Solar PPA suitability checker for UK commercial sites
Find out in two minutes whether a solar power purchase agreement can work at your site, and what to fix first if it cannot. The result is a screening against this site's published rules, not a quote.
Quick answer: what the checker screens
A solar PPA needs a roof or land you control for the length of the contract, a sound roof, enough daytime electricity use, and a buyer a funder will lend against. This checker screens those five things and tells you whether to fix something first, go ahead with conditions, or take the site to funders.
Is a solar PPA right for your site? Two-minute check
Ten questions. The result updates as you answer, and sending it to us is optional until you add your contact details.
How the screening works, rule by rule
The result comes from the rules in this table and nothing else. They are this site's screening rules, written from how a solar PPA is structured. They are not any funder's criteria.
| Question | What we screen for | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Roof or land control and years left on a lease | A tenant with under 10 years left is flagged "fix first". | The contract has to fit inside your right to use the roof. Landlord consent comes before any funder commits. See PPA term. |
| Roof condition | Needs repair or asbestos/fragile roof is flagged "fix first". | Panels need a sound structure. The HSE sets out the duty to manage asbestos that applies to the dutyholder. |
| Annual electricity spend | Under about 15,000 pounds is flagged "fix first" as below this site's floor. | Savings come from the units you stop buying, so a small bill leaves little to share. Other routes may fit better: PPA vs buying outright. |
| When you use power | Mostly evenings or nights is flagged as a caution. | You pay the PPA price for solar power you use as it is generated. Use at other times is still bought from the grid. The calculator models self-consumption. |
| Company track record | Trading under 3 years is flagged as a caution. | The funder takes your credit risk for the length of the contract. The government's 2026 call for evidence drew 125 responses and most asked for a government-backed credit guarantee, which shows how central buyer credit is (DBT and DESNZ response). See off-taker covenant. |
| Roof or land available | Under 500 m2 is flagged as a caution. | A small area gives a small system and a small contract. Rates move with size: see PPA rates by system size. |
| Site type, postcode, timeline | Not scored. | They tell us which sector page and which local context to reply with. |
The result is one of three states. Fix first means at least one blocker from the table. Possible with conditions means two or more cautions and no blocker. Looks suitable to take to funders means none of the above applies.
What a funder will ask you for
Whatever the checker says, the next conversation is with a funder, and it goes faster if you have these to hand. Nothing on this list is specific to one provider; it is the information any funder needs to price the risk.
- Twelve months of half-hourly electricity data from your supplier or meter operator. It shows how much of the solar output you would use directly.
- Proof of who controls the roof or land: title, lease and the landlord's contact. If a mortgage lender or superior landlord is involved, they may need to consent as well.
- A roof condition report, including any asbestos register. The HSE page on asbestos in buildings explains the dutyholder's obligations.
- Recent filed accounts for the company that signs, and details of any parent guarantee you could give.
- Your grid connection details. A larger system needs the network operator's agreement before it can be connected, and that application is part of the project plan. See how a PPA works step by step.
- Your expected occupation period. A sale or relocation during the contract is a live issue: selling a building that has a solar PPA.
What the checker does not tell you
It does not price a PPA, size a system or estimate a saving. Those depend on your load shape, your roof and the funder's terms. Three pages on this site take you further:
- PPA tariffs and how they are built: fixed, escalating and index-linked structures and what sits on top of the unit rate.
- PPA rates by system size: indicative bands from this site's model next to the government's grid price series.
- The PPA savings calculator: your own consumption, export and escalator assumptions.
The comparator for any tariff is what you pay today. The DESNZ Quarterly Energy Prices for Q2 2026, published 29 September 2026, show medium to extra-large business users paying 22.25 to 25.17 p/kWh including the Climate Change Levy (DESNZ table 3.4.2). Check your own bill: your rate may differ.
On contract length, the government's call for evidence on corporate PPAs describes typical corporate PPA terms of 10 to 15 years, while this site's guidance for on-site rooftop contracts is 15 to 25 years, so confirm the term in your own draft contract. Source for the 10 to 15 years: DBT and DESNZ call for evidence.
Solar PPA suitability FAQs
Is this checker a quote or a funder's decision?
No. It is a screening tool built on this site's own rules, which are listed on this page. A funder decides on its own criteria after it has seen your half-hourly data, your roof survey and your accounts. A good result means the obvious blockers are absent, not that a PPA is on offer.
What happens to the answers I send?
They are emailed to SEO Dons Ltd, the company that publishes this site, and we reply by email. We introduce you to a PPA provider only if you ask, and we tell you which one first. SEO Dons Ltd is paid a referral fee by a provider when an introduction completes. We are not an installer, a funder or an FCA-authorised broker.
Why does my lease matter so much?
A PPA is a long contract for power from equipment on your roof or land. If your lease ends before the contract does, or you need your landlord's consent to fit equipment, the funder will want that settled before it commits. Asking your landlord early is the cheapest step you can take.
Does an old or asbestos roof rule out solar?
It rules out fitting panels to that roof as it stands. Asbestos-cement or fragile roofing normally has to be repaired, over-roofed or replaced first, and the HSE's duty-to-manage guidance sets out what the dutyholder must do. Ground-mount or another building can still work.
What if most of my power is used at night?
A PPA charges you per kWh for solar power you use as it is generated. Power you cannot use at the time is exported, and under many contracts that export income does not come to you. Mostly evening or night use therefore cuts the saving. The calculator on this site shows the effect with your own numbers.
Which size is too small?
This site's own screening floor is about 15,000 pounds a year of electricity spend and about 500 m2 of roof. Those are our floors, not a market rule. Funders set their own minimums and they change, so a smaller site is worth a conversation rather than a rule-out.
Where do I find out what a PPA would cost?
The checker does not price anything. For indicative bands by size and sector see the PPA cost pages, for how tariffs are built see PPA pricing, and for a calculation with your own load use the calculator. Grid electricity for medium to extra-large business users averaged 22.25 to 25.17 p/kWh in the DESNZ Quarterly Energy Prices for Q2 2026, which is the figure any PPA tariff is compared with.
Related on this site
Prefer to send the site details directly?
The 60-second form on the quote page takes the same basics and we reply by email with an indicative p/kWh range.
Get an indicative PPA tariff