There are a number of factors that help to inform you if solar panels will be suitable for your home.

Your roof size, pitch, direction, and shading are all factors that dictate the amount of energy you can produce based on how many panels can be installed and the total hours of exposure to sunlight. Analysis of these factors helps to calculate the cost of the install, how much electricity you can generate and therefore how long it may take for your solar panel install to pay for itself through energy savings. Our quotation process considers all of these factors.

Separately to these property considerations, we’d also recommend checking with your local planning office but generally solar panel installs are classed as ‘permitted developments’, which means you’re allowed to add them to your home without planning permission. If you live in a conservation or historic area, then you will need approval.

Some other factors that impact the solar panel install are: 1. Whether you’re the homeowner – you can’t install them if you don’t own the property unless you have specific consent from the landlord to do so. 2. It’s also important to get DNO approval. This is your local energy distribution network operator who operate the power infrastructure in your area. At ScottishPower, we manage this process on your behalf along with registering your solar panel install once it’s completed too. 3. You should also contact your home insurance provider to make sure that any existing policies are updated to reflect a solar panel installation.

There are a number of factors that need to be considered to understand the financial impact both initially, and longer-term. The following considerations are included in the ScottishPower quotation journey:

1. How much it will cost to buy solar panels and have them installed, which will be dictated mainly by your roof size.

2. How much of the energy you generate you’ll ‘self-consume’, store in a battery or have the potential to sell back to an energy supplier through a Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) tariff. Typically, the more self-generated electricity you use, the greater the financial benefit you’ll see.

3. Wholesale electricity prices can be volatile. Generating your own electricity means you’ll be less reliant on importing electricity into your home so the financial impact should be less.

4. While we’ve seen electricity prices increase, VAT has been removed from solar panel installations until April 2027, so the price of generating your own electricity has reduced.

5. You may also be able to access funding to help with the cost of the installation

Every home is different, and if you’re interested in solar panels we would encourage you to organise a free, no obligation survey to understand what the generation, cost and usage would likely be for your home. You can get a guide price online or call us on 0800 158 2084 to get started. Lines open Mon-Fri, 9am - 5pm.

The carbon footprint impact is largely dependent on the size of the install and whereabouts in the UK you live. However, the Energy Saving Trust quote that a typical household can save around one tonne of carbon per year depending on where you live in the UK – that’s equivalent to the carbon 167 trees absorb per year.

Unlike a boiler, your solar panels should work efficiently without a yearly service. You shouldn’t need to pay extra costs for maintenance packages to keep them running well. In fact, you don’t usually even need to clean your solar panels – we get enough rain in the UK to do that for you.

The typical lifespan for a solar panel installation is 25 to 30 years. As part of our standard installation package, you’ll get a 24 month installer warranty, 15 year manufacturer warranty on solar panels, a 10 year inverter warranty (the inverter converts the electricity you generate into electricity you can use), and a 30 year performance warranty too, which guarantees a minimum generation performance each year. Terms and conditions apply for each warranty.

Solar batteries aren’t a compulsory addition to a solar panel installation. However, they can add a great deal of value depending on how much electricity your system will generate as well as how much electricity you use, and when you use it. The more electricity you generate and store, the less you’ll need to purchase from an energy supplier. Alternatively, you may be able to sell any surplus electricity you generate back through a SEG tariff. We’re able to provide proposals with and without a battery, so you can understand the costs and benefits of adding one to your home.

The size of battery you need depends on your own electricity consumption and solar generation. There’s no benefit to buying a larger battery than you need as you may struggle to generate enough electricity to fully charge the battery and, if you do, you may not use the electricity you generate. We will tailor design the system to suit your actual energy usage and, reassuringly, our Alpha battery is modular, so can be increased at a later date if you need to do so.

You may be eligible for home upgrades through the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme. To find out if you’re eligible, please visit our ECO4 web page here for more information.

If you’re a business and would like to know more about the solar solutions we offer, email us at smart.solutions.sales@scottishpower.com