Following the recent completion of its latest solar PV installation, Litton Properties is encouraging other firms in the sector to follow suit.
The property development and investment company based in Bakewell, East Midlands is also landlord to the occupiers of its commercial properties and distributes utilities across its sites. Many of these occupiers are also high-energy users and include a brewery, as well as several bakeries and manufacturers.
Litton’s first solar installation was in 2017 at Tradeworld in Rotherham, but invested further following the 2021 energy crisis and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The aim being to utilise more onsite energy generation to reduce exposure to market volatility and help their occupiers stabilise their energy costs. In addition, with the Government’s target for commercial buildings to reach an EPC rating of B by 2030, Litton also saw solar as a route to improve EPC performance, increase long-term asset value and turn unused roof space into a steady landlord income stream.
As of 2026, the group now has 10 solar PV rooftop installations – with nine sites in Bakewell alongside the first one in Rotherham, South Yorkshire – all of which it has completed with Nottinghamshire renewable energy installers Geo Green Power. The total system size is 1,121kWp (1.12MWp), with an output of 952,000kWh per annum providing a saving of 238 tonnes of CO₂ each year. Litton’s Bakewell sites now generate almost half of their electricity from rooftop solar, significantly reducing their reliance on the grid. Litton is also able to monitor its solar energy generation and usage across its systems, with its latest data showing that more than 80% of PV energy it generates is consumed onsite and less than 20% is exported.
Alongside this being a measure for energy future-proofing, Litton also claims the move to solar and subsequent EPC improvements have helped future-proof its property assets and make the portfolio more attractive to existing and prospective occupiers.
Speaking about Litton’s multi-site solar and the benefits it has brought the group, Sophie Waite, Litton Properties’ Asset Management Director, offered these comments, “We saw an opportunity to make better use of various buildings within our portfolio, reduce costs for our tenants and invest in our business, and solar has delivered on all three.
“I think there’s a real sense of satisfaction in knowing that we’ve made better use of the buildings and its roof space and, as landlord, we are always looking at how we can improve our properties for the long term. Solar is one of those investments where you’re improving the building, helping our tenants stabilize their energy costs and also doing something positive from a sustainability perspective.
“It’s also quite satisfying being able to check the monitoring app and see how much energy the panels have produced. It makes the benefits very tangible and gives us confidence that the investment is actually delivering what we expected.”
Sophie also encouraged other commercial property owners to take multi-site solar into consideration with their portfolios, “Do the numbers and get professional advice, but don’t be put off by the initial investment. For us, solar made sense as a long-term investment, turning unused rooftops into a steady income stream for us and stabilising energy bills for all our occupiers. If the numbers stack up, it’s definitely worth considering.
“Disruption for both our and our occupiers’ operations was minimal given the scale of the project. The Geo Green Power team worked around our businesses, with any major works, such as road closures for cabling, carried out outside normal working hours to minimise disruption.”
James Cunningham, Managing Director, Geo Green Power added, “It’s always a pleasure working with the team at Litton and it’s such a good example of how commercial landlords can not only make their portfolio more energy efficient, but also create an additional attractive revenue stream.”
