Lendus.

Commercial Solar Finance

Finance large-scale commercial and industrial solar arrays from £80,000 to £2,000,000+, for warehouses, factories and distribution sites. HP, lease, or refinance, compare rates from 40+ lenders.

Can you finance a commercial solar?

Yes, commercial solars are financed as a standard asset purchase, usually on hire purchase or a lease, with the machine itself acting as the security. UK prices typically run £80,000 to £2,000,000, and most deals are written over 12–84 months with a deposit of around 10–20%. Decisions typically take 24–48 hours. Used machines are financeable too, usually with a shorter term.

200+ UK lenders
2-minute application
No credit check to apply
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Typical Cost

£80k – £2000k

Approval Speed

24–48 hours

100% finance available

Rates From

4.0% APR

What would a commercial solar cost per month?

£350,000
10%
60 months
9%
£0

Your estimate

Indicative only. Not a quote and not an offer of finance.

Pre-filled with a typical commercial solar price. Indicative only, not a quote.

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Finance options

Hire Purchase (HP)

Rate
From 4.4% APR
Term
12–84 months
Deposit
10–20%
Ownership
Yours at the end
Best for
Businesses wanting to own a large-scale array and any associated export income

Finance Lease

Rate
From 4.0% APR
Term
12–84 months
Deposit
None required
Ownership
Return or buy (balloon payment)
Best for
Tax-efficient, claim 100% of payments against profit

Operating Lease

Rate
From 4.7% APR
Term
24–60 months
Deposit
None required
Ownership
Return at end
Best for
Keeps a seven-figure asset off balance sheet

Representative example

On a purchase price of £350,000: a 10% deposit of £35,000, then 48 monthly payments of £7,383 at 5.9% APR representative (fixed). Total amount payable £389,384, including the deposit. The rate you are offered depends on your business and the asset.

What buyers actually specify

Guide prices for sizing a finance agreement, not quotes. Manufacturers in this market mostly price on application, so where a current UK list price could not be confirmed the row describes a specification class rather than naming a model. Your supplier quote is what the agreement is written against.

Machine or specification Guide price Type
Trina Solar Vertex S+ 505W £150 – £220 per panel Mono PERC Module
Sungrow SG250HX Inverter £12,000 – £18,000 250kW String Inverter
250kWp Rooftop Array £180,000 – £280,000 Large Commercial Rooftop
1MWp Ground Mount Array £650,000 – £950,000 Industrial Ground Mount

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Tax benefits

Solar arrays of this scale generally qualify as plant and machinery for capital allowances, meaning a business can typically set some or all of the cost against taxable profits through the Annual Investment Allowance or other first-year reliefs. The exact allowance available depends on your company's overall capital spending in the year and current HMRC rules, so check with your accountant before finalising the finance structure.

Market context

At this scale, the typical buyer is a manufacturer, logistics operator or food producer with a large roof or spare land and a high, fairly constant daytime electricity load, since a big array is most valuable when most of the generation is used on site rather than exported. The investment case usually rests on offsetting a known, sizeable grid bill rather than a fixed payback promise; roof condition, structural survey, grid connection capacity and planning (for ground mount) are the main things that move cost and timeline, and are worth pricing before committing to finance. Retrofitting an existing roof is more common than new-build integration, and roof age is usually the first thing a surveyor checks.

Bad credit?

Several of our 200+ lenders specialise in businesses with imperfect credit histories. You may need a larger deposit or personal guarantee, but options exist. Checking your options here does not affect your credit score, because we do not run a credit search to match you. A lender will run their own checks only if you decide to apply.

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Frequently asked questions

How is a large commercial solar array typically financed?
Most installations over £80,000 are financed through hire purchase or a finance lease rather than paid in cash, spreading the cost over the useful life of the panels and inverters. Hire purchase suits businesses that want to own the array and any capital allowances outright, while a finance lease keeps more cash in the business day to day. Lenders will usually want to see the supplier's quote, a structural roof survey (for rooftop arrays) or land details (for ground mount), and your last two years of accounts before offering terms.
Do I need planning permission for a large commercial solar array?
Rooftop arrays on commercial buildings usually fall under permitted development rights, though this varies by local authority, building height, listed status and whether the site is near an airfield. Ground-mount arrays are more likely to need full planning permission, particularly above a certain capacity or on agricultural land. We'd recommend checking with your local planning authority or a specialist solar installer early, since planning timelines can affect when a finance facility needs to draw down.
Can I export surplus power and does that affect the finance?
Yes, most commercial arrays are grid-connected and can export surplus generation under a power purchase or export tariff arrangement with a supplier, though the rate and terms are commercial and vary by supplier and site. This export income can help offset finance repayments, but because rates move with the market we'd suggest asking your installer or energy broker to model realistic export income for your site rather than assuming a fixed figure over the life of the agreement.
What deposit is needed for large-scale solar finance?
For hire purchase, most lenders ask for a 10–20% deposit on installations of this size, reflecting the larger ticket value. Finance leases and operating leases typically require no deposit, and some lenders will consider funding the full contract value including grid connection and structural works, provided these appear on the supplier's invoice and the credit profile supports it. The exact figure a lender offers often reflects your trading history and credit profile as much as the equipment itself, so a strong set of accounts can sometimes bring it down further, and it's worth comparing terms from more than one lender rather than accepting the first quote.
How long does approval take for a seven-figure solar installation?
Deals under roughly £250,000 are often approved within 24 to 48 hours once full financials are provided. Larger, multi-site or first-of-a-kind installations generally take longer, often 1 to 3 weeks, because underwriters want to see the engineering specification, grid connection offer and, for ground mount, any planning consent before committing. Starting the finance application alongside the technical survey rather than after it usually shortens the overall timeline.

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