G99 is the process for getting permission to connect larger generation to the local electricity network. We handle the application with the DNO. Smaller systems often go through the simpler G98 route instead.

How long does payback take?

On well-matched sites with high daytime use, it can be around 3–5 years, but it depends on your roof, your usage, your tariff and any tax relief. We'll give you a site-specific estimate after the survey.

Do you work on fibre-cement or asbestos-cement barn roofs?

Sometimes, after a structural and roof-condition survey. If the sheets or purlins won't take the load, we'll talk about over-cladding or a ground mount rather than forcing an install.

Should we add a battery?

It depends on your load pattern. A battery can store surplus solar, charge on cheap overnight rates and cut peak costs. We'll model it both ways so you can decide.

Can we claim tax relief?

Many businesses can use Annual Investment Allowance on qualifying plant. Your accountant will confirm. We provide the system cost and MCS paperwork they need.

Will you look after the system once it's in?

Yes. We offer cleaning, testing, inverter replacement and insurance inspections, including on systems someone else installed.

Do you look after clients long term?

Yes. We installed 230 kW of solar for D P Packaging in Pinchbeck in 2014, and they've asked us back to design a 352.97 kWp extension, due in early 2027.

Can I get a rough idea before a survey?

Yes. Use the roof estimator on our solar PV page to draw your roof and enter your usage, then book a survey for a proper kWp and payback figure.

Commercial solar

Commercial solar panels in Spalding & Lincolnshire

Big roofs on packhouses, cold stores, warehouses and farm buildings around Spalding are ideal for solar: large, often unshaded, and on top of businesses that use most of their power in daylight. PPM Electrical Ltd is an MCS-accredited installer based in Spalding. We design, install and look after commercial solar PV, including the G99 / DNO paperwork, so your system is legal, insurable and sized to be used on site rather than just exported for pennies.

Why commercial solar works so well in South Holland

Food processing, packing and cold storage run hard during the day, which is exactly when panels generate. The more of your own power you use on site, the faster the system pays for itself.

As a rough guide, Lincolnshire yields around 895 kWh per kWp per year. So a 50 kWp array can produce in the region of 45,000 kWh a year. If most of that replaces grid electricity you'd otherwise buy at business rates of roughly 23–27p per kWh, the sums are straightforward. On well-matched sites, payback can come in around 3–5 years. We'll only give you a figure for your site after a proper survey of your roof and usage.

Ask your accountant about Annual Investment Allowance, the rooftop solar business-rates exemption (currently to 2035) and Smart Export Guarantee payments for surplus.

For a real local example, see the D P Packaging case study below. We first installed solar there in 2014, and the PV*SOL design for the 2027 extension forecasts about 62% on-site use and a payback of around 3.6 years.

Who it suits

Packhouses and food processing: lines, chillers and lighting running all day mean high self-consumption.

Cold stores: refrigeration is a big daytime load. We size the array around when your compressors actually run, not just your annual kWh.

Farms and agricultural buildings: barns, grain stores and poultry units. See our farm and agricultural solar page.

Warehouses and distribution: large, simple roofs, plus lighting, EV charging and handling equipment to soak up the power.

Shops, offices and smaller units: worth it where you use power through the working day. We'll tell you honestly if it doesn't stack up.

How a commercial install works

1. Survey. We look at the roof (steel, fibre cement, membrane), the structure, shading, your incoming supply and your half-hourly or bill data.

2. Design. Array layout, inverter choice (we regularly fit Sungrow, Growatt and Solis), cable routes and predicted generation. If a battery makes sense for peak-shaving or cheap-rate charging, we'll show you the numbers with and without one.

3. DNO / G99. Larger systems need permission from the local network operator before you switch on. We prepare the application (G99, or G98 for smaller connections) and plan the install around the answer.

4. Install and commission. Mounting, DC and AC wiring, isolators, generation meter, MCS certificate, handover and monitoring set-up.

5. Aftercare. We come back for cleaning, testing, inverter replacement and insurance inspections, so one local firm looks after it for its whole life.

Roof types (and when we'll say no)

Roofs round here are often corrugated steel, fibre cement or older asbestos-cement. Some need over-cladding or a structural opinion first, and where the roof won't do, ground-mount is an option if you've got land. We'll tell you at survey, before any deposit.

What's included in a PPM commercial solar quote

Site survey with a generation and payback estimate. System design and equipment schedule (panels, inverter, any battery). G98 / G99 application to the DNO. Installation, electrical connection and commissioning. MCS certificate and the paperwork you need for the Smart Export Guarantee. Monitoring set-up and handover.

Manufacturer warranties apply, plus our workmanship.

Accreditations

MCS: accredited for solar PV and battery storage.

NAPIT: Part P registered for electrical installation work in dwellings, and certified for periodic inspection and testing of homes and commercial premises. Certificate NAP/79608/26/2.

F-Gas: company certificate FGAS3015562, relevant where solar is paired with refrigeration or air-conditioning work.

See our accreditations page for register links.

Areas we cover

Spalding, Holbeach, Long Sutton, Sutton Bridge, Crowland, Bourne, Pinchbeck, Moulton, Gosberton, Donington, Boston, Market Deeping, Peterborough, and businesses and farms across South Holland and Lincolnshire.

Book a free commercial solar survey: call or WhatsApp 07714 736921, or email info@ppmelectricalspalding.co.uk. Tell us about your building and roughly what you spend on electricity. We're open Monday to Saturday 8am–8pm, closed Sunday.

Case study: D P Packaging, Northgate, Pinchbeck

Adding 352.97 kWp to a 2014 system: installation scheduled for early 2027

3D design model of D P Packaging's warehouse roof at Northgate, Pinchbeck, showing the existing 2014 solar array in blue and the planned 352.97 kWp extension in black — 3D design model: the blue panels are the 230 kW system we installed in 2014, and the black panels are the planned 352.97 kWp extension, due to be installed in early 2027.

D P Packaging, a packaging manufacturer at Northgate in Pinchbeck, has been a PPM client since 2014, when we installed a 230 kW solar system on their roof. More than a decade on, the site uses around 777,000 kWh of electricity a year, so they've asked us back to add more.

We've designed a 352.97 kWp extension in PV*SOL (August 2026), and installation is scheduled for early 2027. Once it's in, the site will have about 583 kWp of solar in total.

Design forecasts for the new array only

Size (new array): 352.97 kWp: 751 panels across about 1,500 m² of roof, 4 inverters
Forecast generation: About 344,769 kWh a year
Forecast self-consumption: About 62% used on site (roughly 214,000 kWh a year the business won't need to buy from the grid)
Forecast CO₂ saving: About 162 tonnes a year
Forecast payback: About 3.6 years

These are PV*SOL design forecasts for the extension, not measured results. We'll update this case study with real generation figures once the new array is running.

New supplies and distribution for commercial solar PV

Bigger solar systems often need the electrical side upgrading first. For a commercial client in Lincolnshire we installed a new incoming electrical supply and a new distribution board for their solar PV system. You can see photos of the switchgear, main switch panel and distribution board in the recent work gallery on our commercial electrician page.

Schneider Electric floor-standing switchgear with heavy power cables and a metering enclosure, part of a new incoming supply for a commercial solar PV system in Lincolnshire, by PPM Electrical of Spalding — New incoming supply for a commercial solar PV system, Lincolnshire: Schneider Electric switchgear and metering.

Large commercial main switch panel with heavy power cables on galvanised cable tray, part of a new incoming supply for a solar PV system in Lincolnshire — New incoming supply for a commercial solar PV system, Lincolnshire: main switch panel with heavy cables on cable tray.

Frequently asked questions

What is G99?: G99 is the process for getting permission to connect larger generation to the local electricity network. We handle the application with the DNO. Smaller systems often go through the simpler G98 route instead.
How long does payback take?: On well-matched sites with high daytime use, it can be around 3–5 years, but it depends on your roof, your usage, your tariff and any tax relief. We'll give you a site-specific estimate after the survey.
Do you work on fibre-cement or asbestos-cement barn roofs?: Sometimes, after a structural and roof-condition survey. If the sheets or purlins won't take the load, we'll talk about over-cladding or a ground mount rather than forcing an install.
Should we add a battery?: It depends on your load pattern. A battery can store surplus solar, charge on cheap overnight rates and cut peak costs. We'll model it both ways so you can decide.
Can we claim tax relief?: Many businesses can use Annual Investment Allowance on qualifying plant. Your accountant will confirm. We provide the system cost and MCS paperwork they need.
Will you look after the system once it's in?: Yes. We offer cleaning, testing, inverter replacement and insurance inspections, including on systems someone else installed.
Do you look after clients long term?: Yes. We installed 230 kW of solar for D P Packaging in Pinchbeck in 2014, and they've asked us back to design a 352.97 kWp extension, due in early 2027.
Can I get a rough idea before a survey?: Yes. Use the roof estimator on our solar PV page to draw your roof and enter your usage, then book a survey for a proper kWp and payback figure.