As the UK accelerates its journey towards net zero, renewable energy is playing a central role in the country’s energy future. Large generation sites will always be needed to meet demand, but to maintain momentum of the energy transition and to enhance the renewable energy mix, it is vital that we capitalise on the vast, underutilised resource hiding in plain sight: our rooftops.

Commercial and industrial buildings across the UK offer a scalable, low-impact solution to expand solar capacity. Warehouses, factories, retail centres and logistics hubs represent millions of square metres of idle roof space – space that could be generating clean, affordable electricity at the point of use.

As we anticipate the inevitable rise in energy demand that goes hand in hand with economic growth drivers, like big infrastructure projects, house building and a push to become an ‘AI superpower’, it is key that we make the most of our rooftop spaces now. Rapidly increasing the UK grid’s capacity for renewables is essential for ensuring UK economic growth is clean and green. However, grid upgrades and large-scale onshore renewable projects are often complex and slow to deploy, making rooftop solar a practical solution to help ease the transition.

Energy-intensive sectors such as manufacturing, logistics and retail are already disproportionately reliant on grid power too, putting strain on a system that’s at maximum capacity. Rooftop solar offers these businesses a way to take control of their energy use reduce costs, and directly contribute to national decarbonisation goals.

Warehouses, factories, retail centres and logistics hubs represent millions of square metres of idle roof space – space that could be generating clean, affordable electricity at the point of use.
 

Business resilience
Fundamentally, on-site solar enhances business resilience. By generating electricity where it’s consumed, companies can shield themselves from volatile energy markets and reduce their exposure to grid constraints. Deploying solar at the point of consumption also supports the broader shift towards a decentralised energy system that alleviates pressure on the national grid and enhances local energy resilience.

Momentum is building. Recently the government allocated over £630mn in funding towards upgrades for public buildings that will help reduce energy costs. Social institutions including schools, hospitals and care homes will be able to use these funds to install technologies such as solar panels and heat pumps, which will reduce the amount spent on powering and heating such buildings, in turn reducing cost to the taxpayer. It is estimated that this investment will lead to an average of £650mn in savings for taxpayers annually for the next 12 years. A new Future Homes Standard, coming this autumn, is also expected to require new residential homes to have solar panels by default.

But to truly unlock the potential of decentralised energy, this momentum must be matched by private sector uptake across commercial and industrial estates. The recent increase in the transmission impact assessment threshold from 1 MW to 5 MW was an important step in cutting red tape for larger rooftop projects, which should spur on larger installations. Generation projects up to 5 MW in capacity seeking to connect to the electricity distribution grid can now bypass a referral to the National Energy System Operator (NESO) for a study of their impact on the grid.

The industry now needs to work hard to make it known to business decision makers that greening their operations with rooftop solar is relatively straightforward and will have immediate benefits for their bottom line. Funding is easy with power purchase agreements too. And one of the most promising tools to drive adoption, energy storage technology, has advanced so much that concerns of intermittent power can be allayed.  

Active assets
We need a cultural shift in how we view energy infrastructure. Rooftops should no longer be seen as passive surfaces but as active assets in the clean energy transition. At the same time, policymakers must create a stable, supportive framework that rewards self-generation and removes administrative friction. Equally important is encouraging companies and entrepreneurs to take strategic decisions regarding their energy management – an approach that is crucial not only for environmental reasons but also for financial and competitive advantages.

The case for decentralised energy has never been stronger. Rooftop solar offers a high-return, low-impact solution to some of the UK’s most pressing energy challenges – from land use conflicts to grid congestion and industrial decarbonisation. With the right mix of policy support, financial innovation and public-private collaboration, we can turn our rooftops into the engines of green growth. Let’s not overlook what’s right above us.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are strictly those of the author only and are not necessarily given or endorsed by or on behalf of the Energy Institute.

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