Cut Your Energy Bills. Generate Your Own Power. Commercial Solar PV That Pays for Itself.

Your business is paying 20–25p for every unit of electricity it buys from the grid. Commercial solar PV generates the same electricity for around 4–5p. The gap between those two numbers is the opportunity — and at current UK energy prices, it has never been wider.

Barrow Electrical delivers end-to-end commercial solar PV installation for businesses across the UK. NICEIC-approved, G98/G99 handled in-house, MCS-aligned installation and optional O&M — one contractor responsible for the whole project from first site visit to final sign-off.

Every Month You Wait Has a Measurable Cost

UK business electricity prices settled at around 20–25p per kWh in 2026. That’s roughly a third higher than the pre-2022 norm — and the structural pressures that drove prices up haven’t gone away. A business spending £50,000 a year on electricity and self-consuming 60% of a solar system’s output would typically save £25,000–30,000 per year from day one of operation.

3–5 yrs

Typical payback at 2026 UK electricity prices

4–5p/kWh

Solar generation cost vs 20–25p from the grid

25–30 yrs

Design life of a commercial solar PV system

70–80%

Potential reduction in bought-in electricity over system life

The Annual Investment Allowance changes the maths significantly

Businesses can offset the full capital cost of a solar installation against taxable profits in year one under the Annual Investment Allowance — a material benefit that many energy ROI calculators understate. A £100,000 installation for a business paying 25% corporation tax effectively costs £75,000 after tax relief. That brings payback periods closer to 2–3 years for higher-consuming businesses.

Net-zero is moving from aspiration to contract requirement

For businesses in public sector supply chains, education, logistics and manufacturing, demonstrable progress on energy and carbon is increasingly a pre-qualification requirement. Commercial solar PV supports ESOS compliance, SECR reporting obligations and Scope 2 emissions reduction — three boxes ticked with one decision.

One Contractor. Every Stage. No Gaps.

Most commercial solar projects involve at least three parties: a consultant, an installer, and an electrical subcontractor. When something goes wrong — a delayed DNO approval, a commissioning snag, a paperwork gap — the question of who’s responsible becomes complicated quickly.
Barrow Electrical does the whole job. Survey, design, DNO/G98/G99 application, installation, commissioning, certification and O&M — all delivered by one team under one contract. The person who designs it is accountable for how it’s installed. The engineer who installs it signs the certificate.

Site survey and feasibility — real numbers, not best-case projections

We start with a desktop review using satellite imagery and your energy bills to produce a preliminary yield and payback model. Where the desktop case is compelling, we move to a physical site survey covering roof condition, structural loading, cable routes, switchboard capacity and DNO connection. Our feasibility reports include realistic UK irradiance assumptions, not the optimistic figures that make headlines. If the numbers don’t stack up for your site, we tell you — before you spend anything.

System design to BS 7671

Our engineers produce a full system design: panel layout and specification, inverter selection, cable routes and containment, switchboard modifications, metering arrangements and structural loading calculations. Every design is produced to BS 7671 and relevant IET guidance, and issued to you for approval before any work begins. No surprises on site.

G98/G99 and DNO application — handled in-house

Grid connection is where commercial solar projects most commonly stall. G98 notification for smaller systems, G99 applications for larger ones — we manage the full process with your Distribution Network Operator in-house. We know what each DNO requires, how to frame technical submissions to avoid unnecessary queries, and how to follow up without causing delay. You don’t need to get involved in this process unless you want to be.

MCS-aligned installation

Our installation teams are supervised by qualified engineers throughout. We manage cable containment, roof penetrations, inverter installation, metering and all switchboard modifications — coordinated with your facilities or project management team to minimise disruption to your operation. We work in occupied buildings regularly and plan accordingly.

Commissioning, testing and certification

Every installation is fully commissioned and tested before handover. You receive an NICEIC Electrical Installation Certificate, MCS-aligned project documentation, G98/G99 compliance evidence, as-built drawings and an O&M manual. Procurement teams and auditors have everything they need on day one, without having to chase it.

Optional O&M — keep it performing

Solar systems lose performance gradually if not maintained. Inverter faults, soiling, shading changes and connection issues can all reduce yield without triggering obvious alerts. Our O&M contracts cover annual inspection, inverter monitoring, fault response and Smart Export Guarantee administration — so the return on your investment holds over the system’s life, not just in year one.

Which Businesses Get the Best Returns from Commercial Solar PV?

The strongest ROI cases share a common characteristic: high daytime electricity consumption that aligns with solar generation. The following sectors consistently see the fastest payback and the clearest net-zero case.

What Makes Barrow Electrical Different

There are plenty of solar installers. There are far fewer who are also NICEIC-approved electrical contractors with in-house G98/G99 capability and experience delivering complex commercial programmes. Here’s what that difference means in practice.

We do the electrical work ourselves

Most solar installers subcontract the electrical side — the grid connection, the switchboard work, the metering, the certification. We do not. Barrow Electrical is a NICEIC-approved electrical contractor. Every element of the electrical installation is our work, our responsibility and our sign-off. That means tighter quality control, cleaner handover documentation and a single point of accountability when something needs resolving.

G98/G99 is not an afterthought for us

For many solar installers, DNO applications are an unfamiliar process that gets handled reactively. For us it’s routine. We manage G98 notifications and full G99 applications across all major UK distribution networks. We know the common causes of delay, how to avoid them, and how to structure submissions that get approved first time. That matters when project programmes are tight.

We tell you what we actually think

If a site isn’t suitable for solar, we say so in the feasibility stage — before you’ve committed to anything. If the payback period is longer than the headline figures suggest, we show you why. Our relationships are built on repeat work and referrals, and that doesn’t happen when clients feel they’ve been sold something that didn’t deliver.

Procurement-ready from day one

We know what procurement teams need because we work with them regularly. Our PQQ pack, policy library, accreditation certificates and capability statement are ready to download from our Procurement Hub. We carry £10m+ public liability, professional indemnity and employers’ liability cover. NEC and JCT contract experience available on request. No friction at the supply chain stage.

Nationwide, with the infrastructure to prove it

We are based in Warrington and work nationally. Multi-site rollout programmes, single-site commercial installations, public sector frameworks — we have the team, the systems and the insurance to deliver at scale across the UK.

Commercial Solar PV: Straight Answers to the Questions We Get Asked Most

How much does a commercial solar PV installation cost?

Installed costs in 2026 typically run at £750–£1,000 per kWp. A 100kWp system — around 200–250 panels, suitable for a medium-sized commercial roof — would typically cost £75,000–£100,000 installed. The Annual Investment Allowance means businesses paying 25% corporation tax effectively reduce that cost by 25% in year one. We provide a detailed, no-obligation cost and payback breakdown as part of our feasibility study.

How long does a commercial solar installation take from start to finish?

For a straightforward commercial rooftop installation, expect 10–16 weeks from initial feasibility to energisation. The main variable is DNO/G98/G99 approval timescales, which vary between distribution networks and depend on export capacity at your local substation. We manage the application process from day one and flag any potential delays early. We don’t wait until the panels are on the roof to start the grid connection process.

Do I need planning permission for commercial solar panels?

Most commercial rooftop solar installations fall within permitted development rights. Exceptions include listed buildings, conservation areas and installations above certain capacity thresholds. We assess planning requirements during the feasibility stage and give you a clear view of what’s needed before any design work begins. In most cases, it’s not an obstacle.

What is G98/G99 and why does it affect my project?

G98 and G99 are the UK engineering standards that govern how solar — and other generating equipment — connects to the distribution network. Systems up to 3.68kW per phase use a G98 notification; larger systems require a G99 application with formal DNO approval before the system can be legally energised. Missing this step is a compliance risk that we have seen catch other contractors out. We handle all DNO and G98/G99 work as a standard part of every project.

Can I add battery storage to a commercial solar system?

Yes — and in most cases we recommend assessing storage at the same time as solar rather than retrofitting it later. Battery storage shifts surplus generation into the evening peak, reduces demand charges and significantly increases self-consumption. Designing solar and storage together from the outset produces better technical performance and lower lifetime cost than a staged approach. Ask us to include a storage option in your feasibility study.

What documentation will I receive at handover?

Every project is handed over with a full documentation pack: NICEIC Electrical Installation Certificate, MCS-aligned project records, G98/G99 compliance evidence, as-built drawings, emergency lighting layouts where applicable, and an O&M manual. Procurement teams, auditors and building managers have everything they need on day one. If you have specific documentation requirements for a framework or contract, tell us at the design stage and we’ll build them in.

POWERING FORWARD

Find Out What Solar Could Do for Your Site

We start every conversation with a free desktop review — your energy bills and site details in, a realistic yield and payback estimate out. No site visit required at this stage. No obligation to proceed. If the numbers work, we’ll tell you exactly why. If they don’t, we’ll tell you that too.

Most clients find the desktop review is enough to build an internal business case. From there, a site visit and formal feasibility report takes the project to approval stage. The whole process moves at your pace.

Find us Here

Unit 3, Bewsey Business Park, Bewsey Rd, Warrington, WA5 0JU

Get In touch

01925 413 448 info@barrowelectrical.co.uk

Office Hours

08:00 AM – 17.00 PM Monday – Friday