Solar and battery FAQs,
answered plainly.

It is our first step on every project. Send us a recent electricity bill and a few details about the property or site, and a UK engineer will work out an estimated system size, savings forecast, carbon reduction estimate and indicative ROI. There is no obligation.

Many pitched and flat roofs are suitable. What matters is the direction and pitch of the roof, shading from trees, chimneys or nearby buildings, the condition and structure of the roof, and the space available. East- and west-facing roofs can also work well. We check all of this at survey, and on flat roofs we can use ballasted mounting that does not penetrate the roof covering.

It depends on the size of the system, your roof, the equipment you choose, whether you add a battery or EV charger, and access such as scaffolding. We give you a written quotation after survey, so you can see what is included before you decide.

We deliver commercial and public sector projects across England from our offices in Coventry, Leeds and London. For homes, we install across the Midlands. Give us your postcode and we will confirm on the first call.

Yes. We are an MCS-certified installer, and MCS certification is what makes a smaller installation eligible for the Smart Export Guarantee. We also hold NICEIC, RECC, TrustMark, CHAS and Constructionline accreditations.

Our engineers, electricians and roofers are our own in-house UK team, from survey to maintenance. On occasion we work with trusted specialist sub-contractors for particular parts of a project. No call centres.

No. We are not a lead broker. Every enquiry goes only to our in-house UK team, and we never sell your details.

It depends on your roof, how much electricity you use and when, and your tariff. Rather than quote a generic figure, your feasibility study works it out from your own consumption.

Yes, for now. Solar panels and battery storage installed in homes in Great Britain currently attract 0% VAT under HMRC’s energy-saving materials relief, which is due to run until 31 March 2027. The relief does not cover EV chargers. We cannot give tax advice, but your quotation will show how VAT has been applied.

Usually not. Rooftop solar on most homes in England is permitted development, and the rules have been updated in recent years. Listed buildings and properties in conservation areas may need consent, as may some flat-roof and ground-mounted systems. We will flag anything relevant at survey.

We deal with it for you. Small systems are usually notified to your Distribution Network Operator under G98 after connection. Larger systems, and batteries or inverters above the G98 threshold, need a G99 application and approval before connection. We prepare and submit the paperwork.

Usually, yes. A battery can normally be added to an existing solar PV system, whoever installed it. We check compatibility with your inverter and wiring at survey and recommend a battery that suits how you use electricity.

Yes. We design every system with the next step in mind, and we support solar systems whoever originally installed them.

Some can. Backup depends on the battery and how it is wired: a Tesla Powerwall 3 with a Gateway, for example, can provide backup during a power cut, while other set-ups cannot. If backup matters to you, tell us at survey and we will design for it.

Yes. A smart EV charger with a solar-diversion mode, such as a Zappi, can send surplus solar generation to your car instead of exporting it to the grid. With a home battery, you can also use stored energy. We are an OZEV approved installer and fit chargers alongside new or existing solar.

Yes. We are an Octopus Energy Trusted Partner and design solar and battery systems to work with smart import and export tariffs.

Under the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG), an SEG-licensed electricity supplier pays you for the electricity you export to the grid. Each supplier sets its own rates and terms, so it is worth comparing them. Installations up to 50 kW need MCS certification to qualify, which every system we install has.

Yes. We set up the manufacturer’s monitoring app or portal, such as SolarEdge, Enphase, Tesla or Sigen, so you can see generation, battery use and what you import and export. We show you how it works at handover.

It depends on your daytime load, how much of the generation you use on site, your roof or land, your tariff and the finance route. Sites with steady daytime demand tend to use more of their own generation, which usually improves the return. Your feasibility study works out an indicative ROI from your own consumption data.

No. Alongside direct purchase we can structure operating lease and third-party PPA routes, so the installation can sit on or off the balance sheet.

Commercial installations are normally charged at the standard 20% rate, which VAT-registered businesses can usually reclaim. The 0% rate applies to residential accommodation and buildings used solely for a relevant charitable purpose. Please check your own position with your accountant.

Yes. Commercial installations are planned around RAMS and scheduled around your operating hours, tenants and site access.

Yes. We install battery storage and commercial EV charging alongside new or existing solar PV. Our phased programme for Integral Memory PLC, for example, combined rooftop solar, Tesla Powerwall 3 storage and Rolec EV charging across two sites.

Constructionline, CHAS, MCS, RECC, NICEIC and TrustMark, all verifiable before tender.

Yes, in most commercial cases. Larger systems need a G99 application and DNO approval before connection, and the timing can affect your programme. We prepare and manage the application for you.

Yes. The free feasibility study produces the figures an application needs, and we support the evidence and delivery programme behind it. The Funding Hub sets out the seven funding areas we support projects through.

Yes. We provide the accreditation, insurance, health and safety and policy documentation your route requires, whether that is a framework call-off, a compliant quotation process or a direct award.

We plan the programme back from the deadline and run surveys, design, DNO applications and procurement documentation side by side. If a date is not realistic, we tell you early.

Often, yes. Listed buildings and conservation areas need consent, and churches may need a faculty. We survey first, advise on what is realistic and design for the most discreet, sympathetic placement.

Yes. We schedule installations around the working day, term dates, services or clinical activity, and agree the programme with you.

It can. The 0% rate on solar PV, heat pumps and battery storage currently covers buildings used solely for a relevant charitable purpose, as well as residential accommodation. Whether your building qualifies depends on how it is used, so please confirm with your finance team or adviser.

MCS certificates, electrical test certificates, DNO confirmation, as-built information, monitoring access and an operations and maintenance plan.

Our Operations & Maintenance division handles planned maintenance, fault response and repairs, insurance repair works, mechanical solar panel cleaning, inverter replacement and monitoring. We look after systems we installed and systems installed by other contractors.

Not a great deal, but they are not maintenance-free. Periodic inspections, electrical checks and cleaning where needed help a system keep performing as designed. We offer planned maintenance for homes and businesses, including systems installed by other companies.

Check your monitoring app and the inverter display for an error message, then call us on 0330 043 1047. Our team handles fault finding and repairs, including inverter replacement, on systems we installed and systems installed by others.

Manufacturer warranties on all equipment, typically 10 to 25 years on panels, plus our own workmanship warranty. The specific terms are set out in your quotation.

Call us. Our insurance repair works cover storm damage, fire damage, impact damage, water ingress and system reinstatement, and we carry them out once the repair is approved. We do not act for the insurer and cannot guarantee the outcome of a claim.

It depends on the site. We carry out mechanical cleaning on a schedule agreed with you, or combine it with an inspection visit, from a single roof to large-scale solar.