Smart Export Guarantee for UK Businesses
UK energy explainer | 13 October 2026
For a business considering rooftop solar, the financial question is not simply how many panels fit on the roof. It is how much electricity the site can use, what happens to the surplus, and which assumptions sit behind the forecast.
What the Smart Export Guarantee covers
Ofgem describes the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) as a scheme that pays eligible small-scale generators for renewable electricity exported to the grid. Solar PV installations in Great Britain with capacity up to 5 MW can fall within its scope, subject to eligibility requirements. Suppliers set their own rates, contract periods and terms; payments use export meter readings.
An export payment is separate from the saving made by using solar electricity within your business. There is no single universal export rate to put into every proposal. Check the actual contract available for your installation and confirm metering, certification and application requirements with the supplier.
Start with your site's demand
Our recommended starting point is to compare expected generation with your electricity consumption through the working day, weekends and seasonal shutdowns. A warehouse operating mainly during daylight may use generation differently from an office that closes at weekends. Annual consumption alone does not reveal this difference.
Keep the forecast transparent: show energy used on site, expected exports and the rates applied to each. Include operating costs and any assumptions about future tariffs. A payback figure should be a scenario based on documented inputs, rather than a promised outcome.
Questions to ask about export
Ask the supplier which tariff your business qualifies for, how long the rate applies, whether it varies by time, and what meter arrangements are needed. Confirm whether any existing support or export contract affects eligibility. For solar combined with batteries, ask how the supplier treats stored electricity and whether its terms restrict grid-charged exports.
Export payments do not replace a network connection assessment. Your installer should check the proposed connection and any export limitations separately. A restriction can affect the design and the financial forecast.
Where batteries fit
Battery storage deserves a separate comparison. Examine the additional installed cost against the value of shifting energy to periods when your site needs it. Include losses and warranty conditions. More storage is not automatically the better investment; the useful capacity depends on the site's demand and generation patterns.
Planning a commercial solar project in Stockport or Manchester?
Clean Energy Contractors provides commercial solar, battery storage and energy consultancy. Bring your electricity bills and available consumption data to an initial discussion so that the assessment starts with your business's actual use.
Source and review
Source checked on 13 October 2026. This is an explainer of an existing scheme, not an announcement of a new grant. Confirm current supplier terms before committing to a project.