Commercial solar PV systems for UK businesses
A commercial solar PV system is more than panels on a roof: it is the modules, inverters, mounting, metering and monitoring designed as one system around your electricity demand. This page explains each component, how the system is designed from your half-hourly data, and what it costs.
The components of a commercial solar PV system
PV modules (panels)
Commercial arrays typically use 550-700 W mono-PERC or bifacial modules from tier-1 manufacturers, carrying 25-30 year performance warranties. Panel brand moves yield by a few per cent; system design moves it by far more.
Inverters
Three-phase string inverters are the default on commercial roofs, sized to the array and configured for G98 or G99 grid compliance. Hybrid inverters add battery readiness. Typical life is 10-12 years with extensions available.
Mounting system
Trapezoidal rail systems fix to metal sheet roofs; ballasted or mechanically fixed systems suit membrane and flat roofs. The mounting design comes out of the structural survey, not a catalogue.
Metering and export
Generation metering records output for SEG export payments and performance verification. Where the local network is constrained, an export limitation scheme caps what flows back to the grid.
Monitoring
A commercial monitoring platform tracks generation, consumption and self-consumption in near real time, alarms on underperformance, and provides the evidence base for O&M and warranty claims.
Battery storage (optional)
Batteries shift solar generation into evening peaks and can earn grid-services revenue. They add indicatively £250-£450 per kWh and suit sites with significant load outside daylight hours.
How a commercial solar PV system is designed
Start from consumption, not roof area
Twelve months of half-hourly data shows when you use electricity, not just how much. The array is sized so most generation is used on site, because self-consumed electricity is worth far more than exported electricity.
Model generation hour by hour
A PVsyst-class simulation combines your roof geometry, orientation, shading and local irradiance to forecast output for every half-hour of a typical year, then matches it against your demand profile.
Check the grid early
The DNO application establishes how much you can export and whether reinforcement is needed. Requesting it during feasibility, not after design, removes the biggest programme risk.
Stress-test the finances
The model should show payback and IRR at conservative, central and optimistic import prices, with and without Full Expensing, so the board decision rests on a range rather than a single number.
All figures are indicative UK ranges. Every project needs a site-specific review before any saving, price or payback is relied on.
Where to read further
Frequently asked questions
What does PV mean in commercial solar?
PV stands for photovoltaic: the direct conversion of light to electricity in the panel's solar cells. A commercial solar PV system is the complete installation - panels, inverters, mounting, metering and monitoring - rather than the panels alone.
How much does a commercial solar PV system cost?
Indicatively £650-£1,100 per kWp installed, with the per-kWp figure falling as systems scale. A 100 kWp system typically costs £75,000-£90,000; battery storage is a separate line item at roughly £250-£450 per kWh.
How much electricity does a commercial solar PV system generate?
UK commercial rooftops typically yield 850-1,000 kWh per kWp per year. A 250 kWp system therefore generates roughly 210,000-250,000 kWh annually, with orientation, pitch and shading moving the figure more than panel brand.
What size commercial solar PV system does my business need?
Size from your daytime consumption, not your roof. A site using 250,000 kWh a year with steady weekday load typically suits 150-250 kWp. The calculator gives a first-pass size in about a minute, and the feasibility review refines it from your half-hourly data.
How long does a commercial solar PV system last?
Panels carry 25-30 year performance warranties and keep producing beyond that at reduced output. Inverters are the shorter-lived component at 10-12 years typical. With sensible O&M, a commercial PV system is a 25-year-plus asset.
Can a commercial solar PV system work with battery storage?
Yes. Batteries can be specified from day one or retrofitted later if the inverter and switchgear allow. They make the strongest case where significant load falls outside daylight hours or where grid-services revenue is accessible.
Scope the right commercial solar PV system
Share your site and electricity profile. We will outline the appropriate array size, inverter and monitoring approach, expected generation and whether battery storage merits further modelling. Prefer to explore numbers yourself first? Run the calculator or contact us directly.
- PV system size matched to demand
- Core equipment and design route outlined
- Battery suitability considered