Why sub-type matters
Office buildings differ by sub-type in three economically material ways: occupancy pattern (single-occupier owner vs multi-tenant landlord vs serviced operator) drives lease structure and capex recovery options; building scale drives system sizing and per-kWp cost; and regulatory exposure (MEES, public-sector procurement, FTSE supplier audit demands) drives the urgency.
A 6,000 sqm coworking space in Shoreditch needs a fundamentally different solar proposition from a 6,000 sqm NHS Trust admin building in Manchester — same floor area, very different drivers. The eight sub-type pages below set out those differences explicitly.
The eight sub-types
Corporate Headquarters
300-1000 kW · 6-year payback
- Project value
- £270,000-£900,000
- Annual generation
- 275,000-920,000 kWh
- CO₂ saved/year
- 63-210 tonnes
Multi-Let Office Buildings
100-500 kW · 7-year payback
- Project value
- £90,000-£450,000
- Annual generation
- 92,000-460,000 kWh
- CO₂ saved/year
- 21-105 tonnes
Serviced & Managed Offices
75-400 kW · 7-year payback
- Project value
- £68,000-£360,000
- Annual generation
- 69,000-368,000 kWh
- CO₂ saved/year
- 16-84 tonnes
Coworking Spaces
50-200 kW · 6.5-year payback
- Project value
- £45,000-£180,000
- Annual generation
- 46,000-184,000 kWh
- CO₂ saved/year
- 10-42 tonnes
Business Parks & Office Parks
200-2000 kW · 6.5-year payback
- Project value
- £180,000-£1,800,000
- Annual generation
- 184,000-1,840,000 kWh
- CO₂ saved/year
- 42-420 tonnes
Government & Public Sector Offices
150-800 kW · 7-year payback
- Project value
- £135,000-£720,000
- Annual generation
- 138,000-735,000 kWh
- CO₂ saved/year
- 32-168 tonnes
Professional Services Offices
60-300 kW · 6.5-year payback
- Project value
- £54,000-£270,000
- Annual generation
- 55,000-276,000 kWh
- CO₂ saved/year
- 12-63 tonnes
Tech & Software Offices
100-500 kW · 6-year payback
- Project value
- £90,000-£450,000
- Annual generation
- 92,000-460,000 kWh
- CO₂ saved/year
- 21-105 tonnes
Which sub-type are you?
A short decision tree to match your situation to the right sub-type page:
- You own the building you occupy. Single-occupier owner — likely Corporate Headquarters if 15,000+ sqm; Professional Services Offices or Tech & Software Offices if smaller.
- You let space to multiple tenants. Multi-let Office Buildings — focus on service-charge cost recovery, RICS Code 2018, MEES 2030.
- You operate flexible office space. Serviced & Managed Offices or Coworking Spaces — operator-funded with inclusive rent / member-rate uplift.
- You manage a multi-building estate. Business Parks — estate-wide masterplan, portfolio procurement, shared battery + EV charging.
- You're in the public sector. Government & Public Sector Offices — Salix PSDS funding up to 100% capex grant.
Cross-sub-type comparison
For buyers comparing sub-types or who occupy a building that spans multiple, the table below summarises the headline numbers:
| Sub-type | System size | Project value | Payback | CO₂ saved/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corporate Headquarters | 300-1000 kW | £270,000-£900,000 | 6 yr | 63-210 t |
| Multi-Let Office Buildings | 100-500 kW | £90,000-£450,000 | 7 yr | 21-105 t |
| Serviced & Managed Offices | 75-400 kW | £68,000-£360,000 | 7 yr | 16-84 t |
| Coworking Spaces | 50-200 kW | £45,000-£180,000 | 6.5 yr | 10-42 t |
| Business Parks & Office Parks | 200-2000 kW | £180,000-£1,800,000 | 6.5 yr | 42-420 t |
| Government & Public Sector Offices | 150-800 kW | £135,000-£720,000 | 7 yr | 32-168 t |
| Professional Services Offices | 60-300 kW | £54,000-£270,000 | 6.5 yr | 12-63 t |
| Tech & Software Offices | 100-500 kW | £90,000-£450,000 | 6 yr | 21-105 t |
If you're not sure which sub-type your building fits best, send us your building details via the quote form and we'll confirm in our free feasibility study. Many UK offices span multiple categories (e.g. a multi-let serviced office) — we recommend the structural and commercial approach that best fits.