According to the Property Industry Alliance, over half of the UK’s commercial property is rented by occupiers. Installation of solar on a rented building comes with some risks to tenants and so often isn’t adopted. But what if as a commercial landlord you could take away that risk, and gain a revenue at the same time? 

Why solar? 

Many businesses are striving to improve their green credentials and become more sustainable. In using power generated from a renewable source, a business can greatly reduce their carbon footprint and as such, become more attractive to customers. However, as a tenant the risk of installing on a building owned by another may put them off – if it’s even permitted.  

By installing commercial solar onto your property, you can provide your tenants with energy security and green credentials. The array would be owned by you, with any power generated being metered and sold back to your tenant at a set rate. 

Benefits for landlords and tenants 

Installing solar PV and agreeing a power purchase agreement (PPA) is a win-win scenario. As a commercial landlord, you benefit from a quicker return on your investment whilst your tenant benefits from cheaper, guaranteed power.  

Likewise, if you are currently developing a site or have vacant premises, solar is a great bonus to prospective tenants with many companies striving to be green – you’ve already ticked a box for them. 

Start your solar journey today 

At Thompsons, our solar experts can design an array to suit your roof size and provide guidance on setting up a PPA with your tenants.  

Get in touch with our team today to take the first steps on your solar journey. 

The total amount of funding raised for Bispham based children’s hospice Brian House by Elmer’s Big Parade 2024 has been announced. 

An incredible £200,013 was generated by the art trail, which saw 70 Elmer sculptures placed around the town earlier this year, and was organised by Brian House in partnership with Wild in Art and Anderson Press. 

Thompsons was proud to sponsor the art trail as part of our ongoing support of Brian House. From a Blackpool tram to fish and chips, each sculpture had a different colourful design, created by independent artists and illustrators.  

The funds will be used to help the wonderful team at Brian House continue to care for children with life-limiting conditions and complex needs. 

As a Presenting Partner, we sponsored two sculptures; ‘Elaughant’, inspired by Blackpool’s comedy carpet, and ‘Blackpool Rock’. At the trail’s farewell event held at Blackpool Tower, where the sculptures were auctioned off, Thompsons’ Lisa Thompson couldn’t quite bear to say goodbye, taking home the ‘Rainbow Elmer’– now she just needs to decide where to put it! 

The auction alone raised a staggering £143,550.  

Figures gathered as part of an independent evaluation have suggested the trail boosted Blackpool’s economy by £14 million, attracting thousands of people into the town to take part in the fun. An app was created, signposting elephant spotters to the herd’s locations, as well as tracking step counts. 

Lisa Thompson said: “What an honour it has been to be involved in this truly special event. The work done by Brian House is invaluable, and we are continually moved by the stories we hear about the impact this vital support network and its facilities has on the lives of families in the local community. 

“We want to congratulate Brian House and all involved in making this brilliant initiative happen, and thank you for all that you do.” 

Find out more about Brian House, and see how you can offer your support, here. 

It was a night to remember when the cream of Lancashire’s business community came together for the Be Inspired Business Awards (BIBAs) 2024. 

Making our BIBAs debut, team Thompsons was shortlisted for a total of five awards: Business of the Year, Medium Business of the Year, Scale Up Business of the Year, Construction Business of the Year and Leadership Business of the Year.

Though we didn’t come away with a trophy this time, we were proud runners up in both the Medium Business and Construction Business categories, and thrilled to be named Highly Commended in the latter.

The BIBAs is the county’s largest, longest running and most prestigious business awards ceremony.  

Known as ‘the one they all want to win,’ it’s organised by the North and Western Lancashire Chamber of Commerce with the final held every September at the stunning Blackpool Tower Ballroom. 

As well as the awards, the BIBAs Foundation uses donations made by businesses during the ceremony to help nurture and support young entrepreneurs from across the region.  

Congratulations to all this year’s winners, and roll on the BIBAs 2025!