TechnicalWhat if your company’s roof became a solar power plant that could supply your operations with clean, low-cost electricity? This vision is becoming a reality for many companies in Europe. Faced with soaring energy costs and the climate emergency, companies are looking for innovative solutions to control their expenses and make their business more sustainable. It is in this context that C&I (Commercial & Industrial) photovoltaics is emerging, a booming solar segment that attracts both local SMEs and multinationals.
C&I photovoltaics is emerging as a strategic response to today’s challenges. In this article, we’ll explore in detail what C&I means and who can benefit from it.
1. What is C&I in photovoltaics?
The term C&I photovoltaics refers to solar installations for the tertiary and industrial sectors, as opposed to residential solar or utility scale solar farms. In concrete terms, these are photovoltaic installations on company buildings (factories, warehouses, shopping centres, office buildings, etc.) or their land (solar canopies or ground installations), with the aim of supplying electricity directly to these organisations for their own needs.
These C&I projects are on an intermediate scale: larger than most residential installations, but smaller than the utility scale solar farms privileged by energy providers. Typically, the size of a C&I system can vary from a few tens of kilowatts peak to several megawatts peak, depending on the size of the site. By way of example, a medium sized factory could install a 500kWp system covering a large part of its roofs, whereas a ground-mounted “utility” solar park can be counted in tens of MWp.
The energy consumer is typically the company itself. The energy directly supplies an organisation for self-consumption and any surplus energy can be sold to further valorise the production, unlike a utility scale installation that sells the entirety of its production to a supplier or on the market.
Solar C&I: a segment on the rise
It is important to understand that C&I solar represents a major part of the photovoltaic market today. According to a study by NREL, in Europe in particular, the C&I segment accounts for about a third of new solar capacity installed in recent years. This proportion is growing, a sign that more and more companies are taking action.
In practice, C&I photovoltaics covers a wide variety of installations: from conventional solar roofs on industrial or commercial buildings, to solar canopies covering car parks, to the integration of panels in building facades (BIPV – Building Integrated Photovoltaics). For example, some modern office buildings incorporate panels on the façade to combine design and energy production. Similarly, many large retail stores or logistics warehouses are transforming their parking lots into large solar canopy power plants to make these spaces profitable.
This flexibility makes C&I an adaptable option for almost any type of business site.
2. Who is C&I PV for?
Any organisation with available roofing, parking or land and a significant electricity consumption can potentially benefit from a C&I solar installation. From industrial SMEs to large supermarkets, logistical warehouses and public hospitals, C&I photovoltaics can be adapted to many profiles.
In practice, what types of companies are most affected? Here are the most common scenarios:
- Energy-intensive industrial sites: factories, production units, agri-food industries, etc. Their high electricity consumption (machines, manufacturing processes) during the day makes them ideal candidates for self-consumption of as much solar energy as possible.
- Commercial and tertiary buildings: shopping centres, supermarkets, office buildings, hotels, etc. These buildings often have large roofs and parking lots and operate during the day, which fits well with the solar production profile.
- Logistics warehouses and distribution centres: large flat roofs, high ground occupancy – warehouses can install significant photovoltaic capacity on the roof, reducing their electricity bills (lighting, cooling, etc.) and generating additional revenue.
- Farms and rural sites: Many agricultural sheds or livestock buildings can accommodate photovoltaics. The energy produced is then used either for its own uses (ventilation, pumping, etc.) or is partly injected into the grid with remuneration.
- Local authorities and public establishments: although we speak of “C&I” for Commercial & Industrial, schools, hospitals, local authorities also fall into the broad category of non-residential PV installations. These players are also seeking to reduce their energy costs and achieve environmental objectives, and often have large roofs (gymnasiums, administrative centres) that can be used.
Whether it’s a retail chain looking to stabilise its energy costs or a family-owned SME looking to make its business more sustainable, C&I solar offers a scalable solution. According to sector data reported by PV magazine, more than 70% of renewable power purchase agreements signed in 2024 in Europe were signed directly by private consumer companies: this shows that companies are taking up the subject to secure green energy in the long term.
A concrete example from EDF France: the Breton company Guy Cotten, an SME known for its marine clothing, has equipped its factory with 357 solar panels for self-consumption. Almost 70% of the energy produced is consumed on-site, covering around 30% of the site’s annual needs. The rest is injected into the grid and sold, generating additional revenue. The benefits are twofold: lower electricity bills and 2 tonnes of CO₂ avoided per year thanks to this installation. For this family-owned SME, investing in solar energy was both an economic choice and an environmental commitment consistent with the company’s values.
3. Who can design and install a C&I project?
HBehind every successful C&I solar project is the rigorous work of design offices, qualified installers and EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction). These actors play a central role in supporting companies, from the feasibility phase to the commissioning of the installation. Faced with the diversity of buildings, consumption profiles and regulatory constraints, their technical expertise is essential to design tailor-made, reliable and cost-effective systems.
For these experts, the success of a project depends on a rigorous study, accurate site modelling, and a reliable electricity production simulation. For this reason, many engineering firms and installers rely on specialised software solutions to design installations that are perfectly adapted to the constraints of the site, the customer’s energy needs and the economic objectives of the project. Tools such as archelios PRO make it possible to:
- Model the site in 3D,
- Accurately simulate production hour by hour,
- Analyse the impact of shading,
- Optimise self-consumption and sales scenarios, and
- Secure and increase the ROI (Return on Investment).
Conclusion: C&I photovoltaics, a future proof strategy
Through this overview of the C&I market, one thing is clear: solar is no longer an option, it is a strategic decision. From reducing energy costs to controlling supplies and improving one’s carbon footprint, the benefits are multiple. And they are no longer reserved for large structures. Today, any company with a roof, land or a parking lot has the power to produce its own green electricity.
However, it is necessary to structure each project on a solid basis, with appropriate tools such as archelios PRO, to make technical choices more reliable and maximize the return on investment. The design of high-performance photovoltaic systems now goes through an in-depth study phase, which determines their long-term success.
archelios PRO secures and enhances each solar project, making it technically and economically robust from the design phase.
Find out how archelios PRO can structure your solar approach in a reliable and cost-effective way.
In our next article, we will go further:
What are the C&I trends in photovoltaics in Europe in 2025? What are the new financing models adopted by companies? What role do batteries and microgrids play? How are European regulations accelerating the energy transition of industrial and commercial sites?
These are the challenges to be mastered in order to structure a photovoltaic project adapted to the realities of 2025.
This article was written by:
Carl WARD
Photovoltaic Product Manager - Trace Software
Carl WARD plays a key role in the development of our archelios range, dedicated to the design and optimisation of photovoltaic projects. "We are passionate about managing these solutions, and thanks to our expertise, we can help professionals to make solar energy more efficient, accessible and sustainable."
