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At AEG Construction, we help businesses reduce their carbon footprint by improving the energy efficiency of offices, factories, depots and outlets.

We can help your company save money on its bottom line by helping you slash your fuel bills through the latest energy-saving technology.

We offer a range of A-rated heating and insulation services, as well as innovative renewable energy technologies installed by local experts.

Energy Improvements for Businesses

Insulation
Solar & Renewable Energy Technologies
Lighting, Heating & Air conditioning
Double Glazing

With years of experience in the energy efficiency industry, we can help you save energy and meet your Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) objectives. Through our national installer network, we can improve the look and feel of your workspace, making you a truly ‘sustainable’ business.

Accredited installers
Local labour
Gas Safe and CHAS certified
Ethical Community Interest Company

Are Solar Panels Worth It?

If you are wondering whether solar panels are worth the investment for your commercial property, the answer is a resounding yes! Solar panels can offset electricity costs by upwards of 75% per month. Additionally, business owners can deduct the system cost from their taxes.

Here is a look at a few of the benefits of solar panels:

Reduces electricity costs
Quick return on investment
Maintenance free
Power costs will be locked in for years to come
Can be financed with no money down and/or low monthly payments

Do Commercial Solar Panels Save Money?

Commercial facilities that installed these solar panels tend to save up to 75% on monthly utility bills. It only takes an average of 5 years to pay off your commercial solar system, which leads to 25-35 years of free electricity

Most businesses are active in the daytime, which means they are the perfect candidates for utilizing solar panels. The energy produced by solar panels immediately flows out, unless you pair your solar array with a solar battery storage system.

One of the key benefits is the substantial cost savings — even small businesses can save hundreds of pounds each year.

Over the 25-year lifetime of solar panels, this equates to thousands of pounds. If you operate industrial solar panels, you can sell excess energy to utility companies for a profit.

The benefits of solar panels for business go beyond practicality and saving money. By switching to commercial solar panels, you are also lowering your business’ carbon footprint.

This is based on the amount of greenhouse gases produced by your actions. Solar energy is renewable and carbon neutral. Switching would indicate your business’s commitment to green and sustainable practices.

How Much Do Commercial Solar Panels Cost?

On average, commercial solar panels cost between £16,000-£70,000 for small to medium-sized businesses. There are several factors that influence the cost of solar panels, though, such as roof size, the amount of energy produced and the number used.

Begin by evaluating the cost to determine if solar panels are a feasible option for your business. To identify how much energy your company uses each month, take a closer look at your utility bill. It should indicate how much energy you use each month and how much the utility company charges you per kW.

Most small to medium-sized businesses use 30,000-50,000 kWh of electricity each year. Depending on where in the UK your business is located, your system size, and subsequently the costs, will differ.

A good rule of thumb with larger systems is to calculate approximately £1,000 per kW, plus VAT.

If you operate a very small business, you could get a price estimate by comparing the installation cost of solar panels.

In addition, you may be eligible for tax reliefs if you have commercial solar panels installed. Though this is not possible for businesses that rely on solar energy for their revenue generation, such as solar farms.

A general breakdown of the cost of commercial solar panels can be seen below, excluding VAT.

Commercial Solar Panel Prices
System size	Average cost
10 kW	£9,500 + VAT
20 kW	£18,200 + VAT
40 kW	£35,000 + VAT
50 kW	£44,000 + VAT
60 kW	£51,000 + VAT

What Are the Installation Costs?

When installing a solar panel system for your business, the main thing you are paying for is the panels and the inverters.

If you are installing a very large solar panel system, the installation costs may rise slightly if it takes a significant amount of time to carry out the installation.

A way to estimate the installation costs of commercial solar panels is to calculate £0.2p per watt fitted. That would mean it can cost approximately £2,000 (excl. VAT) to install a 10kW system. For large commercial systems, it may take multiple workers to install them, and the more people required, the higher the costs.

Once the initial installation costs are covered, though, there are very little additional costs.

Do You Need Planning Permissions?

In some situations, you may need to obtain planning permissions before installing commercial solar panels.

If your building or property site is designated as historical or part of a world heritage site, you will need to acquire permission.

What Maintenance Costs Are There?

In some situations, you may need to obtain planning permissions before installing commercial solar panels.

If your building or property site is designated as historical or part of a world heritage site, you will need to acquire permission.

What Maintenance Costs Are There?

The maintenance costs for solar panels are very low, which is one of the perks of buying commercial solar panels.

The installation of solar panels is the most complicated part of the process. Once installed, you only need to have a professional examine them every four to six years, therefore solar panel maintenance is very easy.

In general, solar panels require regular light cleaning to remove dust and debris. By keeping them clean, you ensure maximum efficiency. Depending on the setup complexity, you can lower costs by maintaining the system yourself throughout the year.

Grants for Solar Panels on Commercial Buildings

Currently, the United Kingdom does not offer government grants for solar panels on commercial buildings.

Applications for the Feed-in Tariff scheme closed in March of 2019. However, new funding opportunities may arise as the UK works toward lowering emissions and reducing fossil fuel reliance.

The Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) took effect in January 2020, and businesses can potentially experience financial gain from exporting excess energy back to the national grid. To be eligible, you must have a smart meter to measure the power exported.

There are also some solar panel funding opportunities if you are in the public sector. Salix Funding, for example, provides interest-free capital for energy-efficient technologies. Salix is owned by Governments: it’s funded by the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), the Scottish government, the Welsh government, and the Department for Education.

Financial Savings

The SEG allows suppliers to set the price for the energy they purchase. According to the legislation, rates can be flexible or fixed, so long as they are above zero.

While these rates may vary, expect for them to mimic wholesale and market prices. This could equate to a sizable profit from the excess energy exported from your solar panels.

What Are the Benefits of Commercial Solar PV?

There are many advantages of solar energy, such as cost, efficiency, and income potential. Below, we break down the 3 key advantages of using solar panels for your business.

Reduced Utility Costs

Energy from commercial solar PV will cost a fraction of what you were paying from a utility company. While saving only a few pence per kWh sounds small, it adds up quickly. Additionally, solar panel maintenance cost in the UK is relatively low. Therefore, you can enjoy reduced overall expenses for your electricity consumption.

Efficient Energy Production

Commercial solar panels can make your day-to-day operations more efficient. Standard solar panel efficiency levels are 15-20%, but they can reach 42% in some cases. Commercial rooftop solar panels are not all created from the same material and therefore have different efficiency ratings.

Tax Relief and Additional Income Potential

The added income potential is a major benefit of solar panels for businesses. Despite the change in exporting rates, the SEG still allows business owners to gain an additional revenue stream while slashing their electric bills. As some suppliers are offering rates similar to FIT, you still have the potential to passively earn hundreds of pounds with your solar panel investment each year. In addition, tax reliefs can make investing in a photovoltaic system even more attractive

Insulation of Commercial Buildings

A great commercial building is the right balance between aesthetic appeal and commercial viability. While innovative facades and new designs are essential for the aesthetic, a functionally sound structure includes detailed services and is well planned for occupant and energy efficiency.

One of the key aspects of energy efficiency is insulation. Building insulation refers broadly to any object or material in a building used to insulate or protect for any purpose. While, building insulation is primarily used for thermal purposes. It is also used for acoustic, fire and impact insulation.

Focus On Insulation

Insulation is one factor that keeps a building airtight, reducing the heat loss and energy loss from the place.

Thus, insulating a commercial building is one of the best ways to reduce energy consumption by minimizing the overall energy loss.

A well-insulated building will also improve the carbon footprint and positively impact the environment.

If you can afford to retrofit, it’s best to work on the outside building envelope to make it airtight to reduce heat loss.

Using high-performance insulation wall systems can offer better insulation.

You can also replace the windows and doors to minimize air leaks in commercial buildings. This will improve the overall insulation and help lower cooling and heating needs.

Switch to LED Lighting for Energy Efficiency

Lighting consumes a lot of power in commercial buildings. So if you’re wondering how to make a commercial building more energy-efficient, your primary concern should be the lighting.

Lighting accounts for 11% of energy use in residential buildings and about 18% in commercial buildings. This means that besides ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC system), and heating, lighting consumes a significant amount of energy, not allowing you to save energy costs.

This is why changing lighting systems can make a commercial building energy efficient. You can choose LED lighting to reduce energy consumption.

Install Lighting Controls to Reduce Energy Consumption

Since commercial environments are heavily populated and people have different work timings due to which switching off the lights repeatedly isn’t an option for saving energy for buildings. This results in massive energy loss when lights are unnecessarily kept on.

You can address this concern by installing light control systems. This system allows you to manage lighting in commercial buildings. There are different types of lighting control systems.

Here are some popular systems that increase the energy efficiency of buildings.

Dimmer Switches

Dimmer switches are advanced switches that allow users to control the brightness level of the room. This saves energy as the lights aren’t using full power at all times.

Motion Sensors

You can install motion sensors to control lights. The sensors activate when they detect movement. You can use these for outdoor lighting, staircase, and corridor lighting.

Occupancy Sensor

You can use an occupancy sensor to manage indoor lighting. Occupancy sensors activate when a person enters the premises.

Heating Controls

If you wish to make huge changes to the energy consumption of commercial buildings, working on the heating controls is a smart choice. Heat controls will allow you to adjust the temperature inside the rooms.

Networked Lighting System

Networked lighting systems allow users to manage lighting via a handheld device or a computer. The lights are linked with a network that you can access through a controller.

Timer Controlled Lights

You can program the lights to turn off and on at a certain time. You can use this for both indoor and outdoor lighting.

Glazing Windows

You need to have efficient windows if you want to minimize energy loss. However, you’ll notice that energy efficiency architecture ensures that windows aren’t a culprit in heat loss.

When you install internal heating systems and air conditioning systems, they use up a lot of energy to maintain the internal temperature of a commercial building.

But unnecessary energy loss from windows can significantly reduce your energy efficiency.

This is why you should replace all inefficiency windows with double-glazed glass windows to avoid air leaks.

Double glazed windows are suitable for an energy-efficient commercial building because they will help keep the interior cool during the summers.

But they will also maintain internal heating during the winters.

If you’re not retrofitting a building, you can keep the double glazing windows in mind for energy efficiency in construction steps.