Property Developers
A new-build logistics development, East Midlands
This is an illustrative scenario for a speculative logistics developer. The developer designs solar into a new warehouse shed from the outset. This approach meets Building Regulations cost-effectively, and it protects the asset's EPC and letting value from day one.
Illustrative example: this is a composite scenario built from patterns typical of property developers sites — it is not a specific named client, and the figures below are not a promise of what any real site would achieve. We publish it to show how we think through this kind of decision, not as a verified track record.
This is an illustrative example, not a description of a specific development or a verified outcome. It still shows the kind of design-stage decisions a developer typically faces.
The scenario: a speculative logistics developer is building a single large warehouse shed, ahead of securing a tenant. The developer needs to meet current Building Regulations energy targets cost-effectively. At the same time, the building must stay attractive to prospective occupiers. Retrofitting solar after practical completion is possible, but usually more expensive. Scaffolding, access and downtime all cost more once the building is finished and let.
Designing the array in at the structural and services design stage has a key benefit. Specifically, it lets us plan the roof structure, cable routes and inverter/switchroom space for solar from day one. This avoids value-engineering it out later.
It also means the building's Energy Performance Certificate reflects the generation from first occupation, which matters for regulatory compliance. Additionally, it affects how the building reads to a prospective tenant assessing their own operating costs and ESG reporting.
Since the building has no occupier yet, the developer — not a future tenant — carries the specification decision. This is where independent advice matters most.
Get the size, orientation or grid-connection request wrong at design stage. However, once the shed is built and let, the mistake becomes very hard to fix. Illustrative modelling for a scenario like this typically shows the incremental cost of designing solar in at RIBA Stage 3–4 — well below the cost of retrofitting the same system after handover.
Frequently asked questions
Is this a real client result?
No — this is an illustrative, composite scenario built from typical speculative-development patterns, not a specific named developer, scheme or verified outcome. We use it to show how a pre-let solar specification typically gets built into a scheme, not to promise a specific outcome.
Why does it matter that there's no tenant yet?
Without a tenant's specific load profile to design against, sizing has to be based on typical logistics-occupier demand and a conservative self-consumption assumption. We model a range of likely occupier profiles rather than a single assumed load.
Weighing up a similar site?
This scenario is illustrative, built to show how we approach a decision like this one. Your own building or estate will differ in roof space, usage, and grid connection. A feasibility study therefore gives you the real numbers before you commit to anything.