Solar PPA for cross-dock distribution

2026 indicative PPA profile

Typical system size	250-750kWp
Year-1 tariff	12-15 p/kWh
Year-1 saving	£25k-£90k
Parent sector	Warehouses & Logistics

Goods flow through, they don't sit still

A cross-dock facility is built for movement, not storage: freight arrives on one side, is sorted, and leaves on the other within hours. There is no refrigeration plant, little automation and no deep racking drawing power — just lighting, dock levellers and handling equipment working in bursts. That makes on-site electrical demand comparatively light, and it changes the entire shape of a solar deal.

An export-led economic case

Because even a modest 250-750kWp array will out-produce what a lightly-loaded cross-dock can use during the day, the surplus becomes the story. These sites are typically structured as an in-front-of-meter arrangement, where a meaningful share of the generation is sold back under the Smart Export Guarantee rather than self-consumed. With less certainty that the electricity stays on site, the unit rate sits higher — around 12-14 p/kWh — and annual savings, at £25k-£90k, are more modest than the heavy-load warehouse types.

Timing works against self-consumption

Cross-docks often peak early morning and evening, as inbound freight is broken down and outbound loads are built for the road — the two windows when solar output is at its weakest. That mismatch is why export economics, rather than self-consumption, carry the business case here.

• Transient handling load, no refrigeration or heavy automation
• Surplus generation exported under SEG
• Peak activity falls outside peak sun hours

Weighing an export-weighted contract

When export drives the return, the choice of structure matters more than ever. See how the unit rate and export terms are put together in our pricing explainer, line the options up in the structure comparison, and read where cross-docking fits among the other warehouse formats.