Reduce energy costs at your Sussex industrial estate or manufacturing site
BHESCo helps industrial estates, business parks and manufacturing sites across Sussex cut energy costs through solar power, battery storage and energy efficiency upgrades.
Every project starts with a free feasibility survey and is developed at no upfront cost through our unique finance model, funded by our network of community investors.
Whether you manage a multi-unit estate or a single manufacturing site, we design, finance and project manage the transition to lower-cost, low-carbon energy from start to finish.
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Whether you manage a multi-unit industrial estate or business park, or a single manufacturing site or standalone commercial building, BHESCo’s team are ready to help you achieve your clean energy goals. Get fully-funded solar PV, battery storage and low-carbon heating systems to enjoy long-term energy security and affordable bills.
Your first step: a free, no obligation energy survey from BHESCo
To identify opportunities for improving the energy, carbon and cost savings potential of any industrial park or business facility it is vital to gain a thorough understanding of existing energy demand and consumption patterns.
For this reason, a bespoke BHESCo energy survey should be the first phase of any planned improvements, underpinning every other stage of your future energy strategy.
Our bespoke energy survey will provide a thorough and detailed examination of every aspect involved with heating and powering your buildings and facilities. [view examples of our work].
- Measure consumption
- Evaluate data
- Identify opportunities
- Recommend upgrades
We will design a bespoke on-site micro-generation and energy saving system, identifying technology synergies to enhance efficiency and deliver maximum cost savings for your industrial estate. Our analysis will measure and compare the anticipated reduction in demand that we can expect from installing different types of energy saving and/ or energy generating technologies.
In this way we can make conclusions about which combination of technologies will best meet the heat and power requirements of the business park, as well as being able to provide upfront cost and future savings projections to help you make the best decision.
If an energy survey is all you are looking for, we do charge a fee for our service.
However, customers who decide to work with BHESCo to install their energy management improvements will not have to pay for their energy audit upfront – the cost will be absorbed into the Pay As You Save financial agreement.
How installing energy saving and generating technologies reduces business energy costs
Whether you’re managing a single manufacturing unit or a multi-tenant business park, the right combination of solar power, battery storage and energy efficiency measures delivers savings and advantages that compound over the life of your system:
1. Lower heat and power costs
Reduce reliance on rising commercial energy tariffs with on-site generation and efficiency upgrades
2. Establish new revenue streams
Sell excess electricity via the Smart Export Guarantee, to neighbouring businesses, or for EV charging
3. Enhance reputation with stakeholders
Demonstrate credible progress on net zero to tenants, investors and the local community
4. Provide energy flexibility services
Earn additional value by supporting grid stability at times of peak demand
5. Accelerate transition to net zero
Get ahead of tightening MEES standards and carbon taxation rather than reacting to them
6. Reduce exposure to volatile energy markets
Generate and store your own power instead of remaining fully exposed to commercial tariff swings
CASE STUDY: Alistair Fleming Fine English Cabinetry, Lewes
In 2018 BHESCo were commissioned by Alistair Fleming Cabinetry to design, finance and install a rooftop solar array plus a new heating and lighting system.
Technology Installed: 29kW roof-mounted solar PV, 7 air-conditioning units , 79 LED lamps
Estimated lifetime financial saving: £127,364
Estimated lifetime carbon saving: 299 tonnes
What options are available for improving the energy performance at your industrial estate?
A large site size combined with the high energy intensity of an industrial park presents an array of attractive possibilities for improvement.
The rapid evolution of low-carbon technologies and smart energy management systems, combined with ever decreasing costs and strengthening supply chains, means that new business models and cost saving/ revenue generating opportunities are becoming available all the time.
Depending on the energy profile of your industrial estate, the architectural attributes of each building, the geographical location of the site, and the demands of your business tenants, potential improvements could include:
Improving energy efficiency and thermal insulation
Improving the thermal and energy efficiency of the buildings and facilities located at your industrial estate will provide a higher level of comfort for business tenants while reducing corresponding energy consumption and associated costs.
In some cases it is possible to achieve energy consumption reductions of 15% or more.
Installing on-site renewable micro-generation
Available roof space that is suitable for solar PV generation should be exploited to its maximum potential.
Generating your own on-site electricity will be considerably cheaper compared to the commercial rates offered by national energy suppliers.
The ability to generate renewable electricity will also open up new revenue streams for your business park via the sale of excess electricity. Examples could include:
- selling electricity to energy suppliers via the Smart Export Guarantee
- selling electricity to neighbouring businesses
- selling electricity for use in electric vehicle charging
Taking advantage of battery storage technologies
The cost of battery storage has come down in recent years and their widescale adoption will form a crucial part in the development of a modern, flexible, low-carbon electricity network.
Installing battery storage technologies can deliver a suite of benefits and opportunities for your industrial park.
Examples include:
- store unused electricity from your solar panels which can be discharged when required
- enable you to take advantage of a Time of Use tariff, charging the battery at times when energy prices are cheap and discharging at times when prices are high
- provide flexibility services for the local electricity network, absorbing electricity when there is a glut of renewables generation overwhelming the grid, and discharging electricity at times of peak demand
Digital energy management and data visualisation
At BHESCo we believe that ‘what is measured can be managed’.
Integrating remote monitoring and controls into the heating, lighting, battery storage and power generating technologies of your industrial park will enable facilities managers to gather data and gain new insight into the energy profile of your site.
Data visualisation and analysis can empower you to identify patterns and initiate improvements to processes and behaviour.
This could include adjustment of heat and lighting settings in response to new information, or creating a compelling business case for the adoption of new technologies where applicable.
Collating accurate data on electricity consumption patterns can enable industrial park managers to detect periods of peak and low energy usage, and to programme lighting, heating, and devices to achieve maximum cost-efficiency.
Working with BHESCo as Project Manager
Once a site survey has identified the most cost-effective energy saving/ energy generating solutions for your industrial estate, you may decide to engage BHESCo’s Energy Project Management Services.
When acting as Project Manager, BHESCo will take care of every aspect of your energy project, overseeing the planning, installation, cost management and operating performance of the systems that are installed.
We liaise with suppliers to obtain the best performance and value options and ensure that a high-quality installation is undertaken by one of our experienced and qualified local contractors.
Where applicable, BHESCo can act on your behalf in consultations with the local authority regarding permissions for listed properties or work in conservation areas or support grant applications.
No upfront cost finance
At BHESCo, we know that many industrial estates want to make the switch to renewable energy, but do not have the upfront financing to make that happen.
For this reason, BHESCo give our clients the option to install low-carbon energy systems at no upfront cost through our innovative ‘Pay As You Save’ finance initiative.
Project costs are raised from BHESCo’s network of community investors, who want to use their money to support solutions to climate change. This means there is no upfront cost to your business, who benefit from energy bill savings immediately.
The project costs are paid back over an agreed number of years using a portion of the savings achieved from monthly energy bills.
At the end of the contract period, ownership of the energy system is transferred to the industrial estate who enjoy 100% of the savings achieved on monthly energy costs.
CAPEX funded by community investors
Feasibility & development done on customer’s behalf
Energy upgrades installed for no upfront cost
Savings from energy bills used to repay CAPEX + investor interest
Why work with BHESCo?
Unlike commercial solar and energy installers working on commission, BHESCo is a not-for-profit, co-operative energy services company. Our recommendations are shaped by what will genuinely reduce your energy costs, not by what earns the biggest sale. We’ve delivered around 65–70 community and commercial energy projects across Sussex, giving us the local relationships, contractor network, and practical delivery experience to manage your project from first survey to final installation.
Deep technical expertise
In-house knowledge across solar PV, battery storage, heat pumps and energy efficiency retrofit
No-commission model
As a co-operative, our advice isn’t driven by sales incentives
Strong local relationships
An established network of qualified local contractors and suppliers
Proven local experience
Around 65+ community energy projects delivered across Sussex
Grant funding support
We identify and help secure available grant funding where applicable
Flexible financing solutions
Including no-upfront-cost Pay As You Save, funded by our community investor network
Post-installation support
Ongoing support once your system is live, not a one-off installation and exit
On-time, on-budget delivery
Projects managed end-to-end, with cost and performance overseen throughout
The changing policy landscape and the need for urgent action
Industrial and business parks are areas of intensive business activity which will continue to play a vital role in the local and national economy for decades.
It is therefore essential that business parks take action now to prepare for the radically different energy landscape that will soon emerge as a result of the transition to net zero carbon emissions.
Continuing with a business as usual approach and maintaining a reliance on fossil fuels for heat and power could present major financial obstacles as new low-carbon policies are enacted.
With the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards expected to increase to an EPC of B by 2030, up to 70% of commercial property space could be at risk of non-compliance.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How much can an industrial estate or manufacturing site save on energy costs?
Savings depend on your site’s size, current energy use, and which technologies are installed, but the impact can be substantial. Our 2018 project with Alistair Fleming Fine English Cabinetry in Lewes — a 29kW rooftop solar array plus new heating and lighting — delivered an estimated £127,364 in lifetime financial savings and 299 tonnes of lifetime carbon savings. A free BHESCo energy survey will give you site-specific figures for your own estate or facility.
Is there an upfront cost to install solar power or battery storage with BHESCo?
Through BHESCo’s Pay As You Save finance model, project costs are raised from our network of community investors, so there’s no upfront cost to your business. You start benefiting from energy bill savings immediately, and repay the cost over an agreed period using a portion of those savings. At the end of the term, ownership of the system transfers to you.
What's the first step to reducing energy costs at my industrial estate or business park?
A bespoke BHESCo energy survey. It’s the foundation of every project we deliver — measuring your current consumption, evaluating the data, identifying opportunities, and designing a system tailored to your site before any investment decision is made.
Can industrial estates or manufacturers sell excess solar electricity?
Yes. On-site solar generation that exceeds your own demand can be sold via the Smart Export Guarantee, sold directly to neighbouring businesses, or used to support electric vehicle charging on-site — turning a cost-saving measure into a potential new revenue stream.
How will the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) affect business parks and industrial estates?
MEES is expected to rise to an EPC B requirement by 2030, which could put up to 70% of commercial property space at risk of non-compliance. Combined with the introduction of carbon taxes and the migration of environmental levies from electricity to gas tariffs, sites that delay upgrading face rising costs and compliance risk. Acting now — starting with an energy survey — reduces that exposure.
Does BHESCo only work with large industrial estates, or also single manufacturing sites?
Both. While many of our commercial projects are with multi-unit industrial estates and business parks, the same survey, financing, and project management service applies equally to a single manufacturing site or standalone commercial building.
How long does a typical project take, from survey to installation?
Timelines vary by project scale and technology mix, but every project follows the same sequence: energy survey, system design and cost/savings projections, financing arrangement, and installation managed end-to-end by BHESCo, working with our qualified local contractors. Your survey will include a project-specific timeline.
What areas does BHESCo cover?
BHESCo is based in Brighton & Hove and works with businesses, industrial estates, and manufacturing sites across Sussex.
Project Contact Form
If you are interested in working with BHESCo to revolutionise the way that your business or organisation sources it’s heat and power then please provide your details in the form below and a member of our Projects Team will get back to you to discuss next steps.