Solar panels for warehouses in Plymouth
What makes a Plymouth scheme work is rarely the panels. It is the condition of the roof underneath them. Each survey records the cladding profile, the usable area once rooflights and plant are removed, and the export limit worth applying for.
960 kWh per kWp a year at this latitude, so a 500 kWp array models at about 480,000 kWh. Source: EU PVGIS v5.2, SARAH3, 10 degree pitch, 14 percent system loss.
Book a roof survey in PlymouthIllustrative layout for a unit of this size. Your own figures come from the roof survey.
Logistics solar PV across Devon
What a roof in Plymouth actually generates
Modelled irradiation at this latitude is 1225 kWh per square metre a year in the plane of a shallow-pitched roof, which works out at 960 kWh for every kWp installed (EU PVGIS v5.2, SARAH3, 10 degree pitch, 14 percent system loss). That is around 8 percent above the mean across the towns we cover, which is as good as UK rooftop gets outside the south coast.
Distribution stock around Plymouth clusters on A38 and A386, which is where the large single-let roofs are.
Surveys run across PL postcodes, PL3 outward.
Plymouth is the planning authority for most sites here, and the built-up area holds a population of about 266,955, which is large enough to pull in the regional distribution centres that come with the biggest roofs (ONS Census 2021 built-up areas).
Plymouth ranks 2 of 8 towns we cover in Devon on modelled yield, against a national mean of 886 kWh per kWp. The county runs from 903 to 961, a spread of 58 kWh per kWp. On a 500 kWp array that is about 29,000 kWh a year between the strongest and weakest town in the county.
Solar already consented near PL3
From the government's Renewable Energy Planning Database, Q1 2026. These are the schemes on record in this postcode district, which is a fair guide to how the local network has been treating export applications.
| Scheme | Operator | Capacity | Mounting | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sainsburys Supermarket, Plymouth Road - Solar PV System | Sainsburys Supermarkets Limited | 0.91 MW | Roof | Awaiting Construction |
Grid connection through National Grid Electricity Distribution
Connections around Plymouth are handled by National Grid Electricity Distribution, which sets the export limit for the site. Above 3.68 kW per phase the connection runs under G99, so the export limit is agreed in advance rather than assumed. Where the local network is constrained, an export-limited connection usually still makes the scheme work, because a warehouse uses most of what the roof makes during the working day.
Across Devon the planning database records 248 solar schemes totalling 1451 MW, of which 90 are operational (REPD Q1 2026).
Send us the postcode
Tell us where the unit is and roughly how big the roof is. We come back with what it can carry, what it would generate against your consumption, and the three ways to pay for it.
Lenzie Consulting Ltd arranges the survey and passes your details to our MCS-certified installation partner so they can quote.
Questions about solar in Plymouth
- Is there enough sun in Plymouth to make this work?
- Modelled at 960 kWh per kWp a year for a shallow-pitched roof at this latitude, which puts a 500 kWp array at roughly 480,000 kWh a year before shading. That array needs about 1,485 sqm of clear roof once walkways and setbacks are allowed for. Source: EU PVGIS v5.2, SARAH3, 10 degree pitch, 14 percent system loss.
- Who do we apply to for export in Plymouth?
- Capacity varies street by street, and only National Grid Electricity Distribution can answer it for your connection. We ask the question early, because an export-limited offer changes the design rather than killing the scheme.
- Do we need planning permission in Plymouth?
- In most cases no, because roof-mounted panels on commercial buildings sit within permitted development. The exceptions are listed buildings, conservation areas and arrays that stand proud of the roof plane. We check with Plymouth first either way.