Question 1

Will having solar increase my home's value? What happens if I want to sell?

Accepted Answer

A solar installation typically moves a home up at least one EPC band. On average: upgrading from an F to a C rating adds an additional 16% to the sold price of a property; E to C adds 8%; D to C adds 4%. The average UK house price is £271,900, so a 4% increase would be £10,876. Even if you haven't fully paid off your system when you sell, you'll likely recover the remaining cost through the sale price - plus the ongoing savings you banked while you owned it.

Question 2

How much does solar and battery cost to install? How quickly does it pay for itself?

Accepted Answer

For most homes, a solar and battery system typically costs between £7,500 and £12,500, depending on the size and type of your roof and system. Roughly half of that is equipment; the battery tends to be the most expensive single component at around £3,500. There is a zero rate of VAT on the installation of solar panels, battery storage and other energy-saving materials in homes, set to remain until 31 March 2027. Payback for self-funded homes ranges between 4-12 years depending on energy use; after that, savings are effectively income. By generating and storing your own power, most households can reduce or even eliminate their electricity bill. An average household can run at ~80% self-sufficiency.

Question 3

Can I combine solar panels with a home battery for maximum savings? How does solar power save me money on my bills?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Surplus solar gets stored in your battery for use at night or during peak pricing, so you buy less from the grid and lower your bills straight away. Any surplus you don't use can be sold back to the grid under the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG), provided you sign up for a SEG tariff and have a smart meter. Your battery can also earn extra by discharging stored power into the grid during peak price periods (typically 4-7pm) - on a 10kWh battery, this could add around £300 a year on top of your solar-storage savings.

Question 4

Can I get solar if I live in a conservation area or in a listed building?

Accepted Answer

In general, yes. There are a few additional rules to check: panels can't face the road or be visible on a principal or side elevation, and listed buildings need Listed Building Consent rather than standard planning permission. Roof slopes facing away from the street tend to fare better with planning officers, and every council takes a slightly different approach, so it's always worth checking your specific address against the local conservation area map before proceeding. We do this as standard, and we've fitted a good number of conservation area and listed building homes before, so we can talk you through the restrictions your home may face, and how we can either design a system around them or apply for planning permission.

Question 5

Can I have solar panels on a flat roof, or a mix of flat and pitched roof?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Flat roofs use a ballasted system, where panels sit in tilted trays weighted down rather than bolted through the roof, backed by a structural assessment and wind-loading calculations to confirm the roof can take it. A mix of flat and pitched roof is common, especially on terraces with a pitched front and flat rear extension, and just needs a bit more design care coordinating cabling between the two roof types.

Question 6

Do solar panels need maintaining?

Accepted Answer

Very little. Solar panels are designed to last: manufacturers warrant output for 25 years, with panels still producing at least 90% of their original capacity at that point. Howard's first installations from 2003 are still generating. If you can reach your panels or get a long-reach window cleaner to clean them occasionally, that helps, but it's not essential.

Question 7

How heavy are the panels? Is my roof strong enough?

Accepted Answer

An average panel weighs 18-22 kg, so an average solar array does add some weight to a roof, but it is spread out. As part of our design process, we take a roof survey where we assess how structurally sound your roof is. This is so that we are sure that your roof is strong enough for the system we've designed. We can always change the design to make sure it's suitable after the survey.

Question 8

I live in a flat or terrace with a shared roof, can I still get solar?

Accepted Answer

This depends on your tenure, and who owns the roof. If you own the roof outright, we can move forward and figure out any other considerations (e.g. conservation area status). If your roof is owned by the freeholder (and you're a leaseholder), or you share the freehold, we need freeholder consent - more complicated, but not impossible.

Question 9

Will solar work on my home? What if my roof isn't south-facing?

Accepted Answer

Solar works on most homes. East-, west-, or south-facing roofs are all good candidates, so your roof doesn't need to face south to get solar. As solar panel costs have dropped dramatically (a 500W panel is now roughly £100, compared to £800 for an 80W panel in 1999) we can install more panels on slightly less-optimal orientations and still make the numbers work. Flat roofs, or features like dormers, can reduce the available space, and Conservation Areas can be a bit more complicated, but complications don't mean it's impossible. Where a roof is more complex, a battery combined with a smart energy tariff can still deliver meaningful savings, even without a full solar array.

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