“SOLAR FOR BUSINESS” West Suffolk Council’s solar initiatives
- Bayley Wooldridge and Colin Wright
- 15 hours ago
- 6 min read
  | Bayley joined West Suffolk Council in January 2025 as a Senior Energy and Sustainability Officer. She primarily works on delivering the Solar for Business scheme but also has responsibility for monitoring the council’s progress against its net zero target and assessing planning applications against sustainability-related policies. Prior to this role, she worked at Cambridgeshire County Council as an Energy Projects Officer, focusing on estate decarbonisation and utilities contract management. Bayley holds a BSc in Ecology and an MSc in Environmental Sciences from the University of East Anglia. She is an Associate Member of the Institute of Sustainability and Environmental Professionals.
Colin is the Head of Property at West Suffolk Council where, as a member of the authority’s Leadership team, he has overall responsibility for Estates, Strategic Property & Development, Energy & Sustainability, Facilities Management, and Building Services. With over 25 years of working across many aspects of property and the built environment, he has previously held senior roles in both consultancy and central government. Colin is also a Director and the Chair of the Council’s house building company, Barley Homes, and is a member of ACES Eastern branch. |
Colin made a presentation to ACES Eastern AGM and of course I buttonholed him to write an article for Terrier. This summary of the solar initiatives at West Suffolk Council is predominantly prepared by Bayley. Businesses have commented that having a trusted and experienced delivery partner has been a key consideration in their decision-making. A council initiative like this particularly pays dividends in these troubled times. |
Introduction
‘Solar for Business’ is the name of a now very successful and well-established green energy scheme that was first launched in 2016, jointly by St Edmundsbury Borough Council and Forest Heath District Council (now West Suffolk Council since 2019). The scheme significantly contributes to the council’s strategic priorities for ‘environmental resilience’ and ‘sustainable growth’, as well as contributing to several wider local and national aspirations around sustainable energy production.
The scheme
The scheme involves the installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels at any business premises within the district under an established leasing agreement. To date the council has invested £7.5m into the scheme and currently generates £850,000 in annual electricity sales.
Through the Solar for Business scheme, West Suffolk Council will design and fund the solar PV installation on the premises, meaning there is no upfront capital investment required from the occupying business. The benefits for businesses include reduced reliance on their grid electricity supply and a green electricity source, in many cases helping them to achieve their own green targets. The installed solar PV also provides a cheap source of electricity which reduces business energy costs, consequently unlocking funds for business investment through bill savings. Businesses are not required to make any capital investment, allowing them to focus on their business growth.
On a national scale, this Solar for Business scheme is contributing towards the government’s Clean Power 2030 Action Plan, which aims for the national grid to deliver 100% renewable electricity by 2030. Solar will play a big part in reaching this target, with the action plan stating that up to 47GW of solar will be required by 2030; this is three times the solar capacity that is currently operating in the UK. Alongside the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan, the Solar Roadmap identifies an ambition for a “solar rooftop revolution” and allocates 10GW of the 47GW target to commercial rooftop and ground mount installations.
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To date, 117 businesses and organisations are benefitting from Solar for Business, which totals a combined generating capacity of 8.9MW across local rooftops, and prevents over 2,100 tonnes of carbon being released into the atmosphere each year. Installations range from large manufacturing sites through to small community cafés; the eligibility criteria is minimal, to enable as many businesses as possible to benefit from the scheme. The council requires businesses to have an annual electricity demand of at least 5,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) to be eligible for the scheme, and the building must have a suitable roof and electrical connections. The unit rate for the generated electricity is locked in at the start of the term and is linked to consumer price index for the 25-year term. This gives price certainty to the businesses and so supports long term budget planning. Some businesses have altered their production times to maximise the utilisation of the cheaper solar electricity.
Businesses have commented that having a trusted and experienced delivery partner has been a key consideration in their decision-making. Prior to installation, the council will enter into a landlord-tenant lease agreement with the business, in which the solar panels become a ‘tenant’ on the roof, while the building owner maintains ownership and control of the roof. When the lease is completed, the council will procure an installer and arrange the installation to suit the business. Throughout the term of the lease, the solar PV system is owned by the council, so the council retains responsibility for arranging and funding any maintenance, repairs, and cleaning as required. At the end of the 25-year term, there are three options:
the council removes the panels
the ownership of the panels is transferred to the landlord or
new solar equipment is installed under a new lease agreement.
Once operational, all the electricity generated by the solar PV is provided for the business to use at a discounted tariff generally cheaper than their current electricity supplier. This is arranged via a power purchase agreement (PPA) which sets out the terms under which the business will purchase the electricity, including the unit rate and billing frequency. Any excess solar generation is exported to the grid and sold through a separate PPA between the council (the tenant) and a grid supplier.
Case studies
Newmarket business
In 2018, a business based in Newmarket had 1,692 solar panels installed via Solar for Business. In the 2024-25 financial year, the installation saved 68.5 tonnes of carbon, and the business consumed 331,110kWh of renewable electricity. This generated an electricity bill saving of £27,794. When asked about Solar for Business, a spokesperson for that business said: “The scheme has been a transformative initiative for our business, providing a sustainable energy solution that not only reduces environmental impact but also significantly lowers operational costs. By embracing solar technology, we have been able to enhance our energy resilience, foster innovation, and contribute to a greener future for the community”.
Eastern Education Group
During 2022 and 2023 the Eastern Education Group had 1.3MW of roof mounted solar installed through the scheme. The installations were spread over 4 campuses and have contributed to electricity savings of over £100,000 p.a.
The Estates Manager at West Suffolk College stated “I am delighted to express our satisfaction with the recent solar installation delivered through the West Suffolk Council Solar for Business scheme. From the outset, the process has been efficient, well-managed, and highly professional. The support and guidance provided by the council and its delivery partners ensured that the project was completed smoothly, with minimal disruption to our day-to-day operations. The solar installation represents a significant step forward in reducing our carbon footprint and supporting our long-term sustainability goals. It also provides a valuable opportunity for us to demonstrate environmental responsibility to our students, staff, and the wider community. We would highly recommend the West Suffolk Council Solar for Business scheme to other organisations looking to make a positive impact through renewable energy.”
Solar Farm
West Suffolk Council also owns and operates a solar farm within the district. The 12.4MW solar farm at Toggam Farm in Lakenheath, one of the largest council-owned solar farms in the country, went online in August 2016. Since then, it has been generating renewable electricity, sold to the National Grid, providing an income to help fund day to day council services.
Between April 2024-March 2025 the solar farm produced 11,420MWh of renewable electricity and since it went into operation, it has generated 101,868MWh. Over the last three years, the amount generated by the solar farm has created more than £8.4m of income which after costs, has meant that £5.2m has been pumped into public services.
For further information please email: solar@westsuffolk.gov.uk .
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