May Renewables Highlights
Commercial solar demand keeps climbing - New BEIS data shows commercial scale solar enquiries and installs rose again through May. The drivers are clear. Electricity prices for businesses remain high. PV module costs have fallen by around 8% to 9% year on year. Payback periods for large roofs are now commonly between three and five years. Pressure to hit Scope 2 targets is increasing. Food producers, manufacturers and logistics sites are still the fastest growing segments.
Grid connection reform is finally moving - Ofgem and ESO released more detail in May on the new first ready first connected queue. For commercial clients this means earlier clarity on connection dates, fewer speculative projects blocking the queue and more realistic timelines for one to five megawatt rooftop and ground mount systems. This is a strong talking point for any business hesitating because of grid uncertainty.
Battery storage becoming mainstream for commercial sites - May saw a rise in commercial battery announcements, especially for peak shaving, demand charge reduction and resilience for food and cold storage facilities. Battery prices are down roughly 12% year on year, so more businesses are pairing storage with solar to stabilise bills.
Corporate PPAs gaining traction - Large energy users such as supermarkets, data centres and manufacturers continued signing long term PPAs in May. This trend is filtering down. Mid sized businesses are now exploring shorter term sleeved PPAs or private wire deals to lock in predictable pricing.
Planning reforms benefiting commercial rooftops - The government reaffirmed its commitment to rooftop first solar in May. Guidance for councils has been strengthened to prioritise existing buildings. Planning is being simplified for large commercial roofs, with businesses with big unused roof space are now being actively targeted for rapid deployment.
Heat pumps and electrification rising in industry - Industrial heat pump trials expanded in May, especially in food processing and light manufacturing. This matters because electrification increases site load, higher load strengthens the case for on site solar and combined systems improve ROI and resilience.
Solar continues to break records
Government data released 28th May shows the UK is still in a solar boom.
269,000 installations were completed in 2025 - the highest ever
23,000 new installs took place in April 2026 alone, with more than half on homes
Solar PV costs have fallen by up to 9%
The UK passed 2 million total solar installations in March. This surge is driven by the clean‑power mission and the need to cut exposure to volatile fossil fuel markets
Energy Independence Bill proposals published - RenewableUK set out key measures for the upcoming Energy Independence Bill on 13th May, calling for:
Faster planning
Fairer tax treatment for wind projects
A national hydrogen network to unlock long‑duration storage
The goal: cheaper, more secure homegrown energy.
Renewables dominate UK electricity generation - Official statistics released 28th May show renewables supplied 51.7% of electricity from major power producers in early 2026 - up 23% year‑on‑year - while gas generation fell 17%. Low‑carbon power now makes up 64.1% of the mix.
