Solar for offices
Office buildings have steady, predictable daytime electricity demand from lighting, IT equipment, HVAC and increasingly EV charging. This load profile aligns beautifully with solar generation, making office solar one of the most reliable return-on-investment projects in the commercial sector.
We work with single-tenant offices, serviced office providers, corporate headquarters, and mixed-use buildings across Wales.
Office load profile and solar self-consumption
A typical Welsh office building reaches its electrical peak somewhere between 10am and 3pm on a working day, which is also when solar generation is at its highest. As a result, self-consumption rates on properly sized office solar systems regularly exceed ninety percent, meaning the great majority of generated power displaces grid imports at full commercial tariff.
The match between generation and demand is so good that many office systems can be sized aggressively without significant export, particularly where electric vehicle charging or heat pumps are part of the future plan. Adding these loads increases self-consumption further still.
Multi-tenant offices and shared metering
Multi-tenant office buildings present particular opportunities and complications for solar. The opportunity is that the combined load profile of multiple tenants is exceptionally well-matched to solar. The complication is that the metering arrangements often need to be revised to allow solar power to be shared equitably between tenants and the landlord.
We have worked on several multi-tenant office projects in Wales using private wire arrangements, sub-metering, and dedicated billing systems to share solar between occupiers. The contractual framework is more involved than a single-occupier project, but the financial returns can be very strong.
Air conditioning and summer demand peaks
Offices with significant air conditioning see their largest electrical demand on hot, sunny days when solar generation is also at its peak. This makes solar an exceptionally good match for cooling-dominated load profiles, with the additional benefit that solar generation tends to scale up at exactly the time you most need to spend money on cooling.
Workplace EV charging integration
Increasingly, employee EV charging is becoming a strategic priority for office occupiers and landlords. Integrating solar with workplace charging means employee vehicles are fuelled from rooftop generation during the working day, dramatically reducing the cost per kilowatt-hour delivered and improving the environmental credentials of the building.
Frequently asked questions
How long does an office installation take?
A typical 30kW to 100kW office installation takes one to two weeks on site, with minimal disruption to occupants. Electrical work is normally planned around weekends or evenings.
Can we install on a leased office?
Yes, with the landlord's consent. We have experience structuring leases and approvals so that the benefits flow correctly to the party that has paid for the system.
How visible is the system from the ground?
Roof-mounted panels on most modern office buildings are not visible from street level. We can model visibility for buildings where appearance matters, including planning-sensitive locations.
Will solar boost our EPC rating?
Yes. Solar generation feeds directly into the EPC calculation and typically delivers a meaningful uplift, which can be valuable for commercial property valuations and MEES compliance.
EPC ratings and MEES compliance
The Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards regime continues to tighten, with commercial properties needing to meet ever-higher EPC ratings to remain lettable. Solar generation directly improves the EPC calculation, often lifting buildings by one or two bands. For owners of older office stock, solar can be one of the most cost-effective measures available to bring a building into compliance with future MEES requirements.
For commercial landlords planning portfolio improvements, addressing solar alongside other energy efficiency measures such as LED lighting upgrades, controls improvements and insulation gives the best combined return on investment. We frequently advise landlords on phased programmes that prioritise the buildings with the highest financial impact first.
Office HVAC and the cooling-solar synergy
Office buildings with significant air conditioning loads have one of the strongest natural synergies with solar generation. Hot sunny days simultaneously drive peak cooling demand and peak solar generation, meaning solar production is highest at exactly the times the building is most expensive to cool through grid electricity. For offices switching to electric heat pump heating as gas boilers are phased out, this synergy will become even stronger because peak heating demand in cold sunny winter days will also overlap meaningfully with solar generation.
Working in occupied offices
Most office solar installation work happens externally on the roof and so has very limited impact on office occupants. Internal electrical work is normally planned around weekends or evenings to avoid disruption to working days. We coordinate with facilities managers and reception staff to ensure smooth access during installation and to minimise any visible signs of work-in-progress for visiting clients or staff.
Aesthetics on visible office roofs
For corporate offices where building appearance matters, particularly in mixed-use developments or visible city-centre locations, we offer panel choices and layout options that minimise visual impact. All-black modules with frame-coloured back sheets are virtually invisible from ground level on dark grey or black roof finishes, and panel layouts can be configured to follow roof geometry rather than fill every available square metre. We provide visualisations during the design stage so stakeholders can see exactly what the finished installation will look like.