Question 1

How much roof area do I need for a commercial solar PV array?

Accepted Answer

Roughly 1,000 square metres of usable roof gives around 150 kilowatt peak of arrays, before shading, plant decks and fire breaks are taken out. There is no hard minimum. Sites below that can still make sense where the tariff is high or where the roof is being replaced anyway, because the scaffolding is already there.

Question 2

Who owns the solar panels and who maintains them?

Accepted Answer

Saber owns and maintains the array for the whole term, including panel cleaning, inverter replacement, insurance and monitoring through the Saber Intelligence Platform. The roof remains the site’s. A scheduled maintenance plan and a roof warranty review sit in the contract, so the responsibility for penetrations and fixings is written down rather than assumed.

Question 3

What happens to commercial solar PV output on a cloudy day?

Accepted Answer

UK arrays produce diffuse power through cloud cover, so output tapers rather than stopping. The relevant number is annual yield against the site’s demand profile, not any single day. Modelling uses regional irradiance data against the site’s own half-hourly import data, which is why Saber asks for at least twelve months of half-hourly data before quoting. Storage and firm generation cover the hours when the array is not carrying the load.

Question 4

Does on-site solar reduce our energy bill or our carbon footprint?

Accepted Answer

Both, but they move independently and the case is stronger if you are honest about which is which. Solar displaces grid imports at the meter, so it cuts the commodity element and the carbon intensity of what you buy. It does not remove standing charges, network charges or the balancing costs that make up most of a non-domestic bill, which is why the unit rate rather than the headline percentage is the comparison that matters.

Question 5

Can we install solar PV on a leasehold roof?

Accepted Answer

Usually, with landlord consent and a deed of priority or an agreement of the sort a landlord will recognise as protecting their reversion. The arrangement is straightforward where the landlord takes the generation as an improvement to the building and the tenant takes the power. Saber has funded schemes across leasehold, multi-tenant and ground-rent sites, so the paperwork is standard rather than bespoke.

Solar PV

What is commercial solar PV and how is it funded?

One technology is rarely the answer on its own.

What buyers ask about Solar PV.

Send us your half-hourly data and we will model it.