Solar FAQ's

This depends on your budget, available roof space and the energy output required. Most people buy a system between 1 and 4kWp for a home.It is not essential to provide ALL of your homes electricity via solar PV to realise the financial benefits. The best Feed-in Tariff rate is available for systems up to 4kWp.

A typical system will cost between £3,000-£4,500 per kWp fully installed. The costs will depend on how easy or difficult it is for us to access the roof, and the product you choose. All our prices include VAT which is currently charged at 5%.

An average system takes between six to ten years to pay for itself, after which it will make money for its owner for the remainder of its life by continuing to provide free electricity during all daylight hours. In simple terms, if you were to spend £10,000 on a system today, you would receive roughly 11% of your investment back per annum – TAX FREE and INDEX LINKED to RPI.

HMRC announced in December 2009 that tax will not be payable on income from the Feed-in Tariff for domestic PV installations.

Savings depend on how much you pay for electricity at the moment and how much electricity prices increase in the future.

Most domestic properties in England and Scotland do not require planning permission before installation of solar PV panels. Those in Conservation Areas, listed buildings and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty or World Heritage Areas must consult local Planning Departments.  Wales is reviewing planning permission requirements so contact your local planning department. Non residential buildings still require planning consent.

For an average domestic system we rarely take more than one to two days, with minimal disruption. Scaffolding is required for work on the roof.  For larger commercial PV installations, we can work within required deadlines as necessary.

Electrical installations are potentially dangerous if not carried out by suitably trained and experienced electricians, particularly when connecting to the National Grid. The Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) gives consumers the guarantee that certified solar PV products, and the installers of those products, have conformed to a rigorous set of standards. Only MCS accredited installers can issue you with the certification to enable you to benefit from the Feed in Tariff. If the MCS symbol does not appear on a web site then you know that such business is not certified to do MCS installations.

Only Solar PV panels that are installed by an accredited MCS installer can be certified for connection to the National Grid. If you fit a system yourself it will not be possible to benefit from the Feed in Tariff system. You will also pay 20% VAT on all materials instead of 5% if installed by Free Solar Panels Bristol..

The panels require ambient light to generate electricity, so they work even on overcast and winter days. Obviously they produce more power when the sun is strongest so shade must be avoided. The panels generate most energy when they are perpendicular to the sun and should, ideally, be placed on South facing roofs. We can still install solar on East or West facing roofs but it will not make as much power as if it were south facing. There are minor variations in the preferred angle of solar PV depending where  the installation is.

We have a range of standard designs and will pick the most appropriate layout for your roof. We will show you the proposed layout before installation to give you an idea of how it will look. The fixings will not affect the structural integrity of your roof.

Our installers will perform a site survey and make an assessment of your roof. The basic structural survey we carry out is normally sufficient

Our fully MCS and NICEIC qualified electrician will inspect your system and carry out standard electrical tests to ensure it complies.

To tell if solar electricity is right for you, there are a few key questions to consider:

Do you have a sunny place to put it?

You will need a roof or wall that faces within 90 degrees of south, and isn't overshadowed by trees or buildings. If the surface is in shadow for parts of the day, your system will generate less energy. We are here to help with these questions. If you're unsure just give us a call.

Solar panels are not light and the roof must be strong enough to take their weight, especially if the panel is placed on top of existing tiles. If in doubt, ask a construction expert or an installer.

Feed In Tariff eligibility remains with the installation, even if the ownership of the home or generating technology changes. Therefore the technology must have been eligible before you move in, even if it is not registered yet.

Ownership of the technology is linked to the site and, therefore, in the case where a building or homeownership changes, the ownership of the technology would also transfer to the new owner.

It will be up to landlords and tenants of domestic or commercial property to come to an arrangement about the receipt of payments and on-site electricity use benefits.

Generation must be metered and FITs payments are made to generators on the basis of metered generation. Meters will need to be able to measure generation, usage and import. However, as an interim measure, DECC has announced that at the very small scale, the amount of exports for the payment of export tariffs can be deemed (estimated), subject to the following:

These arrangements will only apply until the finalising of specifications for smart meters;

These arrangements do not apply if export meters exist already, or are provided at the generator's expense

Yes you will be eligible to receive a generation tariff at the tariff rate that is applicable for the type and capacity of the generating technology. You will also have to sign a declaration stating that all of the electricity generated on site will be used and not wasted.