Your ovens run all day. Why is your roof doing nothing?

Another energy bill lands on a slow midweek service. Fridges hum through the night, extraction never really stops, and the meter feels like it’s sprinting. Energy is the one line on your P&L that feels completely out of your hands.

Most restaurant owners glance at solar and think: too expensive, too much hassle, not for us. It feels like something for supermarkets or corporate offices, not kitchens and dining rooms.

But here’s the part that often gets missed: restaurants are actually some of the best candidates for solar. The way you use energy; long prep hours, daytime peaks, round-the-clock refrigeration, matches perfectly with how solar produces power.

Why solar fits restaurant life

• Daytime prep meets daytime generation. Solar peaks just as kitchens are prepping for lunch and early dinner.
• Fridges and freezers soak it up. Constant cold storage ensures generated power is rarely wasted.
• Predictability in a volatile market. Onsite supply reduces exposure to sharp swings in grid unit rates.
• Sustainability diners can see. Panels on the roof make a clear, visible statement about your values.

The barrier: upfront cost

It’s no surprise many restaurants park the idea once they see the installation bill. With tight margins, cash is better spent on staff, suppliers or a refurb. The thought of tying up capital in solar panels feels out of reach.

That’s where Solar for All comes in.

Solar for All: solar without the spend

Solar for All removes the biggest barrier. A specialist installs and maintains the system at no cost to you. Instead of paying for solar panels or upkeep, you simply pay a fixed price for the electricity your restaurant uses from those panels, usually lower than your current unit rate.

• No upfront spend. Panels, installation and maintenance are all covered.
• No hidden extras. No standing charges, no surprise fees.
• Flexibility if you move. Agreements can transfer to new tenants, or the system can be relocated.
• Option to own later. You can choose to buy the system outright when the time is right.

Even add-ons like battery storage, ideal for shifting solar into evening service, or workplace EV chargers for staff and deliveries can be built in.

Do I even have enough roof?

If your roof space is around 1,800 sq ft or more, you could qualify. Many pubs with dining rooms, retail-park restaurants and garden-centre cafés meet this mark.

Not sure about your roof? You can check it in a couple of minutes on Google Maps:

1. Open your site on Google Maps.
2. Right-click on one corner of your roof and select Measure distance.
3. Click around the outline of the roof to mark the edges.
4. Look at the “Total area” displayed, this is your roof size in square feet/metres.

Check your savings instantly

You don’t need to run the numbers yourself. Use our solar calculator to see how much your restaurant could save through Solar for All. Enter a few quick details and get a clear estimate of potential savings. From there, you can decide if you’d like to take the next step and enquire.