# Commercial Solar Panels Birmingham | Business & Farm PV > Commercial solar panels in Birmingham for offices, warehouses, farms and rental portfolios. Sized to your daytime demand, with G99 grid approval handled. URL: https://ecosolarpanelsbirmingham.co.uk/commercial-solar-panels/ 1. [Home](https://ecosolarpanelsbirmingham.co.uk/) 2. Commercial Solar Panels # Commercial Solar Panels in Birmingham [Eco Solar Panel Installation Company](https://ecosolarpanelsbirmingham.co.uk/) designs and installs commercial solar panels for Birmingham businesses, farms and landlords across the West Midlands. Systems are sized to your daytime demand, the grid application is handled, and the quote is free. Call about commercial solar 0121 330 1151 (+441213301151) [Get a free quote](https://ecosolarpanelsbirmingham.co.uk/contact/) Lines open Monday to Sunday, 9am to 7pm. ![Installers walking between rows of solar panels on a warehouse roof in the West Midlands](https://ecosolarpanelsbirmingham.co.uk/images/long-rows-of-solar-panels-on-warehouse-roof-west-midlands.webp) - Sized from half-hourly usage data - Roof and structure checked - G99 application to National Grid Electricity Distribution - Offices, warehouses, farms and portfolios - Monitoring for every site - Free site assessment and quote Last updated: 28 September 2026 Commercial solar panels in Birmingham pay back fastest where a business uses most of its electricity during the day. Offices, warehouses, workshops, farms and shops draw power while the sun is up, so a larger share of what the panels make replaces electricity you would otherwise buy. That share, more than the size of the roof, decides how well a system performs. ## Designing around your daytime demand The starting point is your half-hourly electricity data, which most business meters record. Set against [PVGIS](https://re.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pvg_tools/en/) figures for your roof, it shows how much solar you would use on site and how much would be exported. In Birmingham, a south-facing roof gives about 969 kWh a year per kWp of panels, and an east or west-facing one about 777 kWh. Flat commercial roofs can be laid out to face south, or east and west to spread generation through the working day. A system sized to your daytime load usually beats the biggest array the roof can take, because exported power earns less than the power you avoid buying. The survey also checks that the roof structure can carry the panels and that the roof covering has years of life left in it. ## Grid connection Every grid-connected system has to go through National Grid Electricity Distribution. Under the [rules MCS summarises for installers](https://mcscertified.com/installers/help-resources/notifying-dnos/), a system up to 16 amps per phase is notified under G98 within 28 days of switching on. Anything larger falls under G99 and needs approval before it is connected, which covers most commercial systems. The application is made as part of the design, and its timing is built into the programme. ## Planning Businesses have their own permitted development rules, and conservation areas and listed buildings still apply. Birmingham has [29 conservation areas](https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/info/20055/conservation_areas/13/birminghams_conservation_areas/2), including the Jewellery Quarter, Digbeth, Deritend and Bordesley High Streets, Colmore Row and Steelhouse in the city centre. The planning position is checked for your site before anything is quoted. [Do solar panels need planning permission in Birmingham?](https://ecosolarpanelsbirmingham.co.uk/guide/solar-panels-planning-permission-birmingham/) covers the rules for homes. ## Tax and VAT The 0% VAT rate on solar in [HMRC’s energy-saving materials rules](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/vat-on-energy-saving-materials-and-heating-equipment-notice-7086) applies to homes and some residential and charity buildings, not business premises. On the other hand, businesses can claim [capital allowances](https://www.gov.uk/capital-allowances) on plant and machinery. Ask your accountant which allowance applies. ## Farms and landlords Barn and outbuilding roofs are often large, open and unshaded, and farms tend to use power through the day. Landlords with several properties can plan solar across a portfolio, scheduled around tenants. Both follow the same process: usage first, then the roof, then the design. Once a system is running, [solar panel maintenance](https://ecosolarpanelsbirmingham.co.uk/solar-panel-maintenance/) keeps it earning. If you want to store daytime generation for evening use on site, see [solar battery storage](https://ecosolarpanelsbirmingham.co.uk/solar-battery-storage/). ## What's included - Half-hourly electricity data reviewed against likely generation - Roof type, condition and structure assessed - System designed around your daytime load - Grid connection application to National Grid Electricity Distribution - Planning position checked for the site - Installation scheduled around your working hours - Monitoring set up for the site - Handover pack for your records and accountant ## How the options compare Commercial Solar Panels: options compared Compare Carry on as now Biggest array that fits Sized to your daytime demand Electricity bills All bought from the grid Cut, with a lot exported cheaply Cut where you use it most Grid connection No change May need a bigger, slower application Application sized to the design Roof No change Loaded to the maximum Checked and loaded to suit Payback None Diluted by low-value export Built on power you would otherwise buy ## Related resources - [Decision Guide How much do solar panels cost in Birmingham?](https://ecosolarpanelsbirmingham.co.uk/guide/solar-panel-cost-birmingham/) - [Learn Do solar panels need planning permission in Birmingham?](https://ecosolarpanelsbirmingham.co.uk/guide/solar-panels-planning-permission-birmingham/) - [Learn Can you get SEG payments without MCS?](https://ecosolarpanelsbirmingham.co.uk/guide/seg-without-mcs/) System stopped generating? 1. 1Look at the inverter screen or lights and write down any error code or message. 2. 2Stay off the roof and leave the DC cables alone. Burning smell or smoke: keep clear and call 999. 3. 3Call us with the code and roughly how old the system is, 9am to 7pm, 7 days. 0121 330 1151 (+441213301151) Rules this work has to meet - BS 7671, the IET Wiring Regulations - G99 connection application to National Grid Electricity Distribution before larger systems connect - Structural check of the roof before panels are specified Step by step ## How a commercial project runs 1. ### Your data Send 12 months of half-hourly electricity data, or recent bills, and tell us about the roof and your working hours. 2. ### Site assessment We look at the roof, its structure and access, the electrical supply and where the inverters can go. 3. ### Design and quote A free written proposal with the system size, expected generation and the grid application needed. 4. ### Approve, install, commission Once National Grid Electricity Distribution approves the connection, the system is installed around your hours and commissioned. The work ## How the work looks Illustrative photos of the methods and finish described on this page. They are not records of particular customers' jobs. - ![Solar panels on a farm barn roof in the West Midlands, Birmingham](https://ecosolarpanelsbirmingham.co.uk/images/panels-on-farm-barn-roof-birmingham.webp) Solar panels on a farm barn roof in the West Midlands - ![Installers fixing mounting rails to a metal commercial roof, Birmingham](https://ecosolarpanelsbirmingham.co.uk/images/installers-fixing-rails-on-metal-roof-birmingham.webp) Installers fixing mounting rails to a metal commercial roof Big roof, big daytime bills? Send your usage data for a free site assessment. Lines open Monday to Sunday, 9am to 7pm. 0121 330 1151 (+441213301151) [Get a free quote](https://ecosolarpanelsbirmingham.co.uk/contact/) Where we work ## Where we work in Birmingham and the West Midlands Based at B23 6RP in north Birmingham, we work across Birmingham and the West Midlands. These towns have their own local pages: - [Solar panels in Solihull](https://ecosolarpanelsbirmingham.co.uk/solar-panels-solihull/) - [Solar panels in Walsall](https://ecosolarpanelsbirmingham.co.uk/solar-panels-walsall/) - [Solar panels in Sutton Coldfield](https://ecosolarpanelsbirmingham.co.uk/solar-panels-sutton-coldfield/) - [Solar panels in Tamworth](https://ecosolarpanelsbirmingham.co.uk/solar-panels-tamworth/) - [Solar panels in Lichfield](https://ecosolarpanelsbirmingham.co.uk/solar-panels-lichfield/) - [All areas we cover](https://ecosolarpanelsbirmingham.co.uk/areas-we-cover/) Questions ## Commercial Solar Panels: common questions ### How much do commercial solar panels cost in Birmingham? It depends on the size of the system, the roof and the grid connection, so every commercial job is quoted from a site assessment. Larger systems cost less per kWp because scaffolding, design and the grid application are shared across more panels. The assessment and quote are free. ### Do business solar panels get 0% VAT? No. HMRC's zero rate for energy-saving materials applies to homes and some residential and charity buildings, not business premises. If your business is VAT-registered, your accountant can confirm how the VAT on the installation is treated. ### Can a business claim tax relief on solar panels? Businesses can claim capital allowances on plant and machinery they keep and use in the business, and gov.uk sets out full expensing and first-year allowances for qualifying investments since 1 April 2023. Which allowance applies to your installation is a question for your accountant. [gov.uk explains capital allowances](https://www.gov.uk/capital-allowances). ### Do we need permission from the network operator? For most commercial systems, yes, before they are connected. Systems above 16 amps per phase fall under G99, which needs approval from National Grid Electricity Distribution first. Smaller systems use the G98 notification route. The application is part of the job. ### Do you cover my part of West Midlands? We are based at 115 Sutton New Rd in north Birmingham and cover Birmingham, including [Solihull](https://ecosolarpanelsbirmingham.co.uk/solar-panels-solihull/), [Walsall](https://ecosolarpanelsbirmingham.co.uk/solar-panels-walsall/), [Sutton Coldfield](https://ecosolarpanelsbirmingham.co.uk/solar-panels-sutton-coldfield/), [Tamworth](https://ecosolarpanelsbirmingham.co.uk/solar-panels-tamworth/) and [Lichfield](https://ecosolarpanelsbirmingham.co.uk/solar-panels-lichfield/), plus Wolverhampton, Coventry, Dudley, West Bromwich, Nuneaton, Redditch, Halesowen, Stourbridge, Kidderminster, Bromsgrove, Oldbury, Smethwick, Rowley Regis and Willenhall. Lines are open Monday to Sunday, 9am to 7pm. Call 0121 330 1151 (+441213301151) with your postcode and we will confirm. [All areas we cover](https://ecosolarpanelsbirmingham.co.uk/areas-we-cover/). ### Are you open 24 hours? No. Lines are open Monday to Sunday, 9am to 7pm. If your system smells of burning, shows scorch marks or crackles, keep people away from it and call 999 if there is smoke or fire. Anything else, from a dead inverter to a drop in output, can wait for a call in opening hours. Related ## Related services - ### [Solar Battery Storage](https://ecosolarpanelsbirmingham.co.uk/solar-battery-storage/) Store what your panels make in the day and use it in the evening. Batteries sized to your real usage, fitted with new panels or on their own. View service - ### [EV Charger Installation](https://ecosolarpanelsbirmingham.co.uk/ev-charger-installation/) Home EV chargers fitted on their own or wired to work with your solar, so the car can charge from your own generation. View service - ### [Solar Panel Maintenance](https://ecosolarpanelsbirmingham.co.uk/solar-panel-maintenance/) Servicing and inspection for any installer's system: connections, isolators, inverter health and output checked, with written findings. View service Solar sized to how your business uses power. Call for a free commercial assessment, or send your postcode and we will ring you back. Lines open Monday to Sunday, 9am to 7pm. 0121 330 1151 (+441213301151) [Get a free quote](https://ecosolarpanelsbirmingham.co.uk/contact/)