Commercial solar that lands on the P&L — this financial year.
A typical 250kW rooftop pays back in 4–6 years on capex, or returns 25–35% off your unit rate from day one on a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). We design, fund, and source MCS-certified EPCs for sites from a single warehouse to a multi-site portfolio.
Three reasons CFOs are signing this year, not next.
Full expensing on capex
100% first-year capital allowance on solar plant means a 25% effective discount for any limited company paying corporation tax.
PPA needs zero capex
A funder owns the system, you sign a 15–25 year discounted-rate offtake. Off-balance-sheet, OPEX-only, no capital approval.
Scope 2 reporting bite
SECR, CDP, and customer ESG asks now expect a credible decarb roadmap. On-site solar is the cheapest, fastest unit of progress.
Three ways to put solar on the roof.
Most commercial sites end up choosing between capex (best lifetime return) and PPA (best cashflow). Operating lease is a niche middle ground.
Capex
You buy the system. Highest lifetime return, biggest cashflow hit upfront.
- Full expensing — 25% tax saving
- No third party on your roof
- Direct claim on SEG export
PPA
A funder owns and operates. You buy the kWh you use at a fixed discount to the grid for 15–25 years.
- Off-balance-sheet — OPEX only
- O&M and insurance bundled in
- Buy-out option from year 7
Operating lease
Tax-deductible monthly payments over 7–10 years, then you own the asset outright.
- Lower payment than capex finance
- Off the corporation tax base
- Final balloon optional
Built for 30 years on a working roof.
Commercial systems are a different category to residential — different mounting, different inverters, different monitoring. Same MCS standard, applied at scale.
Bifacial commercial panels
Trina or LONGi 540–580W bifacial modules — generate from rear-side reflected light too. 30-year linear performance warranty.
String or central inverter
SMA, Sungrow, or Huawei — sized for your roof's string layout. Hot-swappable, with built-in arc-fault detection.
Ballasted or membrane mounts
No roof penetrations on flat roofs. Pitched roofs use through-bolt or seam clamps appropriate to your roof spec.
Half-hourly monitoring
String-level visibility into 1-second resolution. Auto alerts on yield drop, MPPT failure, or string isolation.
Optional commercial battery
50–500kWh containerised LFP. Pays back on triad avoidance, peak shaving, or DSR (Dynamic Containment) revenue.
EV-charger ready
Spare DC-coupled capacity sized for 7–22kW workplace chargers — funded separately via OZEV WCS.
A 320kW rooftop on a Midlands distribution centre.
Funded under a 20-year PPA. The site went from a £180k/yr electricity bill to £121k — and added a guaranteed-rate hedge against grid volatility for the next two decades.
Self-consumption is where the money is.
A commercial system's payback is overwhelmingly driven by what you use on-site (priced at your grid rate) versus what you export (priced at SEG, ~5p). We size the system to maximise self-consumption against your actual load shape.
From HH data to commissioning in 90–120 days.
Commercial solar takes longer than residential because of DNO approval and structural surveys — but every step is on a known critical path.
HH data + desktop yield
You share 12 months of HH consumption. We model yield, self-consumption, and PPA vs capex returns.
Site survey + structural
Roof load capacity, drainage, mounting choice. Drone scan if needed.
DNO + planning
G99 application for systems >50kW. Most planning is permitted development under Class J.
Install + commission
Most 250kW rooftops install in 6–10 working days. Commissioning + DNO approval to live within a fortnight.
Get a free desktop yield report.
Send us 12 months of half-hourly data and we'll model your roof, your load, and the financials for capex, lease, and PPA — side by side.