Commercial Blog

Sustainability has become a major buzzword in the corporate world, with increasing numbers of companies pushing the green agenda both in the boardroom and in their branding. But what benefits does this bring for companies, and with governments increasingly bearing down on Net Zero ambitions, are companies legally required to publish data on their carbon footprint?

Solar panels are a long term investment and it's prudent to keep the system in good working order. Like a car needs an MOT, or a boiler an annual service, a much larger investment the size of a solar array is definitely worth checking periodically to ensure everything is ticking over. There are several reasons for doing this, read on for why you should get your panels serviced and cleaned regularly.

Buried by the headline announcement of 0% VAT on battery only domestic installations came a welcome bit of news for charities looking to invest in solar to reduce their energy bills, that is the announcement that charities now qualify for 0% VAT on solar panel installations where the building in question is used solely for charitable purposes. This will come into effect from the 1st February 2024.

This means that not only must the building be owned by the charity but it must be used solely for charitable purposes. There is a bit of leeway here, for example church and village halls that can be rented out but are still owned by the charity, this was already written into VAT rules that there is leeway of 5% in the term "solely", so as long as the building is used 95% for charitable purposes, the VAT waiver still applies. This expands the definition to include places like village and church halls that can occasionally be rented out, so long as the primary use is a charitable one.

The announcement also covers battery installations, so if your charity already has solar PV installed and would like to take advantage of this change to retrofit a battery, now is a very good time to get in contact.

In these uncertain times, there’s a renewed focus on jettisoning expensive fossil fuels and strengthening the UK’s energy independence. By investing in the right technology, companies can support this trend and reduce their energy bills.

Low Carbon Workspaces wants to aid businesses in this transition and is offering grants of up to £5,000 to invest in carbon-saving upgrades. This could be a grant for solar panels, battery storage, insulation or lighting.

Grants are available for SMEs based in Berkshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Milton Keynes and Northamptonshire, ranging from £1,000 - £5,000 to cover up to a third of the cost of energy improvements. The scheme is supported by the European Regional Development Fund.

As the 2030 deadline for buying new combustion engine vehicles looms, electric car sales are beginning to ramp up. But the greatest changes are happening in commercial fleets - in 2020, businesses bought twice as many EVs as private individuals.

This may in part be due to the many incentives for companies to go electric, such as tax breaks for company cars. There is also the long-running grant scheme for installing chargepoints, which is due for a shakeup early next year...

Times are tough on businesses right now, with a triple whammy of economic uncertainty due to Brexit, Covid and soaring energy prices. But amid the chaos are some silver linings that could mean now is the perfect time to invest in solar for your company and cut down on energy costs. Low interest rates and the government’s super-deduction can save you a lot of money on solar PV purchases, which normally pay back in 6-10 years and can also help your company reach net zero targets.

We’ll run you through the benefits of buying solar panels in the present climate, as well as highlighting the potential issues you should be aware of from the beginning, such as solar panel business rates and planning permission.

The return of holidays and foreign travel is on the horizon.

One way for hotels to cut energy costs is to invest in solar panels. Whitbread, the UK’s largest hospitality company, has rolled out solar PV across 20% of its Premier Inn hotels so far (much of it installed by Spirit!).

Demand for warehouse space in the UK is booming this year, as more of us turn to online shopping while the virus keeps us away from the high streets. The proportion of retail done online (which was already on the rise) has skyrocketed:

We’re very excited to share our recent solar installation at West Reservoir Centre, an outdoor swimming facility in Hackney. It is the first installation in a new solar power scheme launched by Hackney Light and Power, as part of its mission to make the borough net zero carbon by 2040.

For most people, a trip to the shops is about picking up the weekly groceries, with rarely a concern for the huge amount of power needed to keep the building running and the food fresh.

As electricity bills rise, shop owners are keen to cut costs where they can. Here’s why we’d recommend solar panels for supermarkets to save money on energy and provide some energy independence.