UK data centre solar case studies
Six named projects across UK data centre clusters — with real system sizes, payback periods, Scope 2 outcomes, and installation notes.
All figures are from completed, commissioned projects. Project references are available for supply chain due diligence on request (NDA required). We do not publish operator names without permission — references are provided direct on request.
DC-SL-001
Slough, Berkshire
Carrier-neutral colocation — Tier III
750 kW
installed capacity
Annual generation
675,000 kWh
Annual savings
£156,000
at 23p/kWh
Capital cost
£918,000
Simple payback
5.9 years
IRR 17%
CO₂ avoided (year 1)
94.5 tonnes CO₂e
Scope 2 outcome
100% of solar fraction via REGO market-based method
Installation notes
UK's densest DC cluster. SSEN grid constraint required zero-export configuration. BPSS-cleared crew. Project completed in 6 days across two planned maintenance windows.
DC-LDN-002
London Docklands, E14
Hyperscale — Tier IV
420 kW
installed capacity
Annual generation
369,600 kWh
Annual savings
£96,000
at 26p/kWh
Capital cost
£516,000
Simple payback
5.4 years
IRR 19%
CO₂ avoided (year 1)
51.7 tonnes CO₂e
Scope 2 outcome
REGO issuance + EnergyTag GC-compatible monitoring for hourly CFE
Installation notes
Tier IV 2N facility. AC connection on second power path during planned window — critical load on first path throughout. UK Power Networks G99 on constrained network substation, requiring export limitation relay.
DC-MCR-003
Manchester, Greater Manchester
Enterprise / on-premise — Tier III
380 kW
installed capacity
Annual generation
322,060 kWh
Annual savings
£70,800
at 22p/kWh
Capital cost
£430,000
Simple payback
6.1 years
IRR 15%
CO₂ avoided (year 1)
45.1 tonnes CO₂e
Scope 2 outcome
Market-based Scope 2 zero on solar fraction; operator holds Drax wind PPA for residual
Installation notes
Enterprise on-premise facility with manufacturing-adjacent harmonic requirements. Specified low-THD inverters (< 2.5% THD) to meet power quality standards. Electricity North West G99 — connection approved in 31 days.
DC-CAM-004
Cambridge, Cambridgeshire
HPC / research computing — Tier III
450 kW
installed capacity
Annual generation
418,500 kWh
Annual savings
£92,000
at 22p/kWh
Capital cost
£524,000
Simple payback
5.7 years
IRR 17%
CO₂ avoided (year 1)
58.6 tonnes CO₂e
Scope 2 outcome
REGO-backed market-based Scope 2; contribution to UKRI grant sustainability reporting requirement
Installation notes
University-operated HPC facility. Project coordinated with term-time IT load schedules — commissioning during long vacation to minimise impact. Cambridge's 1,600 hours irradiance gives best annual generation per kW of any project in this portfolio.
DC-CWL-005
Crawley, West Sussex
Colocation — Tier III
420 kW
installed capacity
Annual generation
394,800 kWh
Annual savings
£98,700
at 25p/kWh
Capital cost
£504,000
Simple payback
5.1 years
IRR 20%
CO₂ avoided (year 1)
55.3 tonnes CO₂e
Scope 2 outcome
Full REGO coverage; operator satisfied CAA Gatwick aerodrome safeguarding requirement (panel height < 12m agreed with CAA)
Installation notes
Gatwick airport proximity required CAA aerodrome safeguarding consultation — glint and glare assessment confirming no interference with approach paths. South East irradiance (1,650 hours) delivers the best payback of any project in this set.
DC-BHM-006
Birmingham, West Midlands
Managed services / SME colocation — Tier III
490 kW
installed capacity
Annual generation
431,600 kWh
Annual savings
£90,600
at 21p/kWh
Capital cost
£527,000
Simple payback
5.8 years
IRR 17%
CO₂ avoided (year 1)
60.4 tonnes CO₂e
Scope 2 outcome
REGO-backed Scope 2 reduction supporting Midlands-focused operator's corporate net zero 2030 commitment
Installation notes
Multi-tenant managed services colocation. Landlord and tenant sustainability requirements aligned — tenant sustainability procurement scoring improved following REGO issuance. Western Power Distribution (now National Grid ESP) G99 approved in 28 days.
What these projects have in common
Across six projects and 2,910 kW of commissioned capacity, three patterns hold consistently: self-consumption ratios above 95% (the flat 24/7 data centre load profile virtually eliminates export), simple payback between 5.1 and 6.3 years (the range reflects location irradiance and grid rate, not project risk), and zero unplanned downtime events during installation.
The Scope 2 outcomes vary: some operators use REGO-backed market-based accounting; one has adopted EnergyTag Granular Certificates for hourly CFE tracking. The regulatory destination is the same — demonstrable, auditable renewable generation matching consumption — but the path depends on your sustainability framework, reporting deadlines, and supply chain requirements.
If you are in the due diligence stage and want to speak with an operator from a comparable project — same data centre type, similar system size, or same geographic region — we can arrange a reference call. We don't publish names without permission, but every operator in this portfolio has agreed to take reference calls for qualified prospective customers.