Clean energy company Absolar says it has seen a fourfold increase in enquiries in solar and clean energy since war began in the Middle East, with companies treating energy as a core infrastructure decision and focusing on resilience rather than sustainability.
Dr Phil Wu chief executive of Absolar, said the nature of enquiries has shifted significantly in recent months. Businesses are no longer focused primarily on carbon targets, but on backup power, cost control and independence from the grid. Absolarsaid, “What’s becoming clear is that solar is no longer viewed purely as a sustainability measure. It is increasingly a strategic infrastructure decision, helping organisations reduce exposure to volatile grid prices and maintain operational continuity.”
He added, “Battery storage adds a layer of control. It enables businesses to manage when and how they use energy, which is particularly valuable for sites where uptime is critical.”
However the company said that an analysis based on Ordnance Survey data suggests less than 4% of UK buildings have solar installations, with the vast majority concentrated in the domestic sector. Large volumes of roof space remain unused, despite sharp declines in technology costs over the past decade and improving returns on investment.
The company has launched a new tool that uses geospatial AI and LiDAR scanning to assess the solar potential of a commercial building in under a minute, allowing it to delivers a full commercial solar feasibility assessment, including projected costs, savings, payback period and carbon impact immediately for any commercial building in the UK, with no site visit required. “The potential is huge,” Wu said. “We are only at the beginning of what’s possible.”