Short answer
Restaurant solar energy aims to cover the daytime consumption of cold rooms, refrigerators, A/C and kitchen equipment with rooftop production. In Antalya, both A/C load and solar output rise in the summer season, which strengthens the fit. Businesses that operate mainly in the evening need a battery or a moderate size; the right solution is set by load analysis.
Key takeaways
- In restaurants and cafes, refrigeration and A/C peak in the summer months when solar output is highest.
- In restaurants that mainly work in the evening, much of the daytime production may not be consumed directly; sizing is done accordingly.
- Net metering for non-residential sites has been hourly since 1 May 2026; surplus is valued at the active energy unit price.
- In central Antalya, annual specific yield with optimum installation is about 1,656 kWh/kWp (PVGIS 5.3).
- For tenant businesses, the property owner's approval and a document showing the right of use are needed.
Restaurant solar energy is an investment aimed at reducing the electricity cost of loads such as the kitchen, refrigeration units and dining-room air conditioning with solar electricity produced on the roof. In Antalya, when the tourist season, hot weather and heavy refrigeration need come together, businesses consume a lot of electricity during the year. In this article we cover the load structure of restaurants and cafes, which loads a solar system can cover and the points to watch.
Where does the electrical load in restaurants and cafes come from?
A restaurant's consumption consists of a few main items, and their timing determines the solar fit:
- Refrigeration: Refrigerators, deep freezers, cold rooms and drink cabinets. Compressors run all day and kick in more often in summer.
- Climate control: Dining-room and kitchen air conditioners, extractors and ventilation. In Antalya, the average temperature in July is 28.6 °C and the average maximum is 34.2 °C; this raises the A/C load.
- Kitchen equipment: Electric ovens, dishwashers, hobs and hood fans.
- Lighting and auxiliary loads: Signage, decorative lights, POS and the music system.
Of these items, refrigeration and A/C also run continuously in the daytime, which gives a natural overlap with solar production. Lighting and evening service, by contrast, come on mainly after sunset. To see in detail the relationship between air-conditioning consumption and a solar system, you can read our article on air-conditioning consumption and solar panels.
Daytime cafe, evening restaurant: fit by business model
The value of solar energy depends on how much of the energy you produce you can consume yourself. Your business model directly affects this ratio:
| Business type | Load timing | Solar approach |
|---|---|---|
| Daytime-oriented cafe, patisserie, beach cafe | Busy from morning to evening, A/C and refrigeration continuous | High self-consumption; on-grid without battery is mostly enough |
| Restaurant with lunch and dinner service | Daytime refrigeration and preparation, heavy evening service | Medium fit; the system is sized moderately |
| Evening-oriented tavern, bar, restaurant | Load heavy in the evening and night | Low fit; a small system or battery is considered according to daytime refrigeration load |
| Seasonal business (open in summer, closed in winter) | High in season, low when closed | Closed-period production becomes surplus; size is chosen accordingly |
To balance daytime and evening load, some businesses shift the refrigeration programme to the daytime, move kitchen preparation to daylight hours or consider a hybrid solution for the evening load. For the logic of hybrid systems, you can look at our hybrid systems page; but remember that no payment is made for energy fed from a battery to the grid and that the battery's main purpose is to shift your own consumption to the evening.
Worked example: production expectation for a small restaurant
Let us make a hypothetical example: suppose a 10 kWp system is installed on the roof. With the PVGIS 5.3 reference, annual production in central Antalya facing south at optimum tilt would be about 10 × 1,656 = 16,560 kWh. About 1,680 kWh is expected in July and about 990 kWh in January. Because the summer months coincide with the business's busiest season, most of this production is consumed. In winter, if the business shrinks or closes, production becomes surplus.
In a real restaurant, roof tilt, orientation, ventilation stacks on a terrace roof, A/C outdoor units and the shadow of neighbouring buildings can pull this value down. So be cautious about production figures given without a site survey. To look at an initial size, you can use our solar energy calculator, and for the financial framework you can read our article on rooftop solar investment for businesses.
Regulation: what should you know as a commercial business?
Commercial subscribers cannot benefit from the residential exemption; so capacity is limited to contract power and annual production cannot exceed twice the annual total consumption of the related consumption facilities (for plants that received their connection approval letter (çağrı mektubu) after 12.05.2019). For non-residential sites, since 1 May 2026 generation and consumption are netted separately every hour. Surplus is valued at the single-rate active energy unit price of the relevant tariff; this amount is lower than the total unit price on the bill. So the aim is to match the production on the roof as far as possible with the business's own daytime load.
Roof and facade systems up to 25 kW apply through the simplified procedure and the system cannot exceed the contract power of the consumption facility. The application is made in Antalya through AEDAŞ's (Akdeniz Elektrik Dağıtım A.Ş., the local electricity distribution company) LUS platform. Main equipment must have been manufactured within the last five years, and running the system before acceptance is complete leads to disconnection and a 3-year application ban. If your business has more than one branch, you should also know that for net metering the generation and consumption facilities must belong to the same person (the same tax ID number, VKN) and to the same subscriber group.
Tenant businesses and building management
Most restaurants and cafes are tenants. For a detached building, the application needs a title deed, a lease or a document showing the right of use; in other words, the property owner's approval is essential. For shops under an apartment block or in a housing estate, a notarised copy of the "solar may be installed" decision in the resolution book is among the application documents. For the majority by which the decision must be taken, the owners' board decision and legal counsel should be the basis.
If the lease term is short compared with the payback period of the system, investing is risky. Matters such as lease extension and the transfer or removal of the system should be clarified in writing from the start. The property owner may want to draw up a separate contract on how the business can benefit from the production of a system installed in their name.
Roof, safety and aesthetics: special points on restaurant roofs
In restaurants and cafes in Antalya, flat reinforced-concrete terraces, tile roofs or solutions over a pergola are seen. On terrace roofs, extractor stacks, grease vapour and A/C outdoor units restrict placement; panels should be placed away from this equipment and with a ventilation gap. Grease and soot from kitchen flues can soil the panel surface, so a cleaning plan is important. The roof's load-bearing capacity must be assessed by a civil engineer; the distribution company and the municipality may ask for a structural suitability document.
For fire safety, the panel must be mounted on a fire-resistant surface with enough ventilation left behind it. In open areas seen by customers, it is also important that the cables and mounting structure are tidy and safe. For businesses on the coastal strip (Konyaaltı, Lara, Kemer, Alanya), a corrosion-resistant mounting structure is preferred against sea humidity and salt.
What does Solar Nexo do for these businesses?
Based in Kepez, Solar Nexo offers a free survey for on-grid, hybrid, off-grid and net metering systems. The process consists of the steps survey, project design, installation and commissioning, and maintenance and 24/7 technical support. On its website the company shares on-grid references such as a 450 kW commercial building roof and a 3.3 kW tiled-roof home; there is no reference presented as a restaurant or cafe project, and these examples are indicators of scale and technical experience. To start, you can request a survey through our contact page.
First reduce consumption, then cover it with solar
The cheapest way to make a solar system smaller is to cut consumption beforehand. Cleaning the condensers of refrigeration units, checking door gaskets, not leaving cold room doors open, maintaining A/C filters and using efficient equipment reduce the electrical load. A lower load means a smaller and more economical solar system. These items are discussed together at the survey; because a correctly sized system has a positive effect on both the investment amount and the payback process.
Another important point in a restaurant solar energy investment is monitoring: a business that follows production data daily notices panel soiling and any fault early. This data also helps you bring your consumption habits into line with the sun.
Checklist for a restaurant solar energy decision
- What are your working hours and your daytime/evening load split?
- How big is the summer-winter difference in your last 12 months of bills?
- Who owns the roof, what is your lease term and what is the property owner's approval status?
- Are shade and equipment placement on the terrace roof suitable?
- Is it possible to shift the refrigeration programme to the daytime?
- Are the equipment brand, warranty and application scope written in the quote?
Conclusion
Restaurant solar energy can be a meaningful cost tool for Antalya businesses where refrigeration and A/C loads are heavy in the daytime. Success depends on reading correctly the load timing by business model, roof conditions, regulatory limits and the tenancy situation. The healthiest path is to examine real consumption data at the survey and size the system moderately.
Frequently asked questions
Does solar make sense for a restaurant?
It can make sense for businesses with high daytime refrigeration, A/C and kitchen loads. In restaurants that mainly work in the evening, part of the daytime production may not be usable. For the decision, you should have a survey done with your last 12 months of bills and working hours, set a moderate system size and calculate payback realistically. Be cautious about quotes that promise firm savings.
Can air conditioners and refrigerators run on solar energy?
Yes, solar production directly feeds A/C and refrigeration loads during the day. Because compressors have a high starting current, the inverter and system size must be chosen accordingly. When the sun sets, the load is drawn from the grid; in a system without a battery, the grid is needed for refrigeration at night. So the grid connection is kept and the system works as a complement.
Is solar suitable for seasonal businesses?
It can be suitable, but in the closed period production becomes surplus and is valued only at the active energy unit price of the relevant tariff. So the system is sized moderately to in-season consumption. Because summer production is high in Antalya, the busiest period of seasonal businesses coincides with the sun. In the closed period, the regulatory rules on valuing surplus apply to the system's excess production.
I am a tenant; can I install solar panels on the restaurant's roof?
An application cannot be made without the property owner's approval and a document showing the right of use. For a detached building, a title deed, a lease or a right-of-use document is requested. If the lease term is short, the investment is risky; you should clarify the transfer and removal of the system in writing with the property owner. A lease-extension option also secures the investment; getting legal support on this is advisable.
How many kW of system does a restaurant need?
A starting value is found by dividing annual consumption by specific yield; for example, for 20,000 kWh a year, 20,000 / 1,656 ≈ 12 kWp. The real size varies with roof area, shade, self-consumption target and contract power. The exact size is set at the survey. The calculation should be supported by a year of bills and your working hours.
Can surplus production be sold by my business?
Surplus is valued within the framework of regulation; payment is made at the single-rate active energy unit price of the relevant tariff and is lower than the total unit price on the bill. For non-residential sites, net metering is hourly. So it is more valuable to size the system to the business's own daytime consumption. As prices and tariffs change, this calculation should be updated and decisions made with current data.
Does installing a restaurant solar plant stop the business?
Roof installation mostly does not interrupt the business, but a short power cut may be needed during connection and commissioning. It is possible to plan this outage for out-of-service hours. Ask for written information on the work programme and outage duration at the survey. That way you can plan your service in advance and have the work completed without affecting customer traffic.
Sources
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