Buying And Installing Solar Panels In The UK

With the current solar panel technology, most experts estimate it will take 10 years to pay off the cost of installment. Whether this is the best way to save money and help the environment in the UK is debatable. It could be that better insulation, and other ways of saving energy would give better value for money. That said, there are some government grants that could help with the costs. I'm not sure how long the waiting list is for these grants, but it would certainly be worth giving it a go before paying for it all out of your own pocket.

Grants for buying solar panels

The UK government are offering grants to install micro generation technologies in the home. The scheme is called the low carbon buildings program and provides up to £2500 for solar panel, wind turbines and other green technologies. The system is run on a first come first served basis.

Homeowners who apply for the grant must complete energy efficiency measures, and get a quote from an accredited installer. Then they can make an application online, successful applicants are emailed with a grant offer and the work can begin. After installation, the homeowner pays the installer and then makes a claim with the energy trust.

This means you need to be in a position to pay a few thousand pounds out of your own pocket before it is reimbursed. Council house residents cannot apply for the grant, this must be done by the council.

The grant does not include VAT or "roofing works outside the direct installation of the microtechnology system, vandal covers, asbestos removal, upgrades to your household ring main, new radiators or heat distribution system, etc."

Finding a solar panel installer

Once you have got a grant or allocated your own funds for installing panels, the task of finding a supplier can begin. Residents using the grant scheme must use an installer from the approved list of certified installers. This page doesn't seem to list installers by area when I tried, which I imagine could be quite annoying if you don't want to go through hundreds of companies.

If you are funding the project yourself, you are free to find your own installer, or do it yourself. You may still need planning permission in some areas though. Here are a few solar panel installers I found around the UK. I don't have any affiliation with the sites listed in this article. I also don't have any first hand experience of using them. If anyone has other suggestions, leave a comment.

http://www.yorkshiresolar.net/ Yorkshire - UK

http://www.bayleyinstallations.co.uk/ Solihull - UK

http://www.solarflairltd.co.uk/ Based in Cheshire - UK

http://www.gosolarlogic.co.uk/ Staffordshire - UK

http://www.everest.co.uk/ London - UK

http://www.rensus.co.uk/ Sterling Scotland - UK

http://www.solarenergywales.com/ Wales - UK

DIY solar panel installation

There are a lot of companies who sell solar panels online. I would obviously be worth doing some research into the best efficiency etc, I haven't looked closely at the value for money any of the companies offer.

Sun Shine Solar are based in Norwich, Norfolk and import a wide range of solar technology. They claim to offer free practical advice for enthusiasts

http://www.midsummerenergy.co.uk/ Based in Cambridge, you can buy solar panels, wind turbines and other micro generators.

http://www.diy.com/ The B&Q website - Seems someone is holding their domain name to ransom.

http://www.barden-ukshop.com/ Supply solar panels and wind turbines, based in Hampshire.

Guides to installing solar panels

I imagine most online shops that sell solar panels will have installation instructions available, such as the first link in this list.

http://www.midsummerenergy.co.uk/pdfs/laminate%20installation%20guide.pdf

http://www.ehow.co.uk/topic_7317_solar-panel-guide.html

If you want to go totally mad and build your own solar heating, one of these guides might be helpful. Once again, I haven't tried any of them so if your roof falls to bits don't blame me.

Build your own solar water heating panel

Another build your own solar heating

Published - Sun 1st Nov 2009 09:48:26