Solar PV systems are becoming increasingly popular across the UK, becoming cheaper and easier to produce, meaning there has probably never been a better time to have solar panels installed. With energy prices having escalated in recent years, many households are looking for ways of being more energy efficient through renewable energy sources.

Solar panels offer a straightforward and convenient way of harnessing solar power and using this to generate your own electricity. While there are other solar options such as solar thermal panels, which are used to generate hot water, these are not as commonplace and don’t usually generate sufficient hot water to fully meet a household’s hot water demand.

No. No red tape, no hassle – most solar PV systems don’t need any special permission from your local authority to be fitted onto your home.

The only exception to this is if you live in a listed building or live in a designated Conservation Area or World Heritage site. Even then, you can still have solar panels installed – they just need to fit onto a roof that isn’t visible from a road.

There’s a big difference between sunlight and daylight. Solar panels need daylight to generate power – not the sun’s rays. In recent years, solar panel manufacturers have become more adept at producing solar panels that are better able to generate electricity even when the conditions are less than perfect.

This means you can still generate power with solar panels even on cloudy days. In fact, less direct sunlight can sometimes be beneficial – too much heat can reduce the power solar panels capture and the electricity generated by up to 25%.

You don’t have to add a smart solar battery when you install solar panels. However, without battery storage, you will only be able to use the electricity your new PV panels generate for your home at the time it is generated, rather than generating energy for later use.

When there is no solar energy to tap into, your energy supply will revert back to the Grid for its electricity supply. A smart solar battery stores your energy ready so you can use it or store it for when you need it. It is also possible to sell surplus electricity produced by your solar PV system back to the grid in return for payment under the Smart Export Guarantee (which for new applicants replaced the previous Feed in tariff (FIT) scheme).

Absolutely! One of the main appeals of solar systems in general is that they can be tweaked to suit you. Of course, we recommend installing solar panels and batteries together right away to maximise your system from the get-go, but you don’t have to.

If you decide at first that a solar battery isn’t necessary for your system, that’s fine. You can always change your mind after the fact, and one of our expert installers will be more than happy to come back and fit a battery, so your solar panels work better for you.

During your free home survey, one of our solar energy specialists will assess your home and rooftop – this will determine what solar installation, if any, is suitable for your home and how many solar PV panels you will need to produce sufficient energy for your household requirements.

We can calculate how much electricity your household is likely to need and also give you a good idea of how much money you could make by trading your solar energy on the Grid via SEG.