Commercial solar for hotels

As a planning rule, commercial rooftop solar needs about 7 m² of usable roof per kWp installed, and each kWp produces roughly 950 kWh a year in the UK.³ Hotels vary enormously, so the right size is set by three things: the clear, unshaded roof you have, your annual electricity use, and how much of the generation you can use on site.

• Roof space — flat roofs over function rooms, kitchens and corridors are ideal; pitched roofs work if they face broadly south, east or west. Plant, rooflights, dormers and shading from taller wings all reduce the usable area.
• Electricity use — UK hotels typically use 10,000-15,000 kWh of electricity per room per year across lighting, HVAC, catering, laundry and hot water.⁵ A 60-room hotel can therefore draw 600,000-900,000 kWh a year, so even a large array usually offsets only part of the bill.
• Ground-mount — a country-house or resort hotel with spare land can consider a ground-mounted array, which removes roof constraints but adds groundworks and planning steps.

A useful anchor: a system that fills about 700 m² of roof is roughly 100 kWp. See the matching detail pages for 50 kW, 100 kW and 250 kW, or start at the commercial solar hub.

Self-consumption is the share of what you generate that you use on site rather than export. It matters because every unit you use yourself is worth the full retail price (around 26-28p in 2026¹), while exported units earn a Smart Export Guarantee rate that is typically only 4-15p per kWh on flat tariffs.⁴

Commercial self-consumption typically runs 60-85% depending on sector. A hotel sits toward the lower end of that band without storage, because its demand is evening- and weekend-weighted — check-ins, restaurant service, bar, rooms and heating peak after the sun has faded. Solar generation peaks at midday, which coincides with daytime housekeeping, laundry, kitchen prep, reception and HVAC, but a meaningful slice of a hotel's daily load lands outside solar hours.

These percentages are estimates for a typical site; your real self-consumption depends on occupancy patterns, whether you run electric heating or hot water, and your kitchen and laundry schedule.

The table below sizes several systems against a hotel-style load. It assumes a UK yield of 950 kWh/kWp,³ 60% self-consumption (no battery), an imported electricity price of 27p/kWh¹ and an export rate of 6p/kWh.⁴ Installed costs fall with scale, from roughly £1,100-1,300/kWp at 10 kW down to around £650-750/kWp at 250 kW; all figures are shown ex-VAT.

Savings combine two streams: self-consumed units valued at your import price, plus exported units at your SEG rate. A higher self-consumption figure (with a battery or a stronger daytime load) shortens payback; a lower one lengthens it. These are estimates for a typical site, and your figures depend on your load, roof and tariff.

On the assumptions above, a hotel array typically pays back in roughly 4-7 years and then delivers largely free daytime electricity across a panel design life of 25 years or more, which is why the lifetime return on capital is usually strong. Two tax points change the real cash picture, and both should be confirmed with your accountant.

• VAT is 20% on commercial solar. The 0% VAT rate applies to domestic installations only; commercial systems are standard-rated. A VAT-registered business normally reclaims that VAT, so it is a cash-flow item rather than a true cost.⁶
• Capital allowances. Solar PV is treated as special-rate plant, so it does not qualify for 100% full expensing (which is main-rate). Companies can instead claim the permanent 50% first-year allowance on special-rate assets, with the balance written down at the special-rate pool rate thereafter. The Annual Investment Allowance may also apply.²

If you would rather avoid the capital outlay, a power purchase agreement (PPA) lets a third party fund and own the system while you buy the electricity. Compare the two routes on our buy vs PPA page.

Every sector has a different solar shape, and matching the system to the load is what drives the return. A hotel is one of the more nuanced cases.

For a hotel specifically: your daytime housekeeping, laundry, kitchen prep and air conditioning provide a solid base load for solar, but the evening peak means storage frequently earns its keep. Seasonality matters too — summer generation is highest exactly when leisure occupancy and cooling demand tend to rise, which is a helpful alignment. If you run electric hot water or heat pumps, more of your load shifts into hours a battery can serve.

The single biggest variable in every number on this page is your own site: your roof, your occupancy, your tariff and your load shape. The way to turn these estimates into a firm quote is a site-specific design from an MCS-certified commercial installer, including a proper self-consumption model with and without a battery.

PlutoHome is a neutral introducer. We are not an installer and we do not install, finance or own systems. We match your hotel with one MCS-certified commercial installer suited to your building and load, rather than handing your details to five firms. If you would like help deciding what to look for first, read how to choose a commercial installer.

Request a commercial solar quote and we will introduce you to a single, MCS-certified installer for a site-specific assessment.