Solar Panels

How much do solar panels cost in the UK?

Find out how much solar panels cost with our easy to use calculator and start turning solar energy into electricity and save on your bills. A solar panel installation is one of the simplest ways of addressing rising fuel bills while reducing your impact on the environment.

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A man wearing a blue shirt stood next to a woman wearing an orange shirt. Behind them is a bungalow with solar panels on the roof.

How much do solar panels cost?

To explain a typical solar panel installation’s costs and benefits, here is an illustration of a south-facing, 12 panel, 4.68 kW system.

  • You would need 27m2 clear roof space
  • It would create on average 3946kWh / year of useable electricity. It is worth noting that the average household consumption is 4000 kWh / year
  • This would save you an average of £805 per year and calculated at 0.34p/kWh as of 30/01/2023
  • Total cost of this solar panel installation is £5,800 with 0% VAT
** The 3946kWh kWh/year is based on a south-facing, 12-panel system with 405W panels in York. The system is roof mounted without shading at an inclination of 40 degrees.

This cost of solar panel installation example is based on using 405 watt solar panels measuring 1722x1134mm, standard on-roof fixings, relevant inverter, standard cabling and excludes scaffolding.

Our Limited Time Offer!

  • 3.44kW solar panel system and 5.8 kWh battery storage

  • All mounting and ancillary components

  • Full installation and commissioning

  • All Certifications (MCS, Electrical, DNO, Roof Structural)

  • 25 year performance warranty on the solar panels

  • *The prices quoted are for guidance only based on material prices at the time and availability of stock.

Why use a solar battery?

Photovoltaic solar panels create electricity at the time it is generated – in the middle of the day, which is often when we are not in the house or requiring much electricity. By installing a solar battery system, we are able to save the generated energy and store it for when we need it, or even sell it back to the grid!

In this way we can improve the above illustration in useable output by 40% adding to the savings!

This illustration is the cost of the solar panel system with the simple addition of a battery

  • It can create 3946 kWh/year
  • This would save you an average of £1342 per year and calculated at 0.34p/kWh as of 30/1/2023
  • Total cost of the solar panel and battery installation is £10,600 with 0% VAT

The above cost example is based on using 405 watt solar panels measuring 1722x1134mm, a 8.6kW battery, standard on-roof fixings, relevant solar inverter, standard cabling, excludes scaffolding and assumes 100% usage.

Blue solar panels on a roof.

Find out how much a solar panel system is and how adding a solar battery can further enhance your savings.

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How do solar panels work?

Solar panels work by using photovoltaic cells to convert energy from the sun into electricity. Photovoltaic cells are made of layers of semiconductor materials, such as silicon, that have been treated with specific chemicals to create an electric field.

When sunlight hits a solar panel, the energy from the sunlight is absorbed by the semiconductor materials, which causes the electrons in the materials to become excited and move around. As the electrons move, they generate an electric current. This current is then channeled through wires and used to power homes, businesses, and other buildings.

Benefits of solar panels

Photovoltaic solar panels harness light to generate free, low-carbon electricity for use in your home or business, allowing you to significantly reduce your electricity bills and contribute to lowering our collective carbon footprint.

Reduce your electricity bills

Generate free low-carbon electricity all year around for free and rely less on your electricity supplier. Protect yourself against electricity price rises and use this free energy to help with your domestic requirements, your electric car charging and with adaptions, even your domestic hot water.  We feel this is a better way forward than offering solar thermal technology.

Best for the planet

Join the fight against climate change by reducing your reliance on fossil fuels and instead opt for low-carbon, renewable energy. Solar electricity produces no emissions that add to greenhouse gases causing climate change.

Quick to install

There are many different types of solar panels, suitable for most applications. They can be quickly and simply installed to sit on the roof or integrated within the roofline by our MCS certified team. They can be stand-alone and added to and require minimal maintenance. Solar panels are also often now deemed acceptable even in conservation areas as ‘permitted development’, so long as not visible from main roads.

Maximise your solar power potential

By supplementing solar PV panels with a battery you increase its effectiveness by nearly 40% by harnessing all the solar energy created and using it when you need it.

Get paid for generating and exporting electricity

The Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) allows homes and businesses that generate renewable and low carbon electricity, to be paid for energy supplied to the grid.

Take advantage of 0% VAT

Following the government’s decision to offer further support the renewables industry, solar panel installations now benefit from 0% VAT.

 Is my home or business suitable for solar panels?

You can fit solar panels to any house or flat area but its effectiveness can be restricted by these factors:

A cartoon house with trees behind it

Shading

Partial or full shading due to other buildings or trees will reduce the amount of solar energy created.

A cartoon house with a yellow roof

Clear roof area

Solar panels measure 1722x1134mm and can be installed either horizontally and/or vertically to fit around chimneys/ roof lights and vents. Planning Permission may need to be sought for Listed Properties, in Conservation Areas or where the property does not have Permitted Development Rights

A cartoon house top of a compass.

Direction of your property

Ideally, solar panels work best facing south. They capture the solar energy from dawn until dusk. However if your property faces East or West you can split the number of solar panels and place on both sides of the roof to maximise the solar energy captured.

Is there a solar panel installer near me?

We provide information on solar panel costs and installations over a wide area, including York and Doncaster to Daventry and Wellingborough. Find your nearest office here.

How do solar panels work?

Photovoltaic solar panels convert light into electricity. Each solar panel is made up of numerous silicon cells, which create an electrical flow once the sunlight activates the electrons in the panels. 

A solar inverter connected to the solar panels converts the energy from DC to AC current to make it useable in the home or business and then takes this by cable to the electricity consumer unit (where your fuse box and trip switches are).    

This electricity is then available for immediate use, if needed, or can be stored in a solar battery or exported to the grid.

Types of solar panel installations

We help home owners and businesses lower their carbon footprint and reduce their energy bills.

Black solar panels on a roof with orange tiles

Standard Roof Tiles

Black solar panels on a roof with grey slate tiles

Slate Roof

Black solar panels built into a grey roof

In Roof

Floor/ground mount solar panels on a flat roof

Floor/roof mounted

Make a solar panel installation work harder for you

Photovoltaic solar panels harness light to generate free, low-carbon electricity for use in your home or business, allowing you to significantly reduce your electricity bills and contribute to lowering our collective carbon footprint.

Heating hot water

For a small additional upgrade, any excess energy produced by a solar PV panel can be diverted to power the domestic hot water immersion heater. This means that during the months of April to September, the solar panels can be powering your hot water as well, bypassing the need for separate ‘solar thermal’ panels. 

Powering heat pumps

Solar panels are often chosen alongside heat pump technology as it offers an excellent low carbon heating combination, making heating your home cheaper and less reliant on fossil fuels. 

Exporting to the grid

Nearly all solar panel systems are tied to the grid, so your system can export the excess energy you don’t use or store, thanks to the Smart Export Guarantee. However, the price you are paid for this is lower than the cost you pay to import electricity, so storing the energy in a solar battery would probably make more financial sense in the long run. 

Driving down energy costs

Install a solar panel system and create free electricity to charge your electric vehicle.

Tailor make your own solar panel system suited to your home or business with our easy to use calculator and assess your solar panel installation cost.

Calculate your energy savings

Frequently Asked Questions

A south facing roof will attract the most solar gain across the year, however, a roof that faces east or west would also be suitable for a solar panel installation and will still generate a significant amount of solar energy.

Each solar panel is approximately 1.7 m2 and a typical domestic installation has between and 8 and 14 solar panels.

Yes, solar panels will work 365 days of the year. The highest solar gain is in the summer months when we have longer, brighter days. Even in winter months, on a bright clear day, you will still generate a significant amount of solar energy.

Solar panels come with a 20 year performance warranty and the typical life expectancy is around 25 years.

Yes you can. This is a great way of increasing the benefits from your current solar panel system and doesn’t affect your Feed In Tariff. You can store the excess energy from your solar generation. 

Solar batteries and the inverters can be installed nearly anywhere including in loft spaces, garages and in some cases outside. The Tesla Powerwall is suited to an exterior installation.  

A south facing 4kW Solar panel system will produce on average 3500kWh per annum, the average domestic property uses around 4000kWh.

Let us guide you on the best solar panel system

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