Commercial Solar Cost by Sector — 2026
The roof sets the install price; the business under it sets the payback. Here is how the same 2026 pricing curve plays out across six UK sectors — and why self-consumption, not system cost, decides who wins biggest.
| Sector | Typical system | Typical spend (2026) | Self-consumption | Typical payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 100–500kW | £85,000–£400,000 | 75–90% | 3–5 yrs |
| Warehousing & logistics | 100–500kW+ | £80,000–£400,000 | 60–85% | 4–6 yrs |
| Offices | 30–100kW | £28,000–£95,000 | 70–85% | 5–7 yrs |
| Hotels & leisure | 50–250kW | £45,000–£210,000 | 85–95% | 4–6 yrs |
| Agriculture | 30–250kW | £27,000–£215,000 | 40–90% | 4–8 yrs |
| Retail & supermarkets | 50–250kW | £45,000–£215,000 | 85–95% | 4–5 yrs |
Manufacturing
Factories are the natural home of commercial solar: large steel roofs, three-phase infrastructure already in place, and heavy daytime load from motors, compressors and process equipment. Single-shift plants self-consume around 75% of generation; two-shift operations push past 85%. Typical projects sit between 100kW and 500kW, with energy-intensive manufacturers increasingly filling every viable square metre because the marginal kWp is so cheap at scale.
Warehousing and logistics
The biggest roofs in the country, and since racking and conveyors draw less than process machinery, the constraint is usually load rather than space. A 10,000 m² shed could host 1MW but may only justify 300–400kW against its own consumption — unless EV fleet charging is coming, which changes the arithmetic entirely. Automated and chilled warehouses, with their constant drives and refrigeration, justify the larger end. Export-limited DNO offers are more common here simply because the systems are big.
Offices
Smaller roofs relative to floor area cap system size — a four-storey office has a quarter of the roof-to-load ratio of a single-storey shed. But office load profiles (HVAC, IT, lifts, 8am–6pm) match solar generation neatly, and the EPC benefit carries real weight: MEES proposals point at EPC C by 2027 and B by 2030 for let commercial property, and rooftop PV is one of the more cost-effective rating improvements available. Most office projects land between 30kW and 100kW.
Hotels and leisure
Seven-day operation, morning and evening peaks, pools, kitchens and laundry: hospitality self-consumes 85–95% of whatever it generates, which compensates for awkward roof shapes on older buildings. Mid-range hotels typically install 50–150kW; resort and leisure complexes with flat-roof plant areas and car parks (canopy potential) go larger.
Agriculture
The widest spread in the table. A grain store used eight weeks a year may self-consume 40% of generation; a dairy or poultry unit with cooling, ventilation and milking plant runs past 85%. Barn roofs are cheap to install on, supplies are often the limiting factor (single-phase upgrades are a common pre-cost), and at the larger end farmers increasingly size for export income as much as self-use.
Retail and supermarkets
Refrigeration is the gift that keeps giving: it runs every hour the sun shines and most hours it doesn't. Supermarkets and convenience formats achieve some of the highest self-consumption figures measured — 90%+ — making them among the fastest paybacks in the UK at 2026 prices. The operational constraint is trading: installs are usually phased or done out of hours, which is priced into the labour lines.
The pattern across all six
Install price follows the nine price factors regardless of sector. What sector determines is the value of each generated kWh — and that comes down to one number, self-consumption percentage, which is why any credible proposal starts with your half-hourly meter data rather than your industry label. Funding route is similarly sector-agnostic: the finance vs purchase comparison applies to every row in the table above.
Sector cost questions
Which sector gets the fastest solar payback?
Anything refrigeration-led: supermarkets, cold storage, chilled food processing. Round-the-clock cooling load means 90%+ self-consumption, so nearly every generated kilowatt-hour displaces a bought one. Paybacks of 3–4.5 years are routine at 2026 prices.
Our building is leased — can we still install solar?
Yes, with landlord consent, and it is increasingly granted because solar supports the EPC rating that MEES rules tie to lettability. Routes include a licence to alter funded by the tenant, a landlord-funded install recovered through the service charge or rent, or a roof-lease PPA where neither party funds it. The legal structure matters more than the engineering — start that conversation early.
Does sector affect the installed price per kWp?
Mostly indirectly. The grid and roof drive price, not the trade carried on inside. The exceptions are live-environment premiums: food production hygiene controls, hospital infection control, or retail sites needing night working can add 10–25% to labour. A warehouse and a hotel with identical roofs and supplies pay near-identical install prices — their paybacks differ because of when they use power.