2.2MWp NEXT Distribution CentreElmshall, Pontefract
Our largest single-site array to date — 2.2MWp of solar PV across the roof of NEXT's distribution centre at Elmshall, Pontefract, delivered with Kingspan. At this scale the structural survey, the mounting system and the grid connection all have to be designed as one.
Project summary
Our largest single-site array to date — 2.2MWp of solar PV across the roof of NEXT's distribution centre at Elmshall, Pontefract, delivered with Kingspan. At this scale the structural survey, the mounting system and the grid connection all have to be designed as one.
- Client NEXT / Kingspan
- Scale 2.2MWp (2,200kWp)
- Completed 2021
- Location Elmshall, Pontefract, West Yorkshire
- Service Distribution centre solar
- Installer MARA Electrical — NICEIC approved, MCS certified, based in Queensferry, Deeside
Solar at Multi-Megawatt Scale
A distribution centre roof is one of the largest uninterrupted surfaces in British commercial property — and one of the best solar opportunities going.
- Client
- NEXT
- Main contractor
- Kingspan
- Location
- Elmshall, Pontefract, West Yorkshire
- System size
- 2.2MWp (2,200kWp)
- Completed
- 2021
- Delivered by
- MARA Electrical — MCS certified, NICEIC approved
Two Point Two Megawatts on One Roof
NEXT's distribution centre at Elmshall near Pontefract handles the flow of stock that supplies stores and online orders across the country. Buildings of that type combine two things solar loves: an enormous unshaded roof, and an operation that draws power continuously through the working day.
2.2MWp is a serious installation — the equivalent of roughly five hundred domestic rooftop systems concentrated onto a single building. At that scale you are no longer simply fixing panels to a roof. You are assessing whether the structure can carry the additional load, designing the DC and AC distribution across a vast area, and negotiating a grid connection with the Distribution Network Operator.
Working with Kingspan, we delivered the electrical installation across the array. The logistics alone are substantial: thousands of modules, kilometres of cabling and a working distribution centre that could not stop moving stock while we did it.
Multi-Megawatt Delivery
Structural assessment, electrical design, installation and grid connection on a live logistics site.
2.2MWp Array
Installation of 2,200kWp of photovoltaic modules across the distribution centre roof, laid out around roof lights, plant and access routes.
Structural Survey
Roof load capacity assessed across the full span and the mounting system specified to suit — non-negotiable at this scale.
Electrical Distribution
DC string design, inverter arrangement and AC distribution engineered across a roof measured in acres rather than square metres.
Grid Connection
Distribution Network Operator application and connection managed for a generation asset of genuine grid significance.
The Elmshall Installation
What NEXT Got
2.2MWp Generating
Multi-megawatt generation feeding a building that consumes heavily through daylight hours — high self-consumption, fast payback.
Major Carbon Reduction
An array of this size makes a material difference to a retailer's Scope 2 emissions and sustainability reporting.
No Disruption to Logistics
Delivered around a live distribution operation, phased so stock kept moving throughout.
Fully Certified
MCS certified, NICEIC approved and fully documented, with grid connection approval in place.
From Deeside to West Yorkshire
Elmshall sits just outside Pontefract in West Yorkshire, roughly two hours east of our Queensferry base via the M62. It is a long way from Deeside — and it is precisely the kind of project that proves capability travels.
Our commercial solar work has taken us from Southampton Docks to Scotland, and from Kettering to Manchester. What makes that possible is not a large travelling workforce; it is that structural assessment, DC design and DNO applications are the same discipline wherever the building sits. For clients closer to home in Chester, Deeside or Wrexham, it means the contractor surveying your roof has already done this at five hundred times the scale of a domestic system.
Whatever your building type, we survey it, design for it and certify it. Talk to us about commercial solar panel installation, or browse the full solar portfolio.
Other Solar Case Studies
650 kWp · 2016650kWp Primark Distribution Centre
650kWp on Primark's Kettering distribution centre, delivered with Sir Robert McAlpine.
829 kWp · 2014829kWp Bidvest Coldstore
Refrigerated distribution draws a heavy constant daytime load — among the strongest cases for solar.
Questions About This Project
Who carried out the NEXT Distribution Centre Solar PV project?
MARA Electrical carried out the NEXT Distribution Centre Solar PV project for NEXT / Kingspan. MARA Electrical are NICEIC approved electrical contractors and MCS certified solar installers, based in Queensferry on Deeside, serving Chester, Flintshire, Wrexham and North Wales.
How large is the NEXT Distribution Centre Solar PV installation?
The NEXT Distribution Centre Solar PV installation is 2.2MWp (2,200kWp). It was completed in 2021 at Elmshall, Pontefract, West Yorkshire.
When was the NEXT Distribution Centre Solar PV project completed?
The NEXT Distribution Centre Solar PV project was completed in 2021.
Does MARA Electrical work outside North Wales?
Yes. MARA Electrical are based in Queensferry, Deeside and serve Chester, Flintshire, Wrexham and North Wales as their core area, but commercial projects have been delivered across the UK including Manchester, Liverpool, Kettering, Southampton, Norfolk and Scotland.
Large Roof? Large Opportunity
Distribution centres, warehouses and manufacturing plants are the strongest commercial solar candidates in the UK. Free feasibility survey with a full financial projection and payback modelling.
or email solar@mara.uk.com · see all solar projects