Should we buy commercial solar through an installer, a broker or a consultant?

What goes wrong, and what does it cost?

The usual mistake when choosing a route to buy commercial solar is assuming the adviser is unpaid or neutral, so the board approves a quote that was never tested against anything.

The board is asked to approve a quote, and nobody can say whether it is a good one. That is the real risk in every route, and it looks different in each.

• Assuming advice that costs you nothing is unpaid. Ofgem notes that an energy broker is typically paid via the energy supplier rather than directly by the customer ¹. Whoever pays an adviser can shape what the adviser recommends.
• Assuming energy-broker protections apply. Ofgem's broker rules cover energy supply contracts. We found no Ofgem or GOV.UK rule that covers advisers who arrange solar installations, so check before you assume protection.
• Treating a voluntary code as vetting. Ofgem lists the broker codes of practice as voluntary ¹. Membership on its own does not show that anyone has checked the adviser's work.
• Taking one proposal at face value. A single installer sets its own scope and yield assumptions, and you have nothing to benchmark them against.
• Waiting for regulation. The government plans to regulate brokers, but its factsheet of 4 November 2026 gives no commencement date ⁴.

The cost of each mistake is a project priced or scoped on assumptions you could not see. Our guide to comparing commercial solar quotes shows what to check in any proposal, whichever route produced it.

Who pays whom in each route?

Each route is paid differently: an installer earns a margin in the system price, a broker is typically paid by commission or fee, a consultant by a fee or a referral, and CH Group by a fee agreed in writing plus payments from its installer partners.

Going direct to an installer

You pay the installer. Its margin is inside the system price, and we found no public figure for typical margin. You get one point of accountability and, from installers that employ their own engineers, in-house design. One installer's own guide says it refuses broker commissions ⁵, which is that installer's own stated policy, not an industry rule.

An energy broker

Ofgem says brokers are typically paid through a service fee or commission added to the energy bill, and that this can misalign incentives ¹. Since 1 October 2024, where a broker's fee is paid through the energy bill, suppliers must show it as a cost per unit to all non-domestic customers ². That rule is written for energy supply contracts, and we found nothing showing it covers solar installations.

An independent consultant

We found no sourced figure for consultant fees. A consultant may charge you a fee or receive a referral payment from the installer. We found no source on which is more common, so ask which, and ask for the amount. A lead-generation site that does not install states that the installer pays it when a survey is arranged ⁶. That is an installer-paid referral model.

A procurement partner such as CH Group

CH Group's fee is agreed in writing before the client commits to anything. Its installer partners also pay CH Group. Every partner bids against the same brief, so no installer can buy a better place in the comparison. You should still ask any adviser, CH Group included, for the full terms in writing.

How do the four routes compare, and which suits whom?

Going direct, using a broker, hiring a consultant and using a procurement partner each suit a different buyer, and none is best for everyone.

The table shows how each route is paid, where the risk sits and which buyer it fits.

Our guide to commercial solar cost in the UK gives the public price ranges to test any proposal against.

Do the energy-broker rules protect a solar buyer?

The Ofgem rules on energy brokers, known as third-party intermediaries (TPIs), cover energy supply contracts and we found nothing showing they apply to advisers who arrange solar installations.

That is our reading of the sources, so confirm it with Ofgem before you rely on it. Three facts matter.

• Ofgem's 2022 guidance says it does not license brokers and has no legal power to require them to repay commission, and it set voluntary principles instead ³.
• Suppliers may only work with brokers that belong to a redress scheme for micro business contracts ². A buyer with a 100 kWp roof is usually not a microbusiness. Ofgem's 2022 guidance defines one as fewer than 10 employees with turnover or balance sheet up to £2m, or annual use of no more than 100,000 kWh of electricity or 293,000 kWh of gas ³.
• The government has said it will make Ofgem the regulator, with an authorisation process and powers to order redress, fine and ban. The factsheet gives no start date ⁴.

When is CH Group not the right route?

CH Group is not the right route for a small or simple system, for a buyer who already holds comparable quotes and trusts an installer.

• Small or simple systems. A controlled tender earns its place on larger sites. For a small or simple system, going direct to a reputable installer is usually proportionate.
• Quotes already in hand. If you hold comparable proposals and trust one installer, a tender adds time. We can put existing quotes on a single basis if you want a check, but you do not need to run a tender.
• A named expert. If you want one individual's technical opinion on a difficult roof, a consultant may fit better.

Our guides to timelines and grid connection and funding options apply whichever route you choose.