriculture, or data centres.

Speak to an expert about Net Zero
Increase your energy security and futureproof your business
By giving you a reliable source of on-site energy, commercial solar panels also provide energy security against national price rises – ultimately helping you to enjoy long-term cost savings and peace of mind. This is because sourcing your energy from commercial solar panels effectively means you’re forward-buying your electricity at a set cost. This gives you a great measure of protection from fluctuating market prices and provides an extra safeguard against the effects of future regulation, making financial forecasting much easier. As well as this energy security, solar PV systems also give you increased flexibility on whether you’d like to use this energy immediately, sell it or store it for use at a later date.

Energy security has long been a core benefit associated with solar PV, and it’s become ever-more critical in the especially turbulent market conditions of recent years.

Ask us about Energy Security
Boost your CSR and ESG credentials
Corporate Social Responsibility is a concept that essentially deals with your customers’ perceptions of your business, especially in regards to any commitments you make to the environment or local community – and crucially, to what extent you’re following through with them. ESG is a closely related concept; it stands for Environmental, Social and Governance, which are three key criteria that potential partners or investors will use to decide whether they want to associate with your business.

Today, all these groups and investors are more environmentally-aware today than ever before, and research continues to show that they’re attracted most towards businesses who are able to prove their commitment to climate-conscious initiatives. Using commercial solar panels to produce your energy is a great public demonstration of this commitment, and can result in improved lead generation and greater sales for your business.

Kickstart your ESG plans
Cheap to install, with high ROI
Commercial solar PV is already up to 70% cheaper than it was in 2010, and it’s getting cheaper all the time. That already makes it an impressively economical choice for organisations across a wide range of sectors. This low cost of installation, combined with the impressive savings they can deliver, means that they can often end up paying for themselves in a relatively short timeframe – allowing you to enjoy an excellent return on your investment.

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100% asset finance available
With decades of experience behind us, we’re passionate about helping you unlock the potential of solar PV for your business. So if you need a little bit of help with the initial costs, it’s worth considering that we offer 100% asset finance options to allow you to spread the cost of your installation over a set period of time. We help give you the flexibility you need to start enjoying all the associated benefits of your solar panels. If it sounds like something you’d be interested in, don’t hesitate to speak to one of our team – we’re always happy to provide any more detailed information you need, as well as answer any questions you may have.

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Low maintenance, with a 25-year operational lifespan
Solar panels are famously low-maintenance – they’re built to withstand all kinds of weather, and there are no moving parts to gradually wear down or corrode. That means that once they’re installed, you can start enjoying their benefits immediately, with peace of mind that they’ll last for at least 25 years before they begin to become less efficient.

To keep your solar PV systems operating at maximum efficiency throughout their lifespan, and maximising your savings accordingly, we’d recommend implementing a preventative maintenance programme, so that our engineers can check your panels (generally twice every year or so). If ever they do identify any causes for concern, which is relatively rare, it enables us to deal with these small issues quickly and early, before they can develop into more serious and expensive problems later on down the line.

Find out more about our maintenance packages

Commercial solar case studies

Board24
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Bowker Motor Group
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Boohoo PLC
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Boeing
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Coach House
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Haven Power
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View all case studies

How much do commercial solar panels cost in the UK?

How much do commercial solar panels cost businesses?
What are the installation costs?
What are the maintenance costs with commercial solar panels?

It’s very hard to put an exact figure on this, because the answer depends on a wide variety of factors that can vary significantly from business to business.

The precise cost of your own commercial solar panels project will depend on a number of different variables, such as your roof structure and the amount of space you have available, the brand of your panels and how many you’ll need, and how much energy you use. (If you need a bit more information, don’t hesitate to check out our blog post on what affects the cost of commercial solar!)

Here at Low Carbon Energy, we specialise in large-scale solar PV installations, and we provide a full turnkey solution, encompassing everything from the initial survey and system design, all the way up to final installation.

This also covers:

The specification and supply of your solar panels
Inverter and isolators
Cabling
Testing and certification
Administration costs, including registration with regulators and your supplier

If you need some help with the upfront costs though, don’t worry – we offer finance options for our commercial solar panels.

Just as with overall costs of a solar PV system, it’s hard to put a precise figure on how much the installation itself will cost. It’s heavily dependent on a number of different variables, including the size of the installation, the number of panels it requires (and what brand they are), the choice of inverters, and the amount of labour involved.

However, once the initial installation costs are covered, there are very few additional ones to worry about, as solar panels are very low maintenance by nature.

If you need a more precise answer on roughly how much your solar PV installations would cost don’t hesitate to get in touch with one of our team here at Low Carbon Energy, and we’ll be happy to talk about the requirements of your project in more detail.

As ever, the exact cost is dependent on the size of your installation.

Mostly, solar panels just require a light cleaning to remove dust and debris, ensuring that they continue operating at peak efficiency. With larger commercial solar PV installations, this is not a DIY job, as it can be easy for someone inexperienced to accidentally damage one of the panels, especially if they don’t have the right knowledge or tools.

Regular maintenance by a professional can prevent the need for expensive reactive callouts for repairs to your solar PV systems, and it’s something we always recommend.

Find out more about our maintenance services.

Solar panel FAQs

Should I have roof-mounted or ground-mounted solar panels?
Roof-mounted solar panels are often easier to install than ground-mounted solar panels as they utilise unused space and, with some exceptions, don’t usually require planning permission under Permitted Development. If roof-mounted solar panels aren’t feasible for you, ground-mounted solar panels are a viable alternative, but they may be subject to more stringent regulations. If you’re not sure which is right for you, contact our team today!
Do you need planning permission for commercial solar panels?
It used to be the case that planning permission was almost always required for commercial solar PV systems, but this isn’t the case anymore. Most business premises and community buildings are generally exempt from them – and small ground-mounted solar PV systems can also be installed without planning permission, too.

However, planning permission is mandatory for installations on historical sites, including listed buildings, ancient monuments and world heritage sites. For specific guidance, contact us for personalised advice.

If you need more information, you can find further details in our article on planning permission for solar on commercial buildings.
How efficient are commercial solar panels?
Commercial solar panels typically convert between 15% to 22% of sunlight into usable energy. While this may seem modest, it is sufficient to significantly reduce energy costs and provide substantial savings.
What affects solar panel efficiency?
The efficiency of solar panels is the most important performance metric. For that reason, all solar panels sold in the UK undergo extensive testing. They are evaluated for their performance under various conditions including: wind, hail, snow and ice, chemical residue, UV degradation, rain and humidity, insulation resistance and thermal cycling.

All of our solar panels adhere to rigorous manufacturing standards and we offer comprehensive maintenance services to ensure optimal efficiency and performance.
How long do solar panels last?
Commercial solar panels have an average lifespan of at least 25 years, with many lasting beyond 30 years. They will continue to function beyond this period, although peak efficiency may diminish. Proper care and maintenance are the best ways to maximise the lifespan of your solar panels.