Solar for Retail Buildings
Providing solar panel installations for retail chains, showrooms and retail parks, reducing energy costs and enhancing sustainability.
Why Choose Solar Energy for Retail Stores?
Running a retail space demands significant energy for heating, lighting, and power, often making electricity a major operational overhead. Geo Green Power specialises in large-scale commercial solar installations at business premises, even those that need to maintain uninterrupted operations.
If you’re looking to significantly decrease overheads and secure your energy supply for the future, investing in solar for your retail outlets is the solution. Our solar panel systems are quick and easy to install, causing minimal disruption to the daily business activities in your retail space. Typically, these systems offer a rapid payback of around 5 years through substantial energy bill savings.
Moving to renewable energy makes your operations more sustainable, a factor that is increasingly vital for today’s environmentally conscientious consumers. Securing your future energy needs protects you from volatile market price increases and can pave the way for offering additional services, like EV charging, giving your customers extra reasons to visit.
With over 15 years of experience, our team is equipped to plan, design, and seamlessly deliver your solar PV installation, ensuring zero impact on the day-to-day activity or customer experience within your shopping centre, individual outlets or large retail park.
Case Study: Bell Plantation
Bell Plantation, a large garden centre and retail complex, partnered with Geo Green Power to significantly reduce its carbon footprint and energy costs by installing a 97kWp solar PV system. This major upgrade, which complements their existing air source heat pumps and biomass boiler, is estimated to generate 85,000kWh annually, resulting in a colossal £40,000 annual saving on energy bills and a 25 –tonne reduction in CO2 emissions. The Managing Director, Ashley Warren, highlighted that this project provides independence and control over their energy supply, with the capital cost of the solar installation expected to be repaid in just five years, cementing the business’s environmental and financial commitment.
Tailored Solar Energy Solutions for Retail
Geo Green Power has partnered with numerous retailers and retail park operators across the UK, successfully developing bespoke renewable energy systems for their specific business needs. The trend for retailers is clear: they are increasingly choosing to take control of volatile energy costs by investing in renewable energy. By doing so, they secure their future energy supply and add value to their properties whilst actively supporting a low-carbon future through the adoption of solar power in the retail sector.
Turn your retail units into high-yield investments with on-site Solar PV. Beyond making your park more attractive to prospective tenants, solar allows you to act as the energy provider. By selling the green electricity you generate directly to your tenants at a reduced rate, you provide them with price stability and lower bills while securing a consistent, long-term secondary income for your business.
Types of Retailers we work with include: Department Stores, Specialty Stores, Supermarkets/Grocery Stores, Convenience Stores, Discount Stores, Garden Centres, DIY & Hardware Retailers, Retail Park Operators, and much more.
Solar Investment Guide for Retail
We have produced a solar investment guide specifically for UK retailers. Within the comprehensive document, we lay out exactly what solar options are available to retailers, how they work, the benefits they deliver, and how you can access them.
Recent solar panel installations for hospitality & retail customers
The sun is shining in the East
Food wholesaler, JK Foods, have improved their sustainability by adding solar panels a battery storage system to their company!
System size - battery: 87 kWh
System size - solar pv: 309 kWp
Annual output: 260,500 kWh
Moto Hospitality drives down costs
Motorway services, Moto Hospitality, is now shining with solar after we completed installs on 15 of their sites.
System size - solar pv: 1,614 kWp
Annual CO2 saving: 342 Tonnes
Equivalent cars off the road: 68
The magic of sustainability for the silver screen!
Savoy Cinema in Worksop has received a sustainable cinema experience in the form of a solar panel and battery system.
System size - battery: 144 kWh
System size - solar pv: 195 kWp
Annual output: 158,000 kWh
Sustainability is being built at The Cotswold Company
Oak furniture business, The Cotswold Company, have included solar in their Net Zero journey.
System size - solar pv: 155 kWp
Annual output: 130,840 kWh
Annual CO2 saving: 32 Tonnes
Mitchells & Butlers Route to Net Zero
We’ve been down the pub supporting Mitchells & Butlers PLC on their route to Net Zero.
System size - solar pv: 1,859 kWp
Annual output: 1,580,000 kWh
Annual CO2 saving: 395 Tonnes
A scoop of solar for Bluebell Dairy
Solar has become a huge asset for family-fun park, Bluebell Dairy!
System size - solar pv: 210.5 kWp
Annual output: 188,128 kWh
Annual CO2 saving: 47 Tonnes
Bell Plantation blossoms with solar PV
Garden Centre, Bell Plantation, are set to have a decrease in energy costs by more than £40000 per year after their solar PV investment.
System size - solar pv: 97 kWp
Annual output: 85,000 kWh
Annual CO2 saving: 25 Tonnes
A ground-source heat pump in full swing
A case study for the installation of renewable heating solutions for a golf club renovation in Monmouthshire.
System size - heat pump: 180 kW
Annual energy bill saving: £32,500
Solar Carports for Retail Parks
Geo Green Power designs and installs bespoke solar carports specifically for retail parks and large retail operations, turning expansive, underutilised parking areas into high-performance energy hubs. A carport with solar allows retailers to generate massive amounts of clean electricity on-site to slash operational costs, while simultaneously offering customers a premium experience with sheltered, weather-protected parking.
Our turnkey service manages everything from structural engineering and the streamlined “Prior Approval” planning process to the integration of high-speed EV charging, helping retail landlords increase footfall and extend dwell times. By choosing a carport with solar, retail destinations can visibly showcase their commitment to sustainability, future-proofing their assets against rising energy prices and taking advantage of the growing demand for electric vehicle infrastructure.
Our Process with Retail Solar Installations
When designing your system, our expert team meticulously evaluates several key factors:
- The total available space for installing solar panels
- Your current energy consumption patterns
- The potential for your energy usage to increase in the future
- Whether you own or lease your premises, and who will be the end user of your energy
Our design approach for solar energy options for retail locations is comprehensive. It accounts for all operational requirements, including the need to store renewable energy (battery storage), the necessity of a backup power supply, or the potential to export surplus energy back to the grid.
Crucially, we prioritise keeping disruption to an absolute minimum when planning your installation. We carefully schedule the work around your operational requirements, considering deliveries, customer access points, and opening times. Any necessary power-downs will be completed out of hours to ensure the smoothest possible transition.
Retail Building Solar Panel Costs
The investment required for every retail solar PV project is unique and will vary. The cost of your installation is influenced by factors such as the size of the system, the complexity of the roof structure, and specific installation requirements like access equipment or temporary barriers needed to maintain customer flow.
If you are interested in finding out what you would need to spend to achieve a healthy return and significant energy savings, we can provide a strong indication over the phone. We will then finalise a detailed proposal after conducting a thorough, on-site survey of your retail property.
|
System Size |
Costs |
|
50kW |
£45,000 |
|
100kW |
£70,000 |
|
250kW |
£165,000 |
|
500kW |
£300,000 |
Solar Funding Incentives for Retail Businesses
Capital Allowances (Tax Relief)
These schemes allow businesses to reduce their taxable profits by deducting the cost of the solar installation, leading to substantial savings on Corporation Tax.
- Annual Investment Allowance (AIA): Businesses can deduct 100% of the cost of qualifying plant and machinery (which includes solar panels) from their taxable profits in the year of purchase, up to a limit of £1 million per year.
- 50% First-Year Allowance (FYA): If the expenditure exceeds the AIA limit, companies subject to Corporation Tax can deduct 50% of the remaining value of new solar installations from their profits in the first year.
Smart Export Guarantee (SEG)
The SEG is a government-mandated scheme that allows retail businesses (and others) to earn revenue by selling any surplus electricity generated by their solar panels back to the national grid.
- Energy suppliers offer various tariffs, and businesses get paid for every kilowatt-hour (kWh) of power they export.
Business Rates Exemption
To encourage green investment, the UK government has introduced an exemption that runs until March 31, 2035.
- Businesses that install rooftop solar panels will not see an increase in their business rates (Non-Domestic Rates) valuation as a result of the installation. This provides significant ongoing financial savings.
Local and Regional Grants
While there are no major UK-wide commercial solar grants, regional and local support is often available:
- UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF): Local councils and Growth Hubs often use this fund to offer specific grants for SMEs (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises) to invest in energy efficiency and renewable energy projects, including solar. Availability and amounts vary by area.
- Specific National Schemes: Schemes tailored to Wales (Green Business Loan Scheme) and Scotland (Non-Domestic Rates Relief) are also available.
Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs)
A Power Purchase Agreement allows you to install a solar PV system with no upfront capital investment. A third-party investor funds the system and sells you electricity at a lower rate than your current supplier.
Asset Finance
Spread the cost of your solar installation over time with asset finance, such as a lease or hire purchase agreement. This allows businesses to preserve working capital while still benefiting from reduced energy costs and potential tax efficiencies.
Contact Our Solar Experts Today
For more information about solar panels for retailers, or to learn how your business can benefit from renewable energy, get in touch.
Call us on 0800 988 3188 or simply send us a message using our online enquiry form, and we will respond as soon as possible.
Retail Solar Panels FAQs
What is the Expected Financial Return (ROI) and Payback Period?
As part of your proposal, we provide an overview of your system size, expected generation and a breakdown of your annual energy savings and any expected capacity that can be sold back to the grid. The payback period for a commercial scheme is typically 4 to 7 years for retail, driven by consistent, high daytime use and rising grid prices.
Installing across multiple outlets will deliver economies of scale, and choosing the most appropriate sites within your estate will ensure that you maximise payback across your operations.
How Much Disruption Will the Installation Cause Our Operations and Customers?
There will be very minimal disruption. We plan our installation carefully to ensure that any access equipment and materials are out of the way of customer entrances and delivery access. All of our deliveries can be planned around your operations, and any power down can be scheduled to take place outside of your trading hours and around data uploads or IT updates. We can even arrange to complete your installation to avoid busy, seasonal trends such as Christmas trading.
Will the Solar System Be Designed to Cover Our Energy Needs (and Future Growth)?
Yes, as with every project our team delivers, your system will be custom-designed based on an energy audit, maximising current daytime use and factoring in plans, like EV charging or site expansion. Solar PV is scalable, and your scheme can be designed to take into consideration your business growing into neighbouring premises or requiring a battery to support extended trading hours.
What Warranties, Guarantees, and Maintenance are Included?
The panels we install all have a 25-year performance warranty and will continue to generate energy for much longer. Maintenance is low due to there being very few moving parts in your system. We recommend an annual check to ensure performance is optimum and to identify if panels need cleaning, and we offer optional service packages.
What Permissions and Grid Approvals are Required for the Installation?
Solar PV is classed as permissible development and as such does not usually require planning permission unless it is in a designated conservation zone, on a listed building or in close proximity to operations such as an airport. Ground-mounted solutions do require planning. Our in-house team manages the entire planning process and can advise and guide you through this
Your system will require DNO approval to provide you with a grid connection, we make this application and secure this agreement on your behalf.
