Local energy guide · Peterborough
Commercial energy reviews in Peterborough
Start with when your business uses electricity. Then check the building and its grid connection before deciding whether efficiency improvements, rooftop solar or battery storage deserve investment.
01 · Electricity use
Would rooftop solar or a battery suit your site?
Rooftop solar is worth exploring when the roof is suitable and the business can use a good share of the electricity as it is generated. Assess a battery against a specific job, such as using surplus solar later or reducing a regular peak in demand. Compare it with solar alone and with changes to equipment schedules.
Example · Workshop
A daytime operation in Fengate
For a workshop with weekday production, compare solar output with machinery and ventilation loads. Check weekends and shutdowns too, when the building may use much less power.
Example · Distribution
A warehouse that charges vehicles late
If vehicles return after solar production falls, look at when charging can be scheduled and how much power the connection can supply. That helps establish whether storage has a role.
For seasonal sites, including garden centres, compare busy and quiet months separately. A café, shop floor and growing space can have different operating hours and loads. Explore the garden-centre energy guide.
02 · Building and permissions
Does a commercial roof in Peterborough need planning approval for solar?
It depends on the building and the proposed installation. Some schemes can use permitted development rights if they meet the conditions, and prior approval may still apply. Check with the planning authority for the site address. For sites in its area, Peterborough City Council sets out how to get formal confirmation if needed. Peterborough City Council planning advice · Planning Portal guidance for non-domestic roofs.
Check roof condition, structural suitability, shading and planned repairs early. If you lease the premises, check who can authorise the work and who would be responsible for access, maintenance and reinstatement.
03 · Grid connection
Who can confirm how much electricity your site can export?
Your electricity network operator can confirm the connection process and what the proposed equipment may be allowed to export. Look up the operator using the site postcode. If it is UK Power Networks, use its commercial solar and storage guide to see which checks and application route may apply. Ofgem guidance on finding your network operator · UK Power Networks solar and storage guidance.
Ask whether the proposal assumes an export limit, connection works or income from exported electricity. Keep those assumptions separate from the value of the electricity you expect to use onsite.
90-second video · Garden centres
Where should a garden centre energy review start?
This short guide for garden centres near Peterborough shows what to check in your electricity bills, opening hours and seasonal demand. It explains how those checks help you compare rooftop solar, battery storage and simpler changes to heating and lighting schedules.
English captions are included in the video. Open the video file (MP4) · Leave feedback.
Read the video transcript
If you run a garden centre near Peterborough, energy costs are one more thing competing for your attention. Where do you start?
Start with how the site actually uses electricity. Look at the bills, the busiest times of day, and what changes with the seasons.
Bring finance, estates and engineering into the same conversation. Each will spot a different constraint before time is spent on detailed designs.
For solar, check the roof, shading and the electricity you use while the panels are generating. The right answer depends on the site.
For batteries, look at when the site uses most power. That helps you work out whether moving some of that demand makes sense.
Sometimes the first step is simpler. Check the heating and lighting schedules, and look for equipment running when nobody needs it.
Put the options side by side. What would each require, how would it affect day-to-day operations, and what evidence would you need to decide?
If you’re weighing up an energy decision, The Energy Engineers can help you ask the right questions. Find us online.
Your first conversation
What should you bring to an energy review?
- A year of electricity bills and half-hourly usage data if available.
- The site postcode and MPAN, the supply number shown on your electricity bill.
- Opening hours, busy seasons and equipment that runs outside those hours.
- Roof information, lease or ownership details and any existing solar or export agreement.
- Plans that could change demand, such as new machinery, extra refrigeration or vehicle charging.
Talk through your Peterborough site
Tell us what you’re trying to decide and how your site operates. We can discuss which checks would help you compare the options.
Peterborough enquiries & feedback
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