Industries
Solar and Battery for Logistics and Distribution Centres: A Complete Guide
Logistics and distribution centres have two things in abundance: big roofs and big power bills. That combination makes solar and battery one of the most practical upgrades you can make to a warehouse or DC.
Why logistics sites are well suited to solar
Distribution centres tend to have large, uncluttered rooftops and steady daytime operations, which is close to the ideal profile for commercial solar. Much of your load happens while the sun is up: lighting, HVAC, chargers, conveyors and cold storage.
Because so much of your consumption overlaps with generation, a well-designed system can offset a meaningful portion of grid power during the working day. The exact amount depends on your tariff, your shift patterns and how much roof you can use.
- Large roof area with few obstructions
- Consistent daytime energy demand
- Loads like refrigeration and charging that run for long hours
- Scope to scale from smaller arrays up to MW-class systems
Understanding your load profile
Before specifying anything, it pays to understand how and when your site uses power. A single-shift DC looks very different to a 24/7 operation with cold storage and overnight picking.
Your energy bill usually carries two separate costs worth watching: the energy you use (per unit) and demand or capacity charges based on your peak draw. Solar chips away at the first, while a battery can help manage the second. A site review of your interval data is the honest way to see which lever matters most for you.
- Shift patterns and after-hours activity
- Refrigeration and climate control loads
- Forklift and EV charging schedules
- Peak demand events that drive demand charges
Where a battery earns its keep
Solar alone is powerful, but a battery changes what's possible. It lets you store surplus midday generation and use it later, keep critical systems running through outages, and shave peaks that would otherwise spike your demand charges.
This is where ATI's AI-driven energy arbitrage comes in. The battery can charge when power is cheap and discharge or export when it's dear, responding to your tariff automatically. For sites on time-of-use or wholesale-linked pricing, that behaviour can add up over time. How much depends on your tariff and network conditions.
- Shift solar into evening and overnight operations
- Reduce peak demand charges
- Backup for critical refrigeration and systems
- Arbitrage: charge cheap, discharge or export when dear
EV fleets, forklifts and future load
Logistics is electrifying fast. Forklifts have been battery-run for years, and more fleets are moving to electric vehicles. Both add significant new load, often concentrated at particular times of day.
Designing solar and storage with that future in mind means you don't have to redo the work later. We factor in charging schedules and headroom so your electrical infrastructure can grow with the operation rather than holding it back.
Installation and keeping operations running
Warehouse and DC installs have their own challenges: roof access, racking that suits the structure, cable runs across large footprints, and switchboard work that can't interrupt dispatch.
ATI uses its own in-house team rather than subcontractors, and we're CEC and SAA accredited. That means one accountable crew planning the work around your operating hours so your site keeps moving. We've delivered projects at this scale before, including a 415kW rooftop at DB Santasalo in Bulli, along with work for Garmin, Goldschmidt and others.
- Structural and roof assessment up front
- Staged work to protect dispatch and uptime
- Switchboard and metering handled in-house
- Accredited team, Australia-wide
Getting the numbers right for your site
Every distribution centre is different, so real figures on savings, system size and payback only come from reviewing your actual site and energy data. Generic estimates rarely survive contact with a real load profile.
If you'd like to know what solar, battery and energy arbitrage could do for your facility, book a site review with ATI. We'll look at your roof, your bills and your operations, then give you a clear, honest picture of what makes sense.
A large warehouse roof is often an underused asset that can offset a serious chunk of your daytime load, and a battery helps you manage demand charges and after-hours running.
Want the numbers for your site?
We design, install and deliver commercial solar, battery and AI-driven energy systems Australia-wide — in-house, no subcontractors. A site review models your real load and tariff to show what's actually worth it.
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