Warehouses, logistics and storage

Solar Panels for Warehouses and Logistics

Free site survey

Step 1 of 2

Warehouse roofs are some of the largest unused surfaces a business has. Book a free warehouse solar survey: we check the site is suitable, then match you with one MCS certified installer who checks the roof and gives you a proposal.

Free site survey: we match you with one MCS certified installer who covers your area and the size of the job. Your details go to that installer only, so you're not passed around or ring-rounded.

Free survey, no obligation
Distribution centres, storage, cold stores and trade counters
Roof structure checked before anything is designed
One MCS certified installer that covers your area

Why it suits solar

130+ UK installers
MCS certified only
Free survey, no obligation
One installer, not a list of callers

Why warehouses suit solar panels

Solar panels make electricity in daylight. A warehouse with a large roof and steady daytime demand can use much of what the panels make, rather than buying it.

Large, open roofs

Big roof areas, often with few vents or plant in the way, leave room for a sizeable system.

Lighting through the day

Large spaces are lit for every working hour, and lighting is a steady daytime load.

Chilled and frozen storage

Cold stores and refrigerated areas draw power around the clock, including the daylight hours when panels generate.

Charging

Forklift, van and car chargers used during the day can run on what the roof makes.

Long or shift hours

Sites that pick, pack and dispatch over long days, or seven days a week, use more of the output.

Loading and handling

Dock doors, conveyors, sortation and other handling kit add to the daytime load.

What the survey checks on a warehouse

Before the visit, we ask about ownership or the lease, your energy spend, the roof and your supply. At the survey, the installer looks at the detail.

Roof load and structure

Whether the roof can carry the panels and fixings, often with a structural check, and how they will be fixed without harming the roof.

Roof condition and warranty

The roof's age, condition and any warranty, because it is better to repair or replace a roof before panels go on it.

Safe access

How people get onto the roof safely, and any fragile rooflights that need protecting during the work.

When the site uses power

Bills or half-hourly data show daytime demand on weekdays and weekends, which decides how big the system should be.

The grid connection

The supply the site has now, and what the local network operator will allow a larger system to connect and export.

Lease and landlord

Whether you own the building, or the landlord is willing to agree to an installation and who looks after the roof.

Before you start: warehouse solar questions

Size it to the site, not the roof. A big roof can take a big system, but electricity you export earns much less than electricity you would otherwise buy. The right size comes from how much power the site uses while the sun is up. That is why the installer asks for bills or half-hourly data.

The roof comes first. Panels stay on a roof for many years, so the installer checks the roof can carry them and has enough life left. If it needs repairs or replacing, doing that before installation saves taking the panels off again later.

Leased buildings need the landlord. Most warehouse leases deal with the roof somewhere. Raising solar with the landlord early, with the survey findings in hand, makes that conversation easier.

Read the proposal properly. Check the system size in kWp, the estimated yearly generation and how much of it the installer expects the site to use, the equipment and warranties, and what the price includes. Our commercial solar cost guide explains what goes into the price, and our grants guide covers capital allowances.

Matching

How we choose your installer

We match you with one of 130+ MCS certified installers across the UK, and only those who pass our checks.

1
We talk to you about the site and how the business uses electricity.
2
Installers who cover your area see the project without your name or contact details.
3
Our team picks the one best placed for it, by area, the size of the job and MCS certification.
4
Only that installer gets your details, and they book the survey with you.
5
Not right for you? Tell us.

What we check before we match you

MCS certification: current, and on the MCS installer register.
Other accreditations they hold, for example NICEIC or NAPIT, RECC and TrustMark. We favour installers with more relevant accreditations.
Their customer reviews on public review sites.
How long they have been trading, and that the company is active at Companies House with its accounts filed.
Stability: no frequent changes of directors in recent years.
That they cover your area and do jobs of your size.

If an installer doesn't meet these, we don't match them.

Four steps

How it works

Four steps from a short call to a survey at your site.

1
Book a call
Fill in the short form. A member of our UK team calls you to ask about the site and how the business uses electricity.
2
We check it's a fit
Ownership or landlord consent, your energy spend, the roof or land and your electricity supply, so nobody's time is wasted.
3
Matched with one installer
Installers who cover your area see the project without your name or contact details. Our team picks the one best placed for it, and only they get your details.
4
Your free site survey
The installer visits at a time that suits you, looks at the site and gives you their proposal. Whether you go ahead is up to you.

What it costs

The survey is free. Your business pays nothing for the call or the site survey, and there is no obligation to go ahead. If you choose to install, you agree the price and terms directly with the installer.

The cost of a system depends on its size, the roof or land and the electricity connection. Our guide to what commercial solar panels cost explains what sets the price, with the government's published cost data and two worked examples. For tax relief and funding, see solar panel grants for businesses.

Questions

Solar panels for warehouses: FAQs

Can a warehouse roof take solar panels?

Many can, but not all. Warehouse roofs are often lightweight, and some were built with little spare load capacity. The installer checks the roof's structure, condition, remaining life and any warranty before designing a system, and may ask a structural engineer to confirm it.

What if the warehouse uses little power during the day?

Then more of the output is exported, and exported electricity earns much less than electricity you would otherwise buy. The installer may suggest a smaller system, a battery, or limiting export. Your bills or half-hourly data show what fits.

We lease the warehouse. Can we still have solar?

Often, yes, but the landlord must agree to panels on the roof, and the lease may say who maintains the roof. We ask about this on the first call so it can be raised before the survey.

Does a large warehouse system need permission from the network operator?

Larger systems need the local network operator's approval before they connect, and in some places the network can only take a limited amount of export. The installer usually makes the application and tells you what it means for the design and timing.

Can solar panels charge electric vans or forklifts?

Panels supply whatever is running on site while they generate, which can include chargers in daylight. Charging that happens overnight would need a battery or would use grid power. The installer can look at your charging pattern at the survey.

Is the warehouse survey free?

Yes. The survey costs your business nothing and there is no obligation to go ahead. If you install, you agree the price and terms directly with the installer.

Book a free warehouse solar survey

Tell us about the business and the site. We'll call to go through the checks, then arrange the survey with one MCS certified installer that covers your area.

Free to your business
No obligation
Your details go to one installer only

Book my free site survey

Free, no obligation