Commercial Solar Power Installation for Manufacturing Businesses

Written by Billy Robertson, Commercial Manager

Commercial solar power installation should no longer be a “nice to have” for UK manufacturing businesses – it’s a strategic lever for cost control, resilience, and long-term competitiveness.

Manufacturers are getting squeezed from all sides. Energy prices remain volatile, raw material costs are up, labour is more expensive, and margins are under constant pressure. Waiting for energy markets to stabilise isn’t a strategy. Taking control of your energy is.

Installing industrial solar panels allows manufacturers to generate their own power, stabilise operating costs, and future-proof their facilities against rising energy prices and regulatory pressure. In short: it turns energy from a liability into an asset.

 

The 5 Biggest Manufacturing Energy Pain Points – and Solar’s Solution

 

1. High Energy Demands (and Even Higher Bills)

Manufacturing sites are energy-hungry by nature. Machinery, production lines, HVAC systems, and lighting operate for long hours – often seven days a week.

A commercial solar power installation, paired with battery storage, can reduce grid electricity costs by 30–80%, depending on site usage and system size. Solar produces power when your facility needs it most, during daytime production hours, helping offset peak energy tariffs and shield your business from seasonal price spikes.

Bottom line: you buy less power from the grid and gain predictability in your energy spend.

 

2. Inefficient Infrastructure and Out-of-Hours Usage

Even the most efficient manufacturing plants have unavoidable energy use outside production hours. Security lighting, idle machinery, IT systems, and overnight processes still draw power.

With industrial solar panels and battery storage, excess energy generated during the day can be stored and used overnight. Instead of exporting surplus power for pennies or pulling expensive electricity from the grid after hours, you’re running on your own stored energy.

That’s efficiency without changing a single production process.

 

3. Inadequate Energy Monitoring

If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.

Many manufacturing businesses lack real-time visibility into how and where energy is being used across their site. Modern solar PV systems come with AI-driven monitoring platforms that provide live and historical performance data.

This allows manufacturers to:

• Identify energy-hungry machinery
• Spot inefficiencies and abnormal usage
• Optimise shift schedules and production planning
• Make data-led decisions, not guesses

Commercial solar power installation doesn’t just reduce bills – it delivers intelligence.

 

4. Regulatory and Sustainability Pressures

Net zero targets are no longer optional. Customers, investors, and regulators are increasingly demanding measurable action on carbon reduction.

Installing industrial solar panels is one of the fastest and most visible ways to cut Scope 2 emissions. It demonstrates compliance, strengthens ESG credentials, and positions your business as a forward-thinking manufacturer – without disrupting operations.

Solar isn’t just good for the planet. It’s good for procurement conversations and tender evaluations too.

 

5. Large Amounts of Unused Space

Manufacturing sites are perfectly suited to solar.

• Large, flat industrial roofs
• Warehouses and production halls
• Extensive car parks suitable for solar canopies

These spaces are already paid for – solar simply monetises them. Instead of sitting idle, your roof becomes a power station generating clean electricity for decades.

 

Our Work with Manufacturers

We recently completed a 122kWp commercial solar power installation for The Cotswolds Company, delivering immediate cost savings and long-term energy security.

System Overview:

• 244 × DMEGC 500W N-Type bifacial double-glass solar panels
• 123 × SolarEdge S1000 optimisers
• 1 × SolarEdge 3-Phase Synergy 90kW inverter
• 3 × SolarEdge 3-Phase Synergy unit inverters
• SolarEdge Firefighter Gateway

The Impact:

• 115.20 MWh annual usable solar production
• 22.28 tonnes of CO₂ emissions saved annually
• 1,023 trees equivalent planted each year

For manufacturers, these numbers translate directly into lower operating costs, reduced carbon exposure, and improved energy resilience.

 

How Manufacturing Businesses Can Afford Solar

Commercial solar power installation is far more accessible than many manufacturers realise. There are three primary funding routes available:

 

1. CAPEX (Upfront Purchase)

Pay upfront and benefit immediately from reduced energy bills, full ownership, and the strongest long-term ROI.

2. SmartEase Finance

Access instant funding of up to £150,000, allowing you to install industrial solar panels with minimal upfront capital and spread costs over time.

3. Power Purchase Agreement (PPA)

We design, install, and maintain the system at no upfront cost. You simply purchase the electricity it produces at a lower, fixed rate than grid prices. See more here.

 

Bonus: Solar investments remain tax-efficient until 2027, making now the optimal time to act.

 

Ready to Stop Overpaying for Energy?

If you’re running a manufacturing operation and still relying solely on grid electricity, you’re leaving money on the table.

Commercial solar power installation gives you control, certainty, and long-term savings – without disrupting production.

📍 Midlands: 01543 713026
📍 South: 02392 400547

Or click “Get a Quote” below and start owning your energy instead of renting it.

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