Solar panels for UK pubs and restaurants
Hospitality runs on daytime electricity: cellar chillers, coffee machines, kitchens, extract and HVAC. Rooftop solar meets 30–55% of it during trading hours — here's how to size and fund it.
Typical system sizes
Independent gastropub (single site)
20–40 kWp. £18k–£36k. £3.4k–£6.8k/yr saved. 5–7 year payback with Full Expensing on your corporation tax.
Managed pub or 60-cover restaurant
40–70 kWp. Typical bill saving £6k–£11k/yr, plus SEG income of £400–£800/yr on weekends when trade is lower than generation.
Casual-dining chain per unit (retail-park)
60–120 kWp per unit rolled across the estate. Central procurement often lands 12–18% below one-off pricing.
Brewery-pub group / regional operator (30–200 sites)
PPA rollout at zero capex — landlord signs one 20-year framework, tenants get 20–35% below-grid electricity from day one.
Sizing to trade hours, not building size
A busy gastropub with 45 covers uses more daytime electricity than a 40-desk office. Sizing should follow half-hourly load, not floor area — most 20–40 kWp arrays on hospitality achieve 45–60% self-consumption without batteries, rising above 75% with a 30 kWh cellar battery.
FAQ
Will solar affect food-service temperature or extraction?
No — panels sit on the roof plane and never share airflow with kitchen extract. Cabling runs down cladding voids or existing service risers into a new sub-board next to your DB. There is no interruption to hood, gas-interlock or refrigeration systems during commissioning.
Our pub is listed or in a conservation area — can we still install?
Frequently yes. Rear or side roof slopes not visible from a public highway are usually permitted-development on non-listed pubs; listed buildings need listed-building consent but many councils now approve reversible clip-on installations on secondary roofs. See our planning permission guide.
How does solar interact with our tied-house energy supply?
Solar reduces the volume you buy through your pub company's brokered contract without triggering any exclusivity breach — generation and consumption of your own on-site electricity is not a purchased-energy supply. Some pubcos also now offer scheme-backed PPAs; ask your BDM.
What about split incentive between operator and freeholder?
Common — the tenant pays the energy bill, the freeholder owns the roof. The cleanest fix is a landlord-owned system with a fixed p/kWh PPA to the tenant; the tenant pays less than grid, the landlord earns a return, and the asset transfers on lease end.
Do panels help with our Sustainability Reporting / SBTi commitments?
Yes — on-site generation directly cuts Scope 2 emissions. A 50 kWp array typically avoids ~10 tCO2e/yr, which is material at group level for chains publishing under SECR or aligning to SBTi.
Design solar for your pub or restaurant
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Portfolio rollouts across store estates.
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