Do you qualify for fully funded commercial solar?
Free Solar Panels for Business: Do You Qualify?
Free solar panels for business are real, with one honest catch. You pay nothing to have them fitted, but you do pay for the power they make, at a price fixed for 15 years. Here is what your site needs.
For businesses, farms and charities. We don't do homes.
“I'll be honest, I was a bit sceptical at first. It sounded too good to be true.”
£0 up front
Our funding partner pays for the system. Not even a deposit
Fixed for 15 years
Between 16p and 23p per kWh today, depending on the site (September 2026)
NAPIT
Our installers are accredited
Our installation partners are MCS registered, and RECC and NAPIT accredited
One person to call
Dave handles the funder, the installer and the grid for you, first call to first bill
Let's be straight about 'free'
Free solar panels for business: what 'free' means and what it doesn't
Search for free solar panels for business and you will find offers of every kind. Here is what ours means. Our funding partner pays for the panels, the inverter (the box that turns panel power into power your building can use), the frames, the scaffolding, the labour and the grid connection. It also monitors, maintains and cleans the system for the whole term. You pay none of that.
What isn't free is the electricity. You buy the solar power you use at a price per kWh (the unit on your bill) that stays the same for 15 years. It is a power purchase agreement, or PPA.
So nobody is handing you a gift. The funder puts its money into your roof and earns it back from your payments and from selling spare power to the grid. You aren't borrowing anything, and you pay nothing to start. That is why the checks below matter. The sums have to work for both sides.
The full story is in how a solar PPA works, step by step.
What 'free' costs you
£0 to start, then a price per kWh that never moves
To design, fit and connect it
Not even a deposit. Nothing to pay for scaffolding, labour or the grid application either.
Per kWh for the solar you use
Set by your site and your usage data (September 2026), then fixed for 15 years. Crest pays 18p and Lesters 17p.
To own it at the end of year 15
Or buy it earlier from the schedule printed in your proposal.
These are the real prices, not an introductory offer. See a real proposal for how they appear on paper.
What you pay per kWh for the solar you use
- PPA price: 16p to 23p, fixed for 15 years
- What our case-study customers were paying: about 23p to 53p
PPA prices as of September 2026, and your rate depends on your site. Savings are illustrative, never promised. Your proposal works out your own.
Check my eligibilityFree, no obligation, about two minutesThe checks
The seven things your site needs to qualify
Six are about your site. The seventh is a check on the business. None needs an expert to answer.
1. A three-phase supply
The stronger supply most businesses and farms have. Single phase, the kind a house has, caps a system at roughly 15 to 17 kW. That is below our minimum, so it is a firm no.
About three-phase and the grid2. No existing solar
The site must not have solar on it already. If it does, that is a firm no.
3. Room for at least 20 kW
About 45 to 50 panels, each roughly 1.2 m by 1.75 m, so around 100 square metres of panels. There is no top limit. Our proposals so far run from 50 kW to 74 kW, and we write mainly for sites that can take 50 kW or more.
4. 12 months of usage data
Half-hourly smart-meter readings are best. Otherwise, 12 months of bills showing kWh. It lets the design team size the system to your real daytime use.
About usage data and sizing5. A roof or land with space
We check this first from satellite images, so you don't need to measure anything. A barn, a warehouse, a flat roof or a field can all work.
6. The building owner's agreement
If you rent, the owner has to agree to panels on the roof. The funder leases the roof space but never owns your roof or your building.
About EPC B and 20317. A soft credit check on the business
The funder runs one before it commits. It leaves no mark on your file. We tell you about it up front, not halfway through.
Check it yourself
Where to find each answer, and what happens if you fall short
| What we need | Where to find it | If you fall short |
|---|---|---|
| Three-phase supply | Your electricity bill or meter, or ask your supplier | Single phase is a firm no. We say so on the first call. |
| No existing solar | A look at your roof and any land on the site | Existing solar is a firm no. We say so on the first call. |
| Space for 20 kW | Your postcode is enough. We check from the air | If the roof is too small, we look at spare land. If neither works, we tell you. |
| 12 months of data | Your supplier can send half-hourly readings. Or use 12 months of bills in kWh | We can't size the system without it, so we start there. |
| Owner's agreement | Your lease, or your landlord | We can talk to the owner with you. The EPC point below helps. |
Not sure about any of these? Send your postcode and a recent bill. We do the checking.
Who it suits
Which sites this suits, and which it doesn't
Commercial businesses and SMEs, farms, charities, schools and care homes are what this was built for.
It suits you if
- You run a business, farm, charity, school, care home, hotel, shop, sports club or church with a three-phase supply.
- You use most of your power in the daytime, when solar generates.
- You have a roof or land that can hold at least 20 kW, ideally 50 kW or more.
- You would rather keep your money than spend it on a system, and have someone else look after it.
It's probably not for you if
- You want solar for a home. That is a clear no. No PPA funding exists for homes, and we don't offer roof-lease schemes to households.
- Your supply is single phase.
- Your site already has solar.
- Your site could only take under 20 kW.
- You use most of your power at night. We may suggest a battery, which raises the price per kWh, so we check the numbers first.
- You are a tenant and your landlord won't agree.
- You are in Northern Ireland. We cover Great Britain only.
Worries about qualifying
Three things people worry about when they check
I rent. Do I need my landlord?
Yes, and it is worth them saying yes
The owner has to agree, because the panels go on their roof. It helps them too. The government has confirmed larger rented commercial buildings will need an EPC B from 2031 (an EPC is an Energy Performance Certificate, the energy rating of a building). Solar is one of the most direct ways to lift a rating, and a PPA does it at no capital cost. Comply now at no cost, or pay later.
My roof is small, or my supply is single phase.
A clear no is better than a vague maybe
The 20 kW floor is the smallest system our funding partner will fund. Single phase caps a system at roughly 15 to 17 kW, so that site can't go ahead. If you are close, tell us. If the roof is the problem, we also look at spare land.
I don't have half-hourly data to hand.
Twelve months of bills is enough to start
Half-hourly smart-meter readings are best, and your supplier can send them. But 12 months of bills showing kWh will do. Without a full year we can't size the system to your real use, so please start there.
Sectors we've written for
Find a page for your kind of site
Each sector page has its own worries answered. The solar for business overview has the lot.
Farms
Barn roofs, milking and chilling loads, and a battery where your usage justifies one.
Solar for farmsWarehouses and factories
Big flat roofs and long working days, which suit solar well.
Solar for industrial sitesCharities and community
Community centres, hospices, sports clubs and churches, where a lower bill goes back into the work.
Solar for charitiesHotels, retail and hospitality
Shops and hotels with car parks and long opening hours.
Solar for hotels and shopsNot sure?
Send your postcode and a recent bill
That is all we need to start. Here is what happens next.
- 1
Dave calls back within 24 hours
To ask a few plain questions about the site and what you pay for power today.
- 2
We check your roof from the air
A desktop survey from satellite images, plus the usage data you send. It costs you nothing.
- 3
A written proposal in up to 5 working days
If your site qualifies, the funder's design team builds it and we go through it on a video call.
In their own words
They doubted it as well
“I was pretty sceptical initially because you never get anything for free in this life. But once Dave broke down the detail and explained to me how it would benefit Crest as an organisation, it became quickly to me a bit of a no-brainer.”
“I'll be honest, I was a bit sceptical at first. It sounded too good to be true.”
- System size (peak output)
- 50 kWp
- Power it makes each year
- 36,290 kWh
- Fixed price for 15 years
- 18p per kWh (was 37p)
- Saving in year one
- £4,739
- Saving over 15 years
- £131,796
The 15-year figure assumes grid prices rise 5% a year. Your proposal works out your own figures, never a promise.
Free, in writing, no obligation
What a qualifying site gets back: a proposal with every figure printed
Once we know your site fits, you get a written proposal. It shows the system size, the power it should make, your fixed price per kWh, your savings and your buy-out price for every year. This is Crest's. Yours comes back in up to 5 working days.
- The system designed for your siteSized to your real usage by the funder's design team, with how much power it should make each year.
- Your fixed price per kWhSet from your usage data. Between 16p and 23p today, and fixed for 15 years.
- Your savingsIn year one and over 15 years, worked out from your own bills. Illustrative, never a promise.
- Your buy-out price for every yearPrinted in full, falling each year to £1 at year 15. So you can see your way out before you sign.
Case studies
Two sites that qualified, and what they got
Charity, Llandudno Junction
Crest Community Centre: from 37p to 18p per kWh
A 50 kWp system. £4,739 saved in year one, and the savings help fund the centre's food bank and community radio.
Read the case studyFarm shop, Buckley
56.7 kWLesters Farm Shop, open and trading throughout
- 126 panels at 17p per kWh
- Two 22 kW EV chargers at no cost
- £2,624 saved a year
Keep reading
How it works, how it compares, and what a proposal looks like
How a PPA works
Seven steps, week by week, and the four options at year 15.
Find out more
A PPA or buying outright
Where buying wins, where a PPA wins, and the middle path.
Find out more
A real proposal
Crest's proposal, line by line, with every figure printed.
Find out moreBack to the solar PPA overview. Also see what a solar PPA is.
Where we work
Sites we can check in these areas
Your postcode matters less than your site. We work in person across North Wales, Mid Wales, Cheshire and as far as the Midlands. Through our funding partner's approved installers we can reach anywhere in Great Britain, but not Northern Ireland.
Questions
Questions about qualifying
Are free solar panels for business really free?
The panels, the fitting and the grid connection cost you £0, not even a deposit. What you do pay for is the power they make, at a price per kWh fixed for 15 years. It is a funded deal, not a handout.
What does my business need to qualify?
A three-phase electricity supply, room for a system of at least 20 kW, and 12 months of usage data. You also need a roof or land with space, and the building owner's agreement if you rent. The site must not have existing solar. If you are not sure, send your postcode and a recent bill.
My site already has solar panels. Can it still qualify?
No. The site must not have existing solar.
What is a three-phase supply, and why do I need one?
Three-phase is the stronger supply most businesses and farms have. A single-phase supply, like a house has, caps a system at roughly 15 to 17 kW, which is below our 20 kW minimum. Without three-phase we cannot go ahead.
How big is a 20 kW system?
About 45 to 50 panels, each roughly 1.2 m by 1.75 m. A 50 kW system is typically around 120 panels, though larger panels mean fewer. Our proposals so far run from 50 kW to 74 kW.
What if I rent my building?
The building owner has to agree, because the panels go on their roof. It helps them too, because the EPC rating can go up. The government has confirmed larger rented commercial buildings will need an EPC B from 2031.
Do I need smart meter data?
Half-hourly smart-meter readings are best. If you do not have them, 12 months of bills showing kWh will do. The data lets the design team size the system to your real daytime use, so nobody pays for power the building cannot use.
Can a home get this kind of funded solar?
No. We work only with businesses, farms, charities, schools and similar sites. No PPA funding exists for homes, and we do not offer roof-lease schemes to households.
Does it affect my credit?
The funder runs a soft credit check on the business. It leaves no mark on your file. We tell you about it up front, before anything else happens.
How quickly will I know if I qualify?
Dave calls you back within 24 hours of your enquiry. We check your roof from satellite images first. If it looks right, your written proposal follows in up to 5 working days.
What kinds of site have you funded?
A community centre in Llandudno Junction and a farm shop in Buckley, with a dairy farm in North Yorkshire also proposed. We also work with warehouses, factories, schools, care homes, hotels, shops and sports clubs.
Do you cover my area?
We work in person across North Wales, Mid Wales, Cheshire and as far as the Midlands. Through our funding partner's approved installers we can reach anywhere in Great Britain. We do not cover Northern Ireland.
Not sure? Send your postcode and a recent bill
We check your roof on a map and tell you quickly. It costs nothing, and nothing you sign at the start ties you in. We don't do homes.