Sector · Retail & Hospitality
Energy that doesn’t close the kitchen.
Hotels, restaurants, gyms, retail parks. Solar paired with battery for the dinner-service peak, EV charging for guests, heat pumps for hot water that never runs out.
Why Retail & Hospitality?
The retail and hospitality sector has unique characteristics that make renewable energy particularly valuable.
High Energy Costs
Lighting, HVAC, refrigeration, and commercial kitchens create substantial electricity bills. Solar can offset 40-70% of daytime consumption, delivering significant savings.
Destination Charging
Attract EV drivers to your hotel, restaurant, or shop with convenient charging. Customers charge while they dine, shop, or stay - turning charging time into dwell time.
Customer Expectations
Consumers increasingly prefer sustainable businesses. Visible solar panels and EV chargers communicate your environmental commitment and can influence purchasing decisions.
Car Park Canopies
Transform customer car parks into generating assets with solar canopies. Provide covered parking while generating electricity and housing EV chargers.
Guest Amenity
For hotels, EV charging is becoming an expected amenity. Guests increasingly search for hotels with charging facilities when planning road trips.
Revenue Generation
Charge for EV charging as an additional revenue stream. Integrate with payment systems for seamless guest billing or public pay-per-use charging.
Solutions for Retail & Hospitality
Destination EV Charging
Install customer-facing EV chargers that attract visitors and extend dwell time. Offer free charging as a value-add or charge customers for paid charging revenue.
- Attract EV-driving customers
- Extend dwell time (charging = spending)
- Paid or complimentary options
- Hotel guest billing integration
Rooftop & Canopy Solar
Generate clean electricity from rooftops or car park canopies. Offset high energy consumption from refrigeration, lighting, and HVAC systems.
- Offset 40-70% of electricity
- Car park canopies available
- Visible sustainability statement
- Power your EV chargers
Battery Storage
Store solar energy for evening use when demand peaks in hospitality. Reduce demand charges and ensure backup power for critical refrigeration.
- Evening energy from daytime solar
- Reduce peak demand charges
- Backup for refrigeration
- Store cheap overnight electricity
Heat Pumps
Efficient heating and cooling for hotels and restaurants. Heat pumps also provide hot water - essential for hospitality operations.
- Heating, cooling, and hot water
- 3-4x more efficient than gas
- Quiet operation for guests
- Enhanced Capital Allowances
Sector-Specific Considerations
Guest-Facing Charging
For hotels and restaurants, charging needs to integrate with guest experience. We specify user-friendly chargers, design for easy access, and integrate with property management systems for seamless billing.
Refrigeration Backup
For food retail and hospitality, refrigeration is critical. Battery storage can provide backup power during outages, protecting valuable stock and ensuring food safety compliance.
Aesthetic Solutions
Customer-facing businesses often have aesthetic requirements. We offer discreet installations, all-black panels, and thoughtfully designed car park canopies that enhance rather than detract from your premises.
Extended Operating Hours
Hospitality often operates into evening hours when solar generation ends. Battery storage bridges this gap, storing daytime solar for evening use when customer activity peaks.
Hospitality Success Story
Hotel Solar & Guest EV Charging
A boutique hotel installed 30kWp solar, 50kWh battery storage, and 4 guest EV chargers. The combination reduced energy costs by 45%, and EV charging has become a key marketing differentiator attracting eco-conscious guests.
Read Full Case StudyReady to Reduce Costs and Attract Customers?
Get a free site assessment and discover how renewable energy can benefit your retail or hospitality business.
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