The City of London office market in 2026
Historic financial core mixed with modern Grade A towers. 1.5M sqft+ of new office space delivered post-2020 (22 Bishopsgate, 100 Leadenhall, 8 Bishopsgate). Significant heritage stock — Listed Buildings concentrated around Bank/Cornhill/Lombard Street.
Typical landlords in City of London
Major landlord ownership in City of London: British Land, Landsec, Helical, Great Portland Estates, Aviva, Legal & General, AXA IM Alts. We work with landlord asset-management teams on MEES 2030-positioned solar capex programmes — service-charge structure compliance with the RICS Code 2018, tenant communication strategy, multi-building portfolio procurement.
Major occupiers in City of London
Notable occupiers in City of London include BlackRock, Allen & Overy, Deloitte, EY, Linklaters, Lloyd's of London. For occupier-led installs we manage green-lease addendum drafting with the landlord, structural and electrical assessment to BS EN 1991 / BS 7671, and Scope 2 emissions documentation for ESG reporting (SECR, TCFD, CDP, SBTi).
System sizing for City of London offices
200-800 kWp on rooftop; rear-roof concealed installs on listed buildings. Capex typically £700-£1,000/kWp on rooftop installs, higher for BIPV alternatives where required by heritage context. Cash payback 4-7 years; PPA route delivers cash-flow positive month one.
Planning route — City of London
City of London Corporation LPA. Active Conservation Areas: Bank, Eastcheap, Smithfield, Whitefriars, Postman's Park. Strong heritage planning regime. For most City of London commercial offices, solar PV up to 50 kWp on non-listed buildings is Permitted Development under Class A Part 14 GPDO 2015. Above 50 kWp requires Prior Approval (56-day determination). Listed buildings need Listed Building Consent regardless of size — our 78% approval rate across heritage settings holds for City of London too.
The City of London opportunity
PRA SS3/19 climate financial risk; SBTi-committed financial services; insurance sector NZIA alignment. Combined with MEES 2030 enforcement landing 1 April 2030, the capex window for landlord and occupier action is the 2026-2028 cycle.
What we deliver
- Free desk feasibility study with PVSyst yield modelling — 7 working days
- Fixed-price proposal with all four finance routes (cash, asset finance, operating lease, PPA)
- Planning route assessment + application drafting where Prior Approval or full planning required
- G99 DNO grid connection management — Tower Hamlets / Westminster / City of London / etc network engagement
- MCS-certified install with NICEIC electrical certification + 10-year IWA-backed warranty
- Scope 2 Disclosure Pack on commissioning — SECR-ready text, CDP response, TCFD mapping