The Industrial Buildings and Industrial Clusters data layers are currently in a beta phase and are only available for select local authorities at this time.
Dataset Overview
The Industrial Clusters and Industrial Buildings data layers identify areas where commercial industrial buildings are concentrated in close proximity. For optimal viewing, place the Industrial Buildings layer over the Industrial Clusters layer.
Commercial Industrial buildings typically have high energy demand and emissions, though this varies by operational activity. The Industrial Buildings layer presents attributes like energy consumption and emissions at an individual building level, while the industrial clusters layer groups nearby buildings and aggregates these statistics for the entire cluster. Both layers also highlight opportunities for renewable energy integration, such as Rooftop PV, to support decarbonisation planning. Please note that some industrial buildings may not belong to a cluster but still hold relevance. These are classified as standalone industrial buildings and assigned Cluster ID = Outlier to indicate their independent status.
Industrial buildings and clusters are assessed for their proximity to renewable energy potential, including Rooftop PV, Ground Mount PV, Brownfield Sites, and Renewable Energy Planning Sites, within a 1km radius. This assessment helps identify opportunities for direct renewable energy integration and private wire connections. This dataset is designed to be used alongside other layers. For example, when viewing the ‘proximity to brownfield site’ field, enabling the Brownfield Sites layer in the Buildings folder allows direct visualisation of nearby sites. The same applies to REPD, Ground Mount PV, and Large-Scale Wind - activating these layers provides a clearer spatial understanding of renewable energy opportunities.
Figure: Shows Industrial Buildings & Industrial Clusters layered with Brownfield Sites (Brown Points), Renewable Energy Planning Database (Yellow), Ground Mount PV Potential (Grey).
The Industrial Buildings dataset is derived from Ordnance Survey (OS) AddressBase, specifically including properties classified under the 'CI' code (Commercial Industrial). Key characteristics such as annual energy demand and emissions were estimated using Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes combined with floor area data and energy expenditure statistics. Each building was assigned an 'Estimated SIC Code'.
Assumptions
Renewable potential sites (Brownfield Sites, Renewable Energy Planning Database, Ground Mount PV and Large Scale Wind) that are within 1km are deemed Proximity = TRUE, and therefore cost effective and realistic connections that can be made
A building's primary economic activity aligns with its assigned 3-digit SIC code and does not significantly deviate from the industry standard.
All buildings in a given SIC code share a consistent energy use intensity (kWh/m²/year), regardless of age or operational hours.
Energy demand per building is proportionally linked to its total floor area, and there are no major deviations due to technological efficiency or operational intensity.
Sources
Fields
Industrial Buildings Fields:
Field Name | Description |
Cluster ID | The cluster this building resides within. |
UPRN | Unique Property Reference Number |
Approximated SIC Code | Standard Industrial Classification code, used to categorise businesses by their primary economic activity. |
AddressBase Classification Code | Ordnance Survey Classification Code Description |
Estimated Greenhouse Gas Emissions [tonnes CO2e] | The estimated greenhouse gas emissons of this industrial building. |
Estimated Annual Energy Usage [kWh/yr] | The estimated annual energy usage of this industrial building. |
Rooftop PV Suitability | The overall suitability of the property for rooftop PV. |
Roof Area Suitable for PV [m^2] | The estimated area of the roof suitable for a PV array. |
Rooftop PV Annual Generation [kWh/yr] | The expected annual electricity generation of the PV array. |
Rooftop PV Remark | None |
Proximity to Ground Mount PV Potential | This building is within 1km of a land parcel suitable for Ground Mount PV. |
Proximity to Large Scale Wind Potential | This building is within 1km of a land parcel suitable for Large Scale Wind. |
Proximity to Brownfield Site | This building is within 1km of a Brownfield Site. |
Proximity to Renewable Energy Planning Site | This building is within 1km of a Renewable Energy Planning Site. |
Industrial Clusters Fields:
Field Name | Description |
Cluster ID | An Identification code unique to this cluster. |
Number of Buildings | The total count of commercial industrial buildings in this cluster. |
Most Common Approximated SIC Code | The most common approximated Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) Code across all Industrial buildings within this cluster. |
Second Most Common Approximated SIC Code | The second most common approximated Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) Code across all Industrial buildings within this cluster. |
Third Most Common Approximated SIC Code | The third most common approximated Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) Code across all Industrial buildings within this cluster. |
Total Estimated Greenhouse Gas Emissions [tonnes CO2e] | The total estimated greenhouse gas emissions for this cluster. |
Total Estimated Annual Energy Usage [kWh/yr] | The total estimated annual energy usage of all commercial industrial buildings in this cluster. |
Total Roof Area Suitable for PV [m^2] | The sum of the roof areas of all industrial buildings in this cluster that are suitable for PV installation. |
Total Rooftop PV Annual Generation [kWh/yr] | The total expected annual electricity generation of the PV arrays deployed on buildings suitable for PV in this cluster. |
Proximity to Ground Mount PV Potential | This cluster is within 1km of a land parcel suitable for Ground Mount PV. |
Proximity to Large Scale Wind Potential | This cluster is within 1km of a land parcel suitable for Large Scale Wind. |
Proximity to Brownfield Site | This cluster is within 1km of a Brownfield Site. |
Proximity to Renewable Energy Planning Site | This cluster is within 1km of a Renewable Energy Planning Site. |