UK businesses accelerate rooftop solar adoption amid persistent energy costs and grid constraints

Rooftop solar on warehouses, factories and retail parks rarely attracts the attention given to major wind farms or grid-scale renewables. But it is expanding quickly and, for many UK businesses, becoming a practical response to high power prices and the need for a more predictable energy supply.

Across industrial estates, logistics hubs, office buildings, and university campuses, companies are increasingly looking up rather than out, using roof space to generate on-site electricity. The appeal is straightforward: more control over energy costs, a hedge against volatility, and a visible step toward decarbonisation targets without waiting on wider grid upgrades.

The UK passed 18 gigawatts (GW) of installed solar capacity by the first quarter of 2025, with commercial rooftops playing a growing role in that total, according to Green Shield Group’s analysis. The longer-term ambition is even larger. The UK is targeting around 70GW of solar by 2030, and reaching that level will require a major increase in rooftop deployment alongside ground-mounted projects.

For businesses, rooftop solar is often attractive because it can move quickly from planning to installation. Compared with large-scale infrastructure projects, many rooftop systems can be designed and delivered in months. For sites that consume most of their electricity during the day, such as distribution centres, manufacturing facilities and retail, solar generation can closely match operational demand, improving the economics of on-site power.

Rooftop solar is also increasingly being paired with battery storage. Capturing excess daytime generation and using it later can increase self-consumption, reduce peak-time grid imports and add resilience. As storage becomes more affordable and modular systems become easier to deploy, batteries are shifting from a “nice to have” to a core part of the commercial solar proposition.

Financing models are evolving, too. Power purchase agreements (PPAs), where a third party funds and operates the system and sells electricity to the site, are becoming more standardised and easier to access. That shift matters because it opens the market to firms that want the benefits of rooftop solar without upfront capital investment or specialist energy teams.

There are still challenges. Multi-let buildings can be complicated, with questions around roof rights, tenant turnover, and how savings are shared. But the commercial rooftop market is beginning to overcome these barriers through clearer contracting approaches and more repeatable project structures.

Rooftop solar’s rise has been quiet, but the direction is clear. With limited space on the grid and ongoing pressure on energy costs, using existing roofs to generate clean power is becoming one of the most practical steps UK businesses can take, quick to deploy, visible in impact, and increasingly hard to ignore.

Manufacturers or business owners seeking advice on sustainability and renewable technology, contact Green Shield Group on 01254 786 071 or email info@greenshield.group or visit www.greenshield.group to find out more.