Solar PV on third-party roofs – clarifying roles to unlock community projects

Community buildings across Scotland – from schools and leisure centres to council offices and community hubs – represent a significant, and still largely untapped, opportunity for local renewable energy.

But while rooftop solar is technically straightforward, delivering projects on third-party buildings is rarely simple. Questions about who does what – and when – can slow projects down or stop them altogether.

Solar PV on Third-party Roofs: Roles and responsibilities, commissioned by Local Energy Scotland for the Scottish Government’s CARES programme, is designed to address exactly that challenge.

It provides a practical, step-by-step roadmap for community energy organisations and building owners developing rooftop solar PV systems together.

Why third-party roofs matter

In towns and cities, large sites for onshore wind or ground-mounted solar are often limited. By contrast, public and commercial buildings offer:

• Suitable roof space
• Predictable daytime electricity demand
• Long-term partnership opportunities.

For building owners, partnering with a community energy organisation can reduce energy costs without upfront capital expenditure, strengthen ESG credentials and support wider priorities such as local wealth building and tackling fuel poverty.

For community organisations, these projects can deliver stable long-term income through Power Purchase Agreements, increase local ownership of the energy system and generate surplus funds for reinvestment in the community.

A structured pathway from idea to end-of-life

The guide breaks the development process into nine stages – from identifying a site and undertaking pre-feasibility work, through grid connection and financing, to long-term operations and end-of-life planning.

At each stage, it sets out:

• Responsibilities at a glance for both the community organisation and the building owner
• The agreements and documentation typically required
• Practical guidance to navigate technical, legal and commercial issues.

Key topics covered include:

• Site identification and early-stage feasibility
• Negotiating roof leases and Power Purchase Agreements
• Planning permission and building warrants in Scotland
• Grid connection applications and DNO engagement
• Blending grants, equity and debt finance
• Procurement, CDM compliance and installation management
• Monitoring, maintenance and insurance arrangements
• End-of-life options, decommissioning and recycling.

Throughout, the emphasis is on clarity, early engagement and formalising expectations – reducing risk for both parties and strengthening project viability.

Enabling confident partnerships

Community energy partnerships succeed when both sides understand the process and their respective obligations. By clarifying roles across the full project lifecycle – including finance, insurance, procurement and decommissioning – this guide aims to give both community groups and building owners the confidence to move from interest to delivery, turning roof space into real projects.