How much will you need to spend?

Like anything else, there is no simple answer to how much it will cost to install Solar PV panels. It depends on a number of factors as listed below, but it costs around £5,995 for a 4kW pv solar system (no battery storage) for a single storey house.

Solar panels can help reduce your electricity bills, and you can also earn money by generating electricity that you can sell back to your energy company. So you will eventually make that initial investment back in smaller energy bills.

Things to consider, that affect the cost:

Domestic or commercial?

Some houses are larger than others, but even homes of similar sizes can use different amounts of electricity and therefore require different installation sizes. Some people choose a larger system than they really in order that they can sell the energy they produce into the national electricity grid. This is an option that many businesses make use of since industrial units have large areas of roof.

Location

Ideally Solar PV panels need south facing roofs for optimum performance. They also need to be installed at an angle. They are therefore much less efficient on flat horizontal roofs or vertical walls.

This price is also influenced by the size of set-up and will be affected by any difficulty with access to your roof. Some of the installation costs can sometimes be shared if you already have scaffolding up for roof repairs or if you are building a new house.

Costs are also affected by whether you choose panels or tiles. You may decide on building-integrated panels or go for panels that sit on top of your existing slate or tiled roof. Panels on top of the roof are the cheapest option, while integrated tiles are the most expensive for the equivalent system.

Obstructions

A tree that offers no shade to a roof in the summer when the sun is high in the sky may be a problem in December when the sun is lower.

Ground mounted

If your roof is relatively small, or has limited space for panels due to Velux windows etc the panels can be installed at ground level in which case a large garden clear of hedges and trees would be required.

The cost of such ground-mounted systems is more difficult to predict, as there are more variables such as the type of mounting frame, and how far away the system is from the house.

Let us guide you
So, as you can see, each application will have its strengths and weaknesses. We’re here to help make the most of the spaces you have to get you on the road to producing your own clean, independent energy.