Commercial solar for manufacturing
Manufacturing sites often have exactly the profile solar suits well — large roofs and daytime-heavy electricity use — but the details still matter.
Why manufacturing sites are often a good fit
A site running shifts through the working day tends to consume a large share of what it generates directly, rather than exporting it at a lower rate — which is usually the main driver of good solar economics. Large, often flat industrial roofs can also suit solar well from an installation-cost perspective.
What's worth checking specifically
- Load profile match. If you run single-shift daytime operations, self-consumption is likely to be high. Multi-shift or weekend-heavy operations change the picture — make sure the self-consumption assumption in any proposal reflects your actual pattern, not a generic one.
- Roof condition and loading. Industrial roofs vary widely in age, structural capacity and cladding type — a structural survey matters more here than on a newer commercial building.
- Process electricity demand. High, spiky demand from machinery can affect how much of a larger system's output you can actually use versus export.
- Business rates and site changes. If expansion or process changes are planned, check how a system would be affected by future roof or electrical work.
Already got proposals for a manufacturing site? Upload them for an independent review — we'll check whether the self-consumption and scope assumptions actually match how your site operates.