Advice Centre
Practical guidance for homeowners, written by people who install these systems rather than by people who write about them. Sources are cited and every page carries the date it was last reviewed.
Costs and returns
Sizing and specification
- Adding a battery to existing solarAC coupling versus replacing the inverter, what a retrofit survey checks, and the network paperwork it can trigger.
- How many solar panels do I need?Why panel count is set by your electricity consumption and the usable area of your roof, not by the size of your house.
- What size battery do I need?How evening consumption, array size, tariff and inverter power rating together decide usable battery capacity.
Regulation, certification and process
- Do I need planning permission for solar panels?When roof-mounted solar falls under permitted development, and the property types where consent is likely to be needed.
- G98 and G99 DNO applicationsThe 16A per phase threshold, what notification and approval each route requires, and how it affects your install date.
- The Smart Export Guarantee explainedWhat the SEG obliges suppliers to do, what it does not fix, and what you need in place to apply.
- What is MCS certification?What the MCS scheme covers, why it applies to both products and installers, and what it means for your paperwork.
Technology comparisons
- In-roof vs on-roof solarHow the two mounting approaches differ in appearance, weathering, cost and suitability for different roofs.
- Roof orientation and shadingHow aspect, pitch and obstructions change what a roof can produce, and what can be done about shading.
- String inverter vs microinvertersHow central and module-level conversion differ in shading tolerance, servicing, monitoring and failure behaviour.
Aftercare and troubleshooting
- Bird-proofing solar panelsWhy pigeons nest under arrays, what damage it causes, and how mesh protection is fitted correctly and lawfully.
- Signs your solar system is underperformingHow to tell a genuine fault from normal seasonal variation, and the checks worth doing before calling anyone out.
- Solar panel degradation and lifespanHow panel output declines gradually over time, which components have shorter lives, and what determines how long a system lasts.
- Solar panel warranties explainedThe difference between product, performance, inverter and workmanship cover — and what each one actually obliges someone to do.
General
- Do solar panels work in winter?Why panels generate year-round but produce far less between November and February, and what that means for system design.
- Scaffolding and access for solarWhy scaffolding is needed, what affects the cost and duration, and what to expect around your property.
- Solar panels and EPC ratingsHow solar is treated in an EPC assessment, why the improvement varies, and what an assessor needs to see.
- What happens during a solar surveyWhat a surveyor measures, inspects and asks about, and why a quotation without a survey is unreliable.
Book a free design and quotation
Tell us about the property and we will arrange a survey, then issue a written design and fixed quotation before any work is agreed.