Powering a Local Pub with Solar – The White Horse, Upton
07/09/2026
The White Horse in Upton is a fantastic local pub and a long-standing customer of Green Home Energy Solutions. After investing in solar PV, the team returned to us to explore how they could generate even more of their own electricity and further reduce their reliance on the grid.
Expanding Their Solar Generation
The latest design significantly increases the pub's renewable generation, with a 21.36 kWp solar PV system consisting of 48 JA Solar 445W panels, paired with a 20kW Solis inverter.
For a busy hospitality business like The White Horse, solar is particularly well suited. Refrigeration, kitchen equipment, lighting and other electrical systems create a consistent daytime demand, allowing a large proportion of the electricity generated on the roof to be used directly within the business.
Making the Most of Solar
The system is estimated to generate approximately 15,850 kWh of renewable electricity each year. Based on the pub's estimated annual electricity consumption of 75,000 kWh, around 14,265 kWh of that solar generation is expected to be used directly on site – approximately 90% of everything the system produces.
At the electricity prices used when the system was designed, this represented an estimated £3,344 benefit in the first year, with an indicative payback period of just under five years. Actual savings will naturally depend on electricity prices, consumption and system performance.
The environmental benefit is significant too, with the system estimated to avoid approximately 4.6 tonnes of CO₂ emissions each year.
A Local Relationship That Has Grown Over Time
What makes this project particularly special to us is that it isn't our first solar installation at The White Horse. Having worked with the pub previously, we've been able to return as their requirements have grown and solar technology has continued to develop. It's a great example of how solar doesn't necessarily have to be a one-time investment. As a business changes, additional roof space and newer technology can provide opportunities to generate more electricity and further reduce dependence on the grid. For us, it's also exactly what being a local, long-standing installer is about: building relationships with customers and still being here when they need us again.