Commercial solar finance: worked examples
How the numbers come together when you finance a commercial solar system. These are representative, illustrative examples with indicative 2026 figures, not named clients.
Illustrative examples. The figures below are internally consistent, based on standard 2026 market assumptions, and shown to explain the method. Your real numbers depend on your site, consumption and the actual finance terms offered.
150 kWp warehouse funded on 6-year hire purchase, cash-positive from year one
System: 150 kWp Funded by: 6-year hire purchase, 100% financed Annual benefit: £33,915 /year Effective payback: ~3 yrs
The system generates about 142,500 kWh a year, 70% used on site displacing power at 28p and 30% exported at 14p, a gross annual benefit of about £33,915. The hire purchase costs about £24,900 a year, so the project is roughly £9,000 a year cash-positive before counting the £30,000 year-one AIA tax relief. After the 6-year term the system is owned outright, the finance cost falls to zero, and the full benefit flows to the bottom line for the remaining 20 years or more. Representative figures, indicative 2026 market values, not a named client.