The Solutions
Renewable energy solutions for UK businesses
This guide is independent across every technology. Rather than push one product, a good assessment looks at the whole site and recommends the right combination, in the right order, to cut your energy bills and carbon. Here is the full stack of technologies for a business.
Seven ways to cut bills and carbon
Commercial Solar PV
30 kW - 2 MW. 6-year payback. £25,000 - £1.5m.
EV Charging
7 kW - 350 kW chargers. 5-year payback. £3,000 - £150,000+.
Commercial Heat Pumps
30 kW - 1 MW thermal. 8-year payback. £30,000 - £750,000.
Battery Storage
30 kWh - 1 MWh. 7-year payback. £20,000 - £500,000.
Energy Management & Efficiency
site-wide. 3-year payback. £2,000 - £100,000.
Power Purchase Agreements & Procurement
any (funding route). £0 capex (funder-owned).
On-site Generation: Wind & CHP
5 kW - 500 kW. 9-year payback. £40,000 - £1m+.
Which renewable technology fits your business?
A side-by-side view of typical cost, payback and where each technology fits. Figures are consistent with the cost guide; a real assessment replaces them with figures modelled from the site's own data.
| Technology | Typical cost | Payback | Best for | Key dependency | Zero-capex (PPA)? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Solar PV | £25,000 - £1.5m | 6 yrs | Daytime-occupied sites with unshaded roof or land | Roof condition / space | Yes |
| EV Charging | £3,000 - £150,000+ | 5 yrs | Fleets and staff or customer parking | Parking + grid capacity | Sometimes |
| Commercial Heat Pumps | £30,000 - £750,000 | 8 yrs | Gas-heated buildings cutting Scope 1 | Heat demand + plant space | Rarely |
| Battery Storage | £20,000 - £500,000 | 7 yrs | Solar sites with evening / weekend load | Existing or planned solar | Sometimes |
| Energy Management & Efficiency | £2,000 - £100,000 | 3 yrs | Every site, do this first | None (starts with an audit) | No |
| Power Purchase Agreements & Procurement | £0 capex (funder-owned) | n/a | Sites that want zero capital outlay | Roof/land lease + covenant | Is the funding route |
| On-site Generation: Wind & CHP | £40,000 - £1m+ | 9 yrs | Rural land, or a high constant heat + power load | Land / wind speed or heat load | Rarely |
Most businesses combine two or more, sequenced by payback. Efficiency and solar usually come first.
How the technologies fit together
Sequencing measures by payback keeps the programme cash-positive as it grows.
- 01Efficiency
Measure & reduce
Energy audit, voltage optimisation, LED and controls remove 8 to 25% of demand first.
- 02Solar
Generate
Solar PV sized to your reduced consumption, the biggest single lever for most sites.
- 03Battery & EV
Store & shift
Battery storage and smart EV charging lift self-consumption and manage peak demand.
- 04Heat & fleet
Electrify heat & transport
Heat pumps remove Scope 1 gas; EV charging cuts fleet fuel, both on your own power.
- 05Funding
Fund & procure
Capital allowances and grants, or a zero-capex PPA, modelled with the return on each.