Solar PPA for cold storage / refrigerated 3pl

2026 indicative PPA profile

Typical system size	750kWp-3MWp
Year-1 tariff	9-12 p/kWh
Year-1 saving	£110k-£420k
Parent sector	Warehouses & Logistics

Refrigeration never clocks off — and neither does the demand

A refrigerated third-party logistics site runs its compressors, blast cells and evaporator fans around the clock, every day of the year. That relentless, high baseload is the single reason cold stores sit at the top of the warehousing table for on-site generation: almost every kilowatt-hour a rooftop array produces is swallowed the instant it lands, with next to nothing spilling back to the grid. When a developer can see near-total self-consumption on the meter, they price the electricity keenly — which is why chilled and frozen operators are typically quoted 9-12 p/kWh, among the lowest rates in the sector.

System scale and what it displaces

Roof areas on distribution-grade cold stores comfortably carry 750kWp to 3MWp, and the heavily insulated decks common on these buildings are structurally generous. Even mid-winter, when a rooftop array is at its weakest, the plant room keeps drawing hard, so the coincidence between what you generate and what you burn stays strong through every season. Annual bill reductions of £110k-£420k follow from that match. See how keeping the generation on your side of the meter works in our walk-through of the mechanics.

Where storage earns its keep

Cold stores carry punishing capacity and peak-demand charges from compressor inrush. Pairing the array with battery storage lets you clip those peaks and ride out short grid events without warming the chambers — resilience that protects stock as much as the P&L.

• Constant compressor load pushes self-consumption close to 100%
• Insulated roof decks usually take panel weight without strengthening
• Battery peak-shaving offsets high capacity charges

Getting the number that fits your site

Rates move with roof orientation, half-hourly consumption shape and contract length. Compare the structures open to a refrigerated operator against the wider warehousing sector picture, then see how the unit rate is built up before you commit to anything.