A record year for UK clean energy. What it means for businesses, farms and landowners

The UK has just signed off almost fifteen gigawatts of new clean-energy capacity, making this the biggest step forward we’ve seen so far, with nearly five gigawatts of solar alone spread across more than 150 projects. Those are impressive figures for the industry, of course, but here at East Green Energy we're more interested in what sits behind them and what this level of investment could mean for the businesses, farms, food producers and landowners who are dealing with the reality of energy costs every day.

For a long time, large-scale renewable energy has perhaps felt like something happening elsewhere, driven by major developers and projects that don't necessarily have much relevance to the average business owner, producer or farmer. That's changing, and this latest investment is another indication of just how established solar has become within the UK's energy mix. As the sector has grown, the technology and the options available have developed with it, making solar a much more practical consideration for commercial sites that want greater control over what they spend on energy.

That control is becoming increasingly important because energy remains one of those business costs that can be incredibly difficult to plan around. Prices move, contracts come up for renewal and a figure that worked perfectly well in this year's budget may look very different by the time you're planning the next one. Generating some of your own electricity doesn't remove every uncertainty, but it can reduce your exposure to those fluctuations and give you a much clearer idea of where at least part of your energy is coming from and what it is costing you.

This is why we're seeing more businesses looking seriously at rooftop solar, ground-mounted systems, floating solar and battery storage, not because they necessarily have ambitious plans to become completely energy independent, but because the numbers increasingly make sense as part of a sensible long-term energy strategy. A system designed around how and when a site actually uses electricity can help reduce the amount being bought from the grid and, when battery storage is included, make better use of the energy being generated throughout the day.

For farms and food producers, there are some particularly interesting opportunities because many agricultural businesses already have several of the ingredients that can make solar work well, including substantial roof or land space and a consistent demand for electricity. Refrigeration, irrigation, ventilation, processing, packing and other equipment can all contribute to significant energy use, so being able to generate more of that electricity on site can make a noticeable difference.

Battery storage adds another dimension because the time when you're producing the most solar energy isn't necessarily the time when you need to use it. Rather than sending surplus generation elsewhere and then buying electricity back from the grid later, a battery can allow more of that energy to remain on site until it's actually required. As with any system, the right approach depends on the individual operation, its consumption patterns and what the business is hoping to achieve, which is why we would always rather start with those conversations than simply recommend a particular size of solar installation.

There are opportunities for landowners too, particularly as the continued growth of renewable energy creates more interest in land that could potentially support new projects. For some, leasing suitable land to a developer may provide an additional long-term income stream, while others may be more interested in investing in their own renewable energy infrastructure to support existing commercial or agricultural operations. There isn't a single route that will suit everybody, and factors such as location, grid connection, land use and the owner's longer-term plans all need to be considered before deciding whether an opportunity genuinely stacks up.

This is also where our sister company, Hamilton Madden, can add another perspective. At East Green Energy, our focus is on the renewable energy side, but decisions around land rarely sit neatly within one box and there can be much wider considerations involved. Working alongside Hamilton Madden allows those conversations to extend beyond whether a solar installation is technically possible and consider how it fits with the wider plans for the land or business. For clients, particularly landowners, that joined-up approach can be valuable because renewable energy should make sense as part of the overall picture rather than being considered in isolation.

The scale of clean-energy capacity now coming forward in the UK is significant, but the more interesting story is how normal renewable energy is becoming. Solar is no longer something that only makes sense for major energy companies or enormous developments; we're now having conversations about it as part of everyday business planning, alongside all the other decisions organisations make about controlling costs, investing in infrastructure and planning for the years ahead.

For businesses, that might mean looking at an unused warehouse or factory roof and working out what it could generate. For a farm, it could mean using existing roof space to offset some of the electricity needed for refrigeration or other equipment, while for a landowner it might simply mean understanding whether a piece of land has potential that hasn't previously been considered. The answer won't always be solar and every site won't be suitable, but with the market developing at the pace it is, it's certainly worth understanding what the options are.

If you're a business owner, farmer, food producer or landowner and you've been wondering whether solar or battery storage could work for you, we're always happy to have an initial conversation. Every site and business is different, so we'd much rather understand what you're trying to achieve first and then look at whether there's a solution that genuinely makes sense.