Reading, Berkshire
A complete home energy system in Reading, Berkshire
Ten panels across a pitched garage roof, battery storage against the wall below, and an EV charger — designed as one system rather than three separate jobs.
- 10 panels, rail-mounted on a pitched garage roof
- Externally mounted on a dedicated base
- Wall-mounted charger
- Isolation, protection and consumer unit integration
The brief
A complete home energy system: rooftop solar, battery storage and an EV charger. The aim was to give the homeowner real control over how electricity is generated, stored and used across the property — and dedicated charging for the car at home.
The roof
The property has a large pitched garage roof, which gave us an excellent uninterrupted area to work with. We installed a black ten-panel array on a rail-mounted system, sized to make effective use of the space while keeping a clean finish across the whole elevation.
A detached or integral garage is frequently a better solar site than the house itself, particularly where the house roof is broken up by dormers or faces the wrong way. It is worth assessing both rather than assuming the main roof is the answer.
Battery storage
The battery was installed externally against the property wall, on a dedicated base, with the required electrical isolation equipment positioned alongside it. Keeping the installation compact leaves the outside of the house tidy while giving the household one central store for the electricity the panels make.
Storage earns its keep in the evening in particular — solar production drops away while household demand carries on, so surplus generated at midday gets used at seven rather than exported.
EV charging
The charger was fitted as part of the same project. Combining panels, battery and charger lets the parts of the system work together, so the homeowner has far more flexibility over when electricity is generated, stored and consumed. Doing it in one visit also avoids paying twice for the electrical works.
Electrical work and commissioning
The job included the electrical work, protective equipment and consumer unit connections needed to integrate the new system safely with the property’s existing installation. Once complete, everything was electrically tested and commissioned before handover.
We work across this area regularly. What we install in Reading.
Related services
- Solar and battery systemsPanels, hybrid inverter and storage designed as one system, on one scaffold, with one commissioning.
- Solar panel installationSurvey, design, roof works, electrical works and commissioning for a domestic solar PV system.
- Battery storage installationHome battery systems sized against your consumption, sited properly and commissioned with the tariff in mind.
- EV charger installationHome charge points installed with a proper load assessment, PEN fault protection and solar-aware scheduling.
The technology behind it
- Mounting systemsHooks, rails, clamps and fixings — the part of the installation that decides whether the roof stays watertight.
- Hybrid invertersA single unit managing array, battery and house demand, and when fitting one is worth the extra cost.
- LFP batteriesLithium iron phosphate chemistry: why it became the domestic standard, and what it gives up in exchange.
- Battery sizingHow storage capacity and power rating are calculated from consumption data rather than from roof size.
Property and roof guides
Further reading
- What size battery do I need?How evening consumption, array size, tariff and inverter power rating together decide usable battery capacity.
- Roof orientation and shadingHow aspect, pitch and obstructions change what a roof can produce, and what can be done about shading.
- Solar panel warranties explainedThe difference between product, performance, inverter and workmanship cover — and what each one actually obliges someone to do.
Where we work
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