UK warehousing sector accelerates adoption of solar power and skills development at 2026 conference
The warehousing sector is navigating a period of rapid change, with energy, skills and technology joining more familiar concerns about space and logistics. According to the original report in Warehouse News, the UK Warehousing Association (UKWA) is positioning itself as a practical partner for members as those shifts accelerate, offering guidance on rooftop solar, training pathways and the potential of artificial intelligence for operators.
UKWA has pinned a major outreach effort to its National Conference on 4 March 2026 at the East Midlands Conference Centre in Nottingham. Sponsored by Kallikor, the event will bring together practitioners and technology providers for sessions on the potential benefits of AI for warehouse operations, the growing importance of cybersecurity, and practical breakouts on warehouse management systems, real estate, skills and sustainability. Industry gatherings such as this aim to move debate from abstract strategy to implementable practice by matching peer experience with vendor insight.
Energy costs and decarbonization remain central concerns as warehouses electrify and seek resilience against volatile prices. UKWA has made rooftop solar a visible priority, producing what it calls a Solar Toolkit to support an industry “rooftop revolution”. The resource is described as an end-to-end guide that walks owners and occupiers through planning, installation, financing, insurance and optimization, and uses real-life case studies to illustrate common challenges and solutions. According to UKWA materials, the toolkit is intended to reduce barriers to deployment and accelerate the sector’s contribution to national renewables targets.
That work sits against broader government initiatives. UKWA has publicly welcomed the UK Government’s Solar Roadmap and emphasized its own role in translating policy into projects at scale for the warehousing estate. The toolkit’s launch, signalled at industry events and supported by a foreword from Michael Shanks MP, Minister for Energy, underlines the political as well as commercial momentum behind rooftop arrays on distribution buildings. UKWA frames the guide as a practical counterpoint to policy, offering templates and case studies that help organizations cost, finance and stage projects.
Skills and professional standards form the second pillar of UKWA’s approach. Driving up workforce capability is foregrounded through the Warehouse Manager Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) and a wider suite of short courses delivered through UKWA Learning. According to the association, the CPC attracts delegates from major retailers, charities and logistics providers, and the body uses its seat on the Government’s Freight Workforce Group to press for reforms, including changes to the Apprenticeship Levy and recognition of the CPC within wider apprenticeship frameworks. For association members, that combination of training and policy engagement aims to convert sector-level advocacy into tangible upskilling pathways.
Finally, UKWA continues to emphasize community and recognition. Its calendar for 2026 includes the Awards for Excellence on 15 July at The Royal Lancaster London and social and political fixtures such as the Annual House of Lords Luncheon, designed to bring operators, clients and policy-makers together. The association says these events are as much about celebrating achievement as they are about creating the informal networks through which best practice spreads. Membership, UKWA asserts, is where those technical resources and professional networks converge.