Solar Panel Installers in the UK
Ten panels on the south roof and a battery in the garage, an export payment every month, the MCS certificate the tariff needs, a system that charges the car in the day, panels on a flat roof or a frame in the field, or a quote you can trust after the one from the man at the door: find a local solar installer people recommend.
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Finding a good solar panel installer in the UK
A home solar system is eight to sixteen panels on the roof, an inverter, and increasingly a battery, generating three to six thousand kilowatt-hours a year, roughly what a house uses; you use what you can, store some in the battery for the evening, and sell the rest to the grid through the Smart Export Guarantee. Panels last twenty-five years or more, need almost no maintenance, are permitted development on most roofs, and are exempt from VAT, so the whole question is the installer: an MCS-certified firm — the certification the export tariff, finance and insurance require — that surveys the roof properly, designs for your usage, and is still trading in five years.
Choosing well is about the quote and the design: a good quote shows the panel count and wattage, the inverter and battery models, the predicted generation for your roof's pitch and direction, the shading, the scaffolding and the warranties — 25 years on panels, 10 to 12 on inverters and batteries, and a workmanship guarantee backed by an insurance scheme; three quotes from local MCS installers are the norm, and a doorstep salesman, a price only good today, or a lease on your roof are the things to walk away from. Batteries make sense with a time-of-use tariff or an EV; a flat roof takes a tilted frame; a field takes a ground mount; and listed buildings and conservation areas need permission.
The listings here show each installer's MCS status, panels and batteries fitted, warranties, prices and contact details, so you can see who is nearby, who is certified and established, and whose systems homeowners in your town have had installed and are still happy with.
What solar installers do
Home systems: roof survey, design for your usage and roof, panels, inverter, scaffolding, installation, commissioning, MCS certificate and the paperwork for the export tariff.
Batteries: storage sized to your evening use, added to a new system or retrofitted, with the tariff and EV charging set up to use it.
Roofs and mounts: pitched roofs, in-roof systems on new builds and re-roofs, tilted frames on flat roofs, ground mounts in gardens and fields, and carports.
Extras: EV chargers, solar diverters that heat the hot water, bird protection, monitoring apps, and panel cleaning and inverter replacement on older systems.
Commercial: rooftop arrays for farms, warehouses and businesses, and the larger ground mounts with grid applications.
Before you sign for solar
- Check the installer is MCS certified and a member of a consumer code; the export tariff and finance require it.
- Get three quotes from local firms with a proper roof survey, and compare the kilowatt-peak, generation estimate and warranties, not just the price.
- Ask what the panels, inverter and battery are and the warranty on each; 25 years on panels, 10 to 12 on the rest.
- Ask for the workmanship guarantee to be insurance-backed, so it survives the company.
- Walk away from doorstep sales, today-only prices and free panels with a lease on your roof.
- Apply for the export tariff with your energy supplier once the MCS certificate arrives; it is not automatic.
What solar panels cost in the UK
As a rough guide, a 4kW system of ten panels costs £5,000 to £7,000 installed, 5 to 6kW £6,500 to £9,000, and adding a 5 to 10kWh battery £3,000 to £6,000, so a typical panels-and-battery system is £9,000 to £13,000, with no VAT; ground mounts and flat-roof frames add £500 to £2,000, and in-roof systems on a re-roof are similar to on-roof. A 4kW system generates 3,400 to 4,000kWh a year in most of England and saves £500 to £900 a year in bills and export at current prices, more with a battery and an EV, so payback is seven to twelve years on a twenty-five-year asset. Finance runs at 5 to 10 per cent over five to fifteen years; grants exist only for low-income households through the energy companies' schemes.
The £6,000 system on a south roof pays for itself in nine years and then generates free electricity for another sixteen.
Solar Panel Installers — frequently asked questions
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How do I find a solar installer near me?+
Look at the installers listed for your town, check MCS certification and consumer code membership, see what they fit and the warranties, and read reviews about the install and the aftercare. Get three surveyed quotes with generation estimates, and prefer an established local firm to a national sales operation.
How much do solar panels cost?+
Typically £5,000 to £7,000 for a 4kW ten-panel system installed and £6,500 to £9,000 for 5 to 6kW, with a battery adding £3,000 to £6,000, and no VAT on any of it; flat-roof frames and ground mounts add £500 to £2,000. A 4kW system saves £500 to £900 a year, so payback is seven to twelve years.
Are solar panels worth it in the UK?+
On a roof facing south, east or west with little shade, yes: a system generates for twenty-five years or more, saves £500 to £900 a year on a 4kW array at current prices, pays back in seven to twelve years and adds to the house's value and EPC. Batteries, EVs and time-of-use tariffs improve the return; north-facing and heavily shaded roofs do not pay.
Do I need a battery with solar panels?+
Not necessarily: without one you use what you generate in the day and export the rest for 4p to 15p a kWh; a battery stores the surplus for the evening, charges cheaply overnight on a time-of-use tariff and suits homes out all day or with an EV, adding £3,000 to £6,000 with a payback of its own. Many install panels first and add the battery later.
Do I need planning permission for solar panels?+
Not on most houses: roof panels are permitted development if they do not project more than 200mm and are not on a listed building or, in a conservation area, on a wall facing the road; flats, listed buildings and some ground mounts need permission. The installer notifies the network operator, and systems over 3.68kW per phase need its approval before commissioning.
What is MCS and why does it matter?+
The Microgeneration Certification Scheme, the standard for installers and products; an MCS certificate for your system is required to claim the Smart Export Guarantee payments for exported electricity, for most finance and for insurers, and comes with a consumer code and insurance-backed guarantees. An installer without MCS leaves you unable to be paid for your export.
How do I get my business listed?+
It is free. Add your business in about two minutes to appear on this page and your local town directory. Upgrade to Featured for £2.49 a month to sit above the free listings.