Install solar panels

Solar panel installation starts with roof orientation, shading, usable roof area, roof condition, inverter location, consumer unit, export limits, battery use and future EV charging. A typical home system often uses 8 to 12 panels, but roof geometry matters more than averages.

Good Solar panel installers check the roof before selling a system. Old tiles, weak fixings, awkward scaffolding, shading from chimneys or a full consumer unit can change the quote and the payback.

A home solar PV system may include panels, inverter, optimiser, battery, scaffold, bird protection, consumer unit work, DNO application, monitoring and MCS paperwork. A battery or EV charger changes the design.

A complete quote should show system size in kWp, estimated annual generation, battery capacity, inverter details, warranties, scaffold, DNO process and handover documents. Without those, a low headline price can hide gaps.

Many UK home solar systems cost around GBP 5,000 to GBP 9,000, depending on size and roof access. A battery often adds roughly GBP 4,000 to GBP 8,000, while scaffolding, consumer unit upgrades and complex roofs can raise the total.

Compare cost per kWp, inverter and battery warranty, scaffold, bird mesh, electrical work and projected savings. Payback depends on self-consumption, export tariff, shading and electricity prices.

The process runs from desktop design and roof survey to DNO notification or application, scaffold, roof mounting, electrical installation, commissioning, MCS certificate and export tariff setup. The roof work may take one to two days, but paperwork can take longer.

If the roof needs repair, do that before installing solar. Removing panels later to fix old tiles or felt is expensive and avoidable.

Panel efficiency, product warranty, degradation, inverter reliability, optimiser use, battery chemistry and monitoring platform all matter. Optimisers are useful for shading but not required on every roof.

Bigger batteries can look attractive but may sit empty in winter and full in summer. Good design uses consumption data, tariff strategy and expected EV or heat pump demand.

Before installation, clear loft access, meter cupboard access and driveway space for scaffold or materials. Weather can move roof dates.

Allow time for DNO steps and export tariff setup after commissioning. Savings start properly when monitoring and export payments are active.

Common mistakes are oversizing the battery, ignoring roof condition, weak shading analysis, no DNO clarity and assuming every system needs optimisers. Listed buildings, conservation areas and flats may need extra checks.

Use the customer guide, funding page and project checklists to compare solar quotes by full design, not just panel count. Ask how the system handles export limits, outages and future EV charging.