Before we discuss the benefits and drawbacks of solar power in more depth, we’ll give you the most important figures on solar investment for warehouses.
What are the Typical Rates of Return?
Typical rates of return for warehouse solar investments are around 15%. This means that the initial industrial solar panels investment is typically paid off within 6-7 years. With solar panel systems normally coming with a 25 year warranty, this means that most businesses will benefit from at least 19 years of free electricity.
Rates of return can, in fact, be higher. In the right circumstances and with the use of the annual investment allowance, rates of return on a commercial solar investment can be as high as 25%.
How Much Energy Do Solar Panel Systems Produce?
So that you can see how much of your total energy demands you’ll be able to meet with a solar panel install, here is how much electricity solar panel systems of different sizes will typically produce. Note that output does vary slightly depending on the weather and local conditions.
We’ve also given figures on the total savings this will provide, based on an electricity price of 24p/kWh.
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One model throughout: 850kWh generated per kWp of array a year, 71.43% of that used on site, at 24p/kWh, close to the Q1 2026 average. The rest is exported under the Smart Export Guarantee.
The amount of electricity that you can generate depends on the size of your solar panel system. Usually, this is dictated by the size of the roof space. The bigger the system, the more electricity it generates.
It should be noted, however, that it is necessary to match the size of a solar power system to the energy demands of your business. While most businesses will simply need to aim for maximum output, where energy demands are low, it may be necessary to actually reduce the size of the solar PV system.
