Solar Panels: Are They Right For Me ?

I first published the text of this post on my website. As a consumer interested in installing solar panels in UK, I wanted to see what detailed advice was available on how to go about it, but didn't really find anything suitable. I decided to share my experience, as far as it went, in the hope that it would make life a bit easier for anyone else in the same boat.  

There is plenty of advice out there on the web, but it seems to be mostly from installers, who will naturally want to extol the benefits of their product, and won't necessarily want to highlight the pitfalls.

I've tried to do just that by taking the reader through what is likely to happen if you embark on a quest for solar panels yourself. 

I hope it's useful in helping you answer the question in the title......

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 Solar Panels: Are They Right For Me ?

Despite the relatively slow uptake of domestic micro-generation technology over the past decade, many of us are now looking more seriously at having solar panels fitted. The recent hikes in electricity prices and the prospect of more to come this autumn and winter have played a part in this trend, as has the rapid fall in the price of panels and the equipment required to run them.

Solar panels still represent a significant cost outlay, but should prove a worthwhile investment in the long run. Although there is no comparable grant aid scheme to that available for heat pumps, the new UK government may eventually relent and provide some financial assistance, given its pre-election and manifesto promises regarding promotion of  'all things green'.

The aim of this article is to take a hard look at the practicalities of designing, installing and troubleshooting a domestic solar panel system, from the viewpoint of  the average consumer.

I’ll use my own recent experience of the process as a consumer, to put some ‘meat on the bones’. Everyone’s experience is likely to be unique, however, so be prepared for things to go differently if, after you’ve read this, you do decide to go ahead yourself…..

First question - is it easy to find someone to install solar panels in UK, and if so, how do I go about it  ?

First, a bit of background. The solar installation industry in UK suffered a lean period in the late 2010s, after the old and quite generous feed-in tariffs introduced by the coalition government were abolished. It virtually collapsed at one point, in response to the marked downturn in customer interest, but the recent drive towards renewables has allowed it to take off again since the pandemic. This new impetus was caused by the realisation of successive governments that we’re not going to have enough power to satisfy our needs, once we’ve:

• closed down all our gas and coal-fired power stations, 

• decommissioned half of our nuclear stations, while we're waiting for new ones to come on stream.

• converted all our cars, buses and HGVs from fossil fuels to electric, 

• replaced all our gas central heating boilers with heat pumps, 

• etc, etc.….

We have to fill this imminent energy 'black hole' somehow, and quickly. Solar energy is one of the potential lifesavers. There is a vast area of unused space in the form of our roofs which could be used to harvest all the free sunlight hitting them, the vast majority of which is currently going to waste. 

As we'll see later on, government has not yet 'put its money where its mouth is' as far as domestic solar is concerned, and sadly, it's now doubtful whether they will any time soon. The reason is quite simple - it'll cost them, and they claim they're 'virtually broke'. Whereas commercial solar farms are generally private enterprise-funded, and just require a bit of assistance in the form of tax incentives to get schemes going, grants for consumers wanting to install panels would need to be at least 20-30% of the cost to provide enough of an incentive, i.e. at least £3k for a £10k 12-panel system with a battery. The cost to the treasury could quickly become burdensome if everyone decided to apply at once. 

For those with the necessary cash to invest, as of mid-2024 there are now a plethora of different companies vying to offer you their services to install panels on your roof. Both pricing and quality of service varies a lot, as you would expect. One of the more popular (and cheaper) options of getting into solar power micro-generation at a discount is to register for the ‘Solar Together’ nationwide auction scheme.

This is a specialist organisation run by iChoosr, which effectively partners with your local authority (LA) and holds an auction to select the best quote for installation packages from a series of pre-vetted suppliers. Auctions tend to be on a yearly basis in any given area, and the most competitive supplier’s bid wins. The discounts to the consumer, as compared with market prices can be as high as 30-35%, and the package offered includes guarantees. It is endorsed by the LA, so is to be recommended as a more reliable alternative to some of the independent opportunist ‘cowboy’ installers who are already starting to appear out of the woodwork.

If you do go down the Solar Together route, once you've registered for the scheme, you’ll receive an email when the next auction process is underway in your area. You'll then get a follow-up mail when the auction is complete, asking you to provide an outline of the type of system you would like to install, some details of your property, and the number of panels you think might fit on your roof. You’ll then get a personal recommendation from them based on the details you’ve provided and the packages their chosen installer are offering. 

If the quote proves too costly for your available funds, at this point you can simply ignore it, or just specify 'not interested' in reply to the mail. You'll get no further reminders, but you’ll still remain registered and will be notified when the next scheme comes round.

If you are interested in taking things further, you need to decide in more detail what sort of a system you want installed and where everything will go. Unless you’ve already been through the process before, and have already decided on a viable design for your system, you’ll first need to look at your roof, decide how many panels your roof can accommodate, and where best to put them. 

You will get more help with this later, of course, if you agree to an on-site survey by the installer company who won the auction. Be aware though, that this may be charged for by the installer, even if you decide not to go ahead with installation. 

It’s well worth making the effort to form you own ideas at this early stage in any case, to ensure the project is feasible; doing so will also help ensure you get what you want, not what is easiest (and most profitable!) for the installer. You’ll also need to decide whether you need to invest extra cash in a battery storage system – you’ll probably need one if you’re out all day and want to store some of the power you generate to use in the evening. A DIY 'audit' of your property with a view to designing a panel system may also help you identify problems which put you off proceeding any further, and this will avoid the need for an on-site survey (and its possible costs).

What do I need to think about ?

The first consideration is whether you have a south-facing roof – panels will work without direct sunlight, but the yield is a lot lower. Installers won’t normally recommend fitting them to a north-facing roof, or one that is heavily shaded by foliage, other buildings, etc. In the UK, the ideal situation is a south or southwest-facing roof pitched at ca 30 degrees to the horizontal with no shading or obstructions.

You’ll also need to estimate is how many panels you can fit on your roof. You can do this longhand if you wish, but I’ve put together some simple software in the form of an Excel workbook which runs on Windows versions 7.0 and above. This does the calculations for you - you can download it here. It also includes a detailed guide on what to put in, how the calculations are done....and how to measure your roof without breaking your neck.

As you'll see if you download the file, you can do all the measurements you need for the calculations yourself. From these, and the dimensions of the panel type your installer will be using, the worksheet will determine the maximum number of panels you can fit, assuming there are no obstructions on your roof. There is also a free-form design sheet included, where you can design a scaled plan of your own panel arrangement, and allow for obstacles (e.g. chimney stacks) if there are any. If you have figures for the wattage output of each panel from the installer, the worksheet will also calculate how many units you might expect to produce in the average year.

The next thing to think about is where you’ll need to site the additional electrics needed to harvest the power generated, convert it into 240v AC and feed it into your house wiring system and the grid. Again, your surveyor will generate a detailed proposed layout for you, but it’s wise to consider this carefully yourself beforehand, so that you’re better equipped to ask the surveyor questions, and most importantly, assess whether the installation plan they come up with actually works for you.

If anything, this part of the process is the most important of the lot for the consumer, since without it you may get lumbered with a system that doesn’t fulfill your needs properly, and may give you problems from Day 1. It's also likely to be more expensive, since installers will want to sell you all the 'trimmings'. Remember, you're only likely to fit a panel system to your property once, and it will probably outlast your own occupation of the house, so it needs to be right for you...and for whoever takes on the house after you.

The main constraints that govern where an installer can put things, and some of the pitfalls and requirements to be aware of, before you have your survey, are as follows:

1)   The inverter (which converts the DC output from the panels to AC current, which you can then either use at home or feed into the grid) is a key component of the system, and must have adequate ventilation to dissipate the heat it generates. It can’t be sited anywhere near internal water supplies within your house for safety reasons. Installers now also shy away from installing inverters in attics nowadays; this is to avoid any fire risk due to arcing. In practice, this usually means that your inverter will need to be sited outside the house.

2)   Although inverters are designed to be ‘weatherproof’ and can safely be mounted on an outside wall, they should be protected from the worst of any adverse weather. They are certainly not vandal-proof, so I would strongly advise against fitting them in an unprotected or open-plan area. If you do, the inverter and its exposed connections and cabling may well attract unwanted attention and could well also prove un-insurable. If damaged, either by vandalism or accident, the inverter and cabling could also put the rest of your electrics out of action or even cause a house fire. If you live in an open-plan area where your frontage cannot be fenced-off or gated (this is often the case on modern estates due to local covenants or local authority planning constraints), this will mean siting the inverter at the back of the house or in an adjoining garage. This, in turn, may present problems with cabling access if your meter cupboards are located in lockable cabinets accessible at the front of the house, as is common in new-build housing developments. Remember, you cannot enclose the inverter itself in a protective cabinet (as you can with metering equipment) due to its ventilation requirements, and your panels will continue generating high voltage DC current whenever it's light.

3)   If you opt for a battery system, this will also need to be sited close to the inverter, so will likely need to go outside – the same damage control issues with weatherproofing / accidents / security will then apply.

4)   If you live in an older property, your fuse box will probably need upgrading to accommodate the solar system connection - this should be possible, but note that it will attract an extra charge (usually £100-£200).

5)   Installers will normally try to route cabling from the panels to the inverter and meter cabinet outside the house to avoid internal drilling/ducting – this may affect the look of the front aspect of your house. Beware of this is you're particularly concerned about changes to the cosmetic 'look' of your property.

6)   If you’re hoping to export power to the grid and get paid for it, be aware that arranging this isn’t straightforward, despite what some panel installers may claim. Firstly, you will need a smart-meter capable of generating readings at least every 30 minutes. If you don’t yet have a smart-meter installed, or have an older one that’s not up to spec., you’ll need to request an export-compatible one from your power supplier. The installers won't offer to arrange this for you. You don’t actually need to do it until you’ve accepted your quote and have an installation date, but it’s advisable to get a request in as soon as you know you’re going ahead with installation. Although power suppliers in UK are required by law to provide a smart meter free of charge, they can be quite slow to install new meters, and it’s better to have it in place before the panels themselves are installed. This will help shorten the SEG tariff setup process (see 7) below), which includes providing a snapshot of your meter system and its export connections to the grid.

7)   In order to get paid for the power you generate, you’ll have to arrange a special tariff under the OfGem Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) scheme with your electricity supplier. Your installer should provide you with some of the documentation you need, but they won’t arrange it all for you. In practice it can take up to 12 weeks for power suppliers to put an SEG tariff in place from the time they receive all your documentation, and you won't get this 'package' until after your system is installed, so be prepared to wait a while for your first income to materialise. Your panels should, of course, start generating power from Day 1 after installation, and you can use any of the power you generate free of charge, but anything you don't use during this period will be sent to the grid as a ‘freebie’ for your supplier until your SEG account goes live.

8)   You’ll need a way to monitor how your system is performing and how much power you're exporting. Although this isn’t essential, and your smart-meter may in any case give you some of the info you need, it is recommended for diagnostic purposes, since without regular monitoring you won’t know if your system develops a fault, and stops generating power for you as it should. Most installers will offer what they call a ‘monitoring solution’, usually in the form of  cloud-based data collection, with online access through a smartphone app. Beware that this will require a wifi broadband connection to be active 24/7, and if you want it to keep monitoring your production, you can’t ever switch off your router or disconnect your wifi. Another thing to watch out for is that the smartphone apps that process the data tend only to be compatible only with the newest versions of Android or Apple operating systems, so be prepared to have to invest in a newer device if your existing ones aren’t bang up to date…..

So much for preparation work and potential pitfalls to be aware of – if, after reading this lot, you decide Solar is still for you, and want to proceed any further, you’ll need to accept the Solar Together personal recommendation, and pay your £150 deposit. 

One word of warning here: Although you can get this deposit back if you decide not to go ahead as the result of changes made to the spec. in your personal recommendation, the only effective way to establish what will or won't fit, and where it will need to go, is to have an on-site survey done. The installers will usually insist on this before they'll consider installing anything, and may not even offer a quote based on a remote desk-based survey at all. 

Be aware that you may be charged the full £150 for the on-site survey; this is only returnable under specific conditions. If you do decide to opt out after a full  survey, you might not get your deposit back. 

This isn't obvious from the blurb that Solar Together send you, since the conditions are buried in the small print, and the wording can be quite confusing - I'd advise you to look closely at this and if necessary take independent advice, if you're uncertain about proceeding further. Only agree to an on-site survey if you're serious enough about a system to be prepared to risk £150 on a proper feasibility check.

If you do decide to go ahead after the survey, Solar Together will then book a survey for you with their chosen installer. If you then go ahead and install, the survey cost will be deducted from the overall price when you pay the invoice after installation. Once you've accepted and paid your deposit, you should get a survey date within a month or so.

What happens at the survey, and what should you be aware of ?

You'll normally be given a time slot for the surveyor's arrival; most on-site surveys won’t normally take more than an hour or so.

The surveyor will need to see your electricity meter and distribution/fuse board. He/she will also need access to your roof space to check the condition of your roof internally and confirm it’s strong enough to bear the extra weight the panels and their mountings will place on it (up to ca 300kg). (NB: You’ll also need to clear out any stuff that might impede wiring work at some point before the installation itself – this could be a tall order for some attics I've seen!).

The surveyor will then physically measure the external dimensions of your roof (they’ll normally bring their own ladder and heavy duty tape measure for this task), and will also note any obstacles / shading, etc. They’ll then discuss wiring, siting for inverter, any additional fuse boxes and battery (if specified) with you to confirm you’re happy with their recommendations – you can use this opportunity to raise any concerns about security, aesthetics, etc. if necessary, and request changes. They’ll also develop a detailed job sheet for the installers, specifying the details of the installation, the siting and number of panels, projected yield and income, and they should also send you a copy of this.

Once the survey is complete, the surveyor should also send you a revised quote based on the job sheet data, for consideration. 

Note that this will almost certainly be different from your original personal recommendation, and it may well include a number of ‘extras’ you weren't expecting, such as additional fuse boxes, pigeon-proofing, additional safety equipment,  and even extra charges for additional scaffolding work/equipment. You may not see the need for all of these, so feel free to argue and request changes if you don't think an item is necessary. Bear in mind the surveyor will have an interest in selling you as much extra kit as possible, and may give you the 'hard sell' as a result - don't be brow-beaten into accepting anything you don't need or want.

At this stage you are not yet committed to go ahead with the installation, and can either request changes to the quote or even cancel the project entirely. 

If you decide not to go ahead, you can cancel at this stage, but as discussed above, you may not get your £150 deposit back. 

It’s worth taking a day or two at least before accepting your final quote from the installer, and if necessary take independent advice, or carry out further research yourself, so as to be sure what’s proposed is right for you. You can also discuss any problems identified with your surveyor, and request a revised quote if required.

Once you do accept the installer's final quote, the relevant consumer legislation entitles you to a 14-day cooling off period, during which you can cancel without obligation. After that you’re committed to the installation, and will normally be liable for a deposit of up to 25% of the quoted price. Be prepared to have the extra payment available at this stage. Your installer company will then give you a provisional installation date (6-8 weeks ahead is common), and they will also apply on your behalf to your regional power supply authority for some of the SEG paperwork you’ll need to set up an export tariff with your power supplier.

What happens at installation ?

The installation itself may be completed in a single day, but it will commonly take 2 days or more, depending on the complexity of the design. Before the installers arrive, you’ll need to make sure:

a)   There is a 4-meter deep clear area around your property where roof access is required to accommodate the scaffolding.

b)   You’ve cleared out your attic as far as is necessary to allow the installers to carry out their internal work on cabling, etc. (check this with the surveyor when he/she visits.)

c)   Your meters and internal fuse box are clear and accessible, along with any external areas where the inverter, and any extra fuse boxes, etc. are to be mounted.

Someone will also need to be available on the last day of installation to sign-off the work as completed – in practice I’d recommend someone be present in the house at all times during the installation for security reasons, given that the house will be open throughout to allow contractors access to roof-space, meter cupboards, etc..

It’s also worth noting that the scaffolding will stay in place well after the installation is complete, and can remain up for as long as 2 weeks. This is to allow independent inspections of the panels and installation quality after the event if your property is selected. You may also need to allow inspectors access to the meters and attic at some point during this period.

Troubleshooting

Hopefully your installation will be trouble-free, and your system will be working correctly when the installation is complete. You'll also have been shown how everything works, and you’ll have your monitoring solution in place...and hopefully know how to use it. This will allow you see what your system is generating and how much of this you are using / storing to battery/ exporting to the grid. Your installers should also have provided you with contact details for fault-reporting – make sure you use this if you suspect all is not well.

SEG Tariff application

The installer company should also provide you with any paperwork you’ll need for the SEG application once installation is complete. There may be a wait for some of it if there are delays due to the regional power authority. It’s advisable to contact your power supplier to let them know you now have a solar array connected to the grid,  and will be applying for an SEG tariff whenever the documentation is available.

One thing worth noting about the administrative aspects of domestic micro-generation is that your supplier will normally set up a new and separate SEG account for you – this is independent of your existing consumer electricity account with them, and any payments to you will be made separately. This arrangement is quite useful, as it means you can change the supplier for your SEG tariff without the hassle of moving your consumer account as well. 

This separation is just as well, given that not all suppliers are as generous as some. This is because OfGem's current rules mandate only that suppliers provide at least one SEG tariff - they don't specify any limits for the per unit price to be charged. As a result there is a lot of variation in rates.  Octopus Energy currently has some of the best SEG tariff rates (15p per unit for fixed price and up to 30p+ for their time-variable tariffs), whereas some of the more parsimonious suppliers pay as little 3p /KwH. The best advice is: be prepared to switch if necessary, but wait until your first SEG tariff is set up and running before doing so.  

Another important question is: 

Will I need to pay tax on any earnings ? 

At present, export payments for small domestic installations are generally not currently declarable as income for tax purposes in UK, provided they are made under the SEG scheme – be aware, though, that this concession could easily change in the autumn, given our new chancellor’s predilection for removing tax concessions and benefits without warning, in a (probably vain!) attempt to pay for supra-inflationary public sector pay increases and ‘balance the books’….

How much will a solar panel system cost me ?

I hesitate to answer my own question with another one, but 'How long is a piece of string ?' is probably an appropriate answer to that. The honest (and perhaps more useful!) response is that it depends very much on the system design. A simple 10-12 panel system without a battery could cost you around £7000 on the open market, and this could reduce to as little as £5000 under the Solar Together scheme. Unfortunately there is no government grant help available for Solar Arrays (despite the generous subsidy of up to £7500 still available for replacement heat pumps!), and I don't see any likelihood of this changing with the current austerity-obsessed regime in power, at least not until the financial situation improves. An additional battery system will cost you ca £2500-3000 extra on top, and other extras your installer will recommend (such as pigeon-proofing, car charger points, etc.) will likely bring the total to at least £10,000. I've added a new sheet to the calculations workbook dealing with costings in more detail which will allow you to make your own estimates of the total cost for your system. Download it from the link above if you haven't already done so.

Is it worth all the hassle ? 

The process as a whole is certainly not a trivial one, and is unlikely to be entirely trouble-free. It does require significant work and administrative effort on the consumer's part, and some nail-biting along the way. There are many hidden pitfalls and potential extra costs, and I've attempted to give some warning of these in the above article. In particular, beware of the deposit return issue I've highlighted,  and don't agree to an on-site survey unless you're prepared to pay for it, if needs be. Be prepared also for considerable disruption at home, both before and during the installation, and a potentially long-ish wait until you get any income from your panels. 

If you've used the Costs sheet to make an estimate of your installation and running costs, and compared them with possible earnings, you'll realise that at current per unit rates for export and supply you'll probably never make a 'profit', and will not recoup your initial outlay before you move elsewhere.  There's general agreement that a solar panel system is unlikely to add much value to the value of your property, given that most new builds now include a panel system as standard. It could even reduce its value if the installation is problematic or cosmetically unattractive.

Unless you're particularly 'green minded', you'd be better off investing the cash in a fixed term account and using the interest to buy the extra power you were planning to use ! If the government ever introduce grants for domestic solar, the financial equation may become more favourable, but I wouldn't hold your breath.....

You have been fore-warned.....and hopefully fore-armed

Good luck if you decide to go ahead - you may need it!

First published 31.8.24