Independent commercial solar finance advisory.

What we actually do

Most commercial solar conversations start in the wrong place — with the system. The installer arrives, surveys the roof, proposes a system size, and quotes a price. The financial conversation gets attached afterwards: capital, lease, or PPA, take your pick.

We work the other way around. We start with your tax position, your capex constraints, your balance sheet preferences, and your operational profile. We model the six available finance structures against your specific numbers. We recommend the one that wins on after-tax economics. Then — and only then — we sense-check the technical specification against what your business actually needs.

The output of our work is a clear, evidenced recommendation: which structure, with which lender or counterparty, on what terms, delivering what after-tax return over what horizon. The systems get installed by independent installers we've pre-qualified — not by us. We have no installer relationships that bias the financial advice.

Editorial integrity

We take no commissions. Manufacturer commissions, lender introducer fees, installer kickbacks — none of it. The standard commercial solar industry compensation model relies on these flows; ours doesn't. We charge clients directly for advisory work. The model is simpler, more transparent, and avoids the structural conflict-of-interest baked into commission-funded advice.

We name the trade-offs. Every finance structure has costs as well as benefits. Capital purchase ties up working capital. Green loans add 6–9% finance cost. PPAs sacrifice 30–50% of lifetime value. Operating leases give away the FYA. We're explicit about the trade-offs, not just the upsides.

We don't oversell. If your project doesn't make economic sense — wrong roof, wrong demand profile, wrong tax position — we'll tell you. Not every business should install solar; we'd rather lose the engagement than recommend a project that won't deliver.

Our scope

• UK only. UK tax allowances, UK regional funding, UK accounting standards, UK DNO regulations. Our value comes from depth in those rules.
• £75k+ projects. Below that scale, mainstream SME asset finance via brokers usually delivers comparable economics with less advisory overhead.
• Commercial PV only. No residential. No utility-scale ground-mount. No batteries-only or EV-charging-only projects (though we model these alongside PV where they form an integrated case).
• Cross-sector. Manufacturing, logistics, agriculture, schools, NHS trusts, local authorities, retail, hospitality, property portfolios. The structures and reliefs vary by sector — that's much of where the value sits.

How to engage

First step is always a finance review. Five working days from your initial enquiry to a side-by-side comparison of all six finance structures applied to your project. From there, decisions follow:

1. Project scope agreed

   Site survey, structural assessment, DNO position, demand modelling.

2. Finance structure selected

   Lender or counterparty selection process initiated.

3. Procurement run

   Competitive process across our pre-qualified installer panel.

4. Delivery supervised

   Independent technical oversight through construction, commissioning, capital allowance documentation.

Our approach to commercial solar finance

Commercial Solar Finance is a specialist advisory and comparison service for UK businesses evaluating commercial solar installations. We work exclusively in the commercial solar sector — helping businesses, public sector bodies, and property owners understand, compare, and access the finance structures that deliver the best outcomes for their specific situation.

We are not a lender, installer, or PPA developer. We are an independent information and comparison service — which means our guidance reflects the full market, not the products a particular lender or developer wants to sell. We believe informed clients make better decisions, and better decisions lead to better solar projects.

What we cover

Why independent advice matters in commercial solar

Commercial solar involves significant financial decisions — system installations costing £50,000 to £5m+, finance commitments of 5–25 years, tax elections with 1-year deadlines, and contracts with complex change-of-control and early termination provisions. Getting these decisions right requires access to unbiased, complete information.

Much of the commercial solar market is dominated by developer and lender-sponsored information — guides written to promote specific products or underplay alternatives. We aim to be the counterbalance: a place where a Finance Director, energy manager, or board member can access genuinely independent analysis before committing to a product.

Our editorial standards

Getting independent solar finance advice

If you are evaluating a specific commercial solar project and need personalised guidance on finance structure, tax implications, or lender selection, our specialist team can help. We offer no-obligation consultations for businesses considering solar installations of £50,000+, covering finance structure analysis, lender shortlisting, and the commercial terms you should be negotiating.