Question 1

Is solar thermal worth it in the UK?

Accepted Answer

We certainly think solar thermal is worth it in the UK. While we have cold winters that affects the amount of sunlight we get during those months, solar thermal panels can still generate a little heat in the winter on sunny days, and your back-up boiler or immersion heater can do the rest. The average cost of a 6m2 solar thermal system in the UK is £4,500. While that might seem like a lot of money up front, you’ll be able to make back some of that cost through Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) payments. The RHI is a Government scheme that pays you for every unit of renewable heat that you generate, and a 6m2 system could earn you up to £525 per year over seven years. That means you could end up paying less than £1,000 for free renewable heat for your home! As well as the RHU, you’ll see a saving on your fuel bills since you’ll be less reliant on your traditional form of heating. If you have a natural gas boiler, you could save up to £60 a year on your bills, while if you’re switching from LPG the savings could be as much as £100 per year. So, we definitely think solar thermal is worth it in the UK! Plus, you’ll be reducing your carbon footprint and contributing to cleaner air for everyone in the country, so you can feel good knowing that you’re doing your bit.

Question 2

Does solar thermal generate electricity?

Accepted Answer

No – solar thermal doesn’t generate electricity. Unlike solar PV, solar thermal panels harness the sun’s energy and convert it into heat which is then transferred into your home.

You can have evacuated tube solar thermal panels or flat plate collectors; evacuated tubes are thought to be more efficient that flat plate collectors. They both work by using the sun’s rays to heat a transfer fluid, usually made from water and a type of antifreeze, which is pumped to a heat exchanger inside a water tank in your home. The heat from the exchanger heats the water inside your tank, then when the liquid releases its heat it’s transferred back to the collectors to start the whole process again.

You’ll need to use your solar thermal panel system with a boiler, collector or immersion heater. This is so that the water can be stored and used for your hot water and heating, and also because in the UK, people generally need to rely on another source of heating in the winter. There are fewer sunlight hours in the winter months, so it’s not often possible for solar thermal panels to generate enough heat from the sun to get your water up to temperature.

Whatever the time of year it is, you might want to heat the water up further than your solar panels can manage. That’s why you’ll still need a form of traditional hot water heating, but you should see savings on your energy bills. If you’re currently using natural gas, you can expect savings of around £60 per year on your fuel bills, while if you’re using LPG it could be as high as £100 pr year

Question 3

How many solar thermal panels do I need?

Accepted Answer

Generally, the amount of solar thermal panels you need depends on the number of people living in your home. Experts say that as a rule of thumb you’ll need 1m2 of solar panels for each adult living in your home. So if you live in a 4-person household, you can expect an MCS-registered installer to recommend you a 4m2 system. However, if you have any obstructions near your home that could increase shade on your panels, you might be encouraged to go up to nearer 2m2 per person. You want to make sure that your panels can produce enough hot water for your home as you’ll rely less on your back-up form of heating, which might be a gas boiler or electric immersion heater. Maximise the free energy from the sun and you could save up to £60 per year if you have a gas boiler, £70 if you have an immersion heater or £100 if you have an LPG boiler. Of course, you’ll also need to make sure you’ve got enough roof space for the amount of solar thermal panels that you want, but your installer will be able to advise you on the best course of action.

Question 4

Should I clean solar PV panels myself

Accepted Answer

If your solar panels are mounted on your roof and you require a ladder to reach them we would always recommend you get a professional to do the work for your own safety.

Question 5

How do I connect solar panels to a battery?

Accepted Answer

Most people want to connect solar panels to a battery when they’re not at home all day to use the electricity they generate, or generate more than they consume over a day. Solar batteries are a great way to maximise the savings on your energy bills since you can use every unit of electricity you generate.

If you want to connect your solar panels to a battery, the best – and safest – way is to ask an MCS-registered company to do it for you. They’ve had lots of training and hold qualifications in handling electricity and installing solar batteries, so they will be able to recommend the best battery for your solar panels and for the among of electricity you use. Some of the brands they might recommend include Tesla, SolarEdge and SolaX, but there are many more to choose from. If you want to send electricity to the grid from your battery to receive Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) payments, it’s also worth leaving installation up to a registered installer. This is because you might not be eligible for payments if your battery wasn’t installed by an MCS-registered company.

However, if you do want to have a go at connecting your solar panels to a battery, it’s worth finding out whether your system is ‘storage ready’. Most relatively new systems will be, since batteries are becoming more commonplace. If your solar panels are storage ready, they will have an inverter that can easily have a battery added to it. If this is the case, then you should be able to buy the solar battery you want and follow the manufacturer's instructions to install it.

But it’s worth remembering that electricity is extremely dangerous when handled improperly. If you don’t get the solar battery connected properly and something goes wrong, it could cause a fire or you could electrocute yourself. If a fire breaks out due to your battery, it’s unlikely that your home insurance company would pay out since you connected the battery yourself. That’s why it’s always worth speaking to a registered installer to install a solar battery storage system for you.

Question 6

How long do home solar batteries last?

Accepted Answer

How long home solar batteries last depends on the type of battery you have and how often it’s charged and discharged (when electricity is fed into it, then used later on). Generally speaking, a home solar battery should last between 5 and 15 years. Lithium-ion batteries last longer than lead acid batteries. Lithium-ion batteries are more common these days because they’re more cost effective. A lead acid battery is the cheaper option at around £2,000, but it’s likely to last between 5-8 years. On the other hand, a lithium-ion battery may set you back around £4,000, but will last between 11-15 years. So you can see that it’s well worth choosing a lithium-ion home solar battery. It’s also worth considering that a solar battery’s lifespan will be reduced if you over-discharge it. When your home solar battery is installed, you’ll be left a manual which will tell you its depth of discharge, or DoD. This means how much you can use the battery before recharging it – it's not as simple as letting the battery run down to 0% then charging it again. In fact, this can significantly shorten your battery’s lifespan. If your solar battery system’s DoD is 80% and its capacity is 5kW, make sure you charge it before you use up 4kW to help prolong its life. Luckily, most lithium-ion batteries have a DoD of 80% or more, so you don’t need to worry about not being able to use much of the electricity stored in your home solar battery. This is another reason to use them over lead acid batteries, because their DoD can be as low as 50%.

Question 7

How do I connect solar panels to a battery?

Accepted Answer

If you want to connect solar panels to a battery, it’s likely that it’s because you want to make sure that you don’t waste any electricity when your solar panels are generating energy but you’re not around to use it. Batteries are particularly useful for homeowners that have solar panels but are out during daylight hours; with a solar battery system, your solar panels will feed the electricity they generate into the battery for you to use when you get home.

If you want to connect your solar panels to a battery, the best thing to do is to get in touch with an MCS-registered company who can talk you through your options. There are different size batteries and the size that’s suitable for you will depend on how much electricity you plan to store and how large your solar panel system is. Some of the top brands of battery storage system include Tesla, SunPower and SolarEdge. If you want to be able to take advantage of selling electricity back to the grid through the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG), it’s worth getting an MCS-registered company to install your battery for you, as you may not be eligible for payments if you connect your solar panels to a battery yourself.

You should also consider whether your solar panel system is a ‘storage ready’ solar system. Today, most systems will be, since battery storage is becoming much more common. This means that your solar panel system will have an inverter that can easily integrate a battery. If this is the case, you should be able to purchase the battery you want and follow the manufacturer’s instructions to install it.

However, it’s worth bearing in mind that electricity is extremely dangerous when handled incorrectly. If something goes wrong, you could electrocute yourself or cause a fire. If your solar panels and battery cause a fire, it’s unlikely that your home insurance company would pay out if you connect the battery yourself. That's why it’s best to ask a reputable installer with all the correct qualifications to connect your solar panels to a battery for you.

Question 8

Which solar battery is the best?

Accepted Answer

With so many different solar batteries on the market these days, it can be difficult to know which solar battery is the best. Luckily, we’ve picked out some of the best solar batteries on the market so you can take a look at their stats and figure out which one is best for you. Powervault 3: 8 kWh model This lithium-polymer solar battery has a useable capacity of 8 kWh and a depth of discharge (Dod) of 100%. It’s covered by warranty for 10 years. Cost: From £7,020 Tesla Powerwall 2.0 The famous Tesla Powerwall has a huge useable capacity of 13.5 kWh and also has a 10-year warranty, with a guarantee that it will work at 70% capacity during those 10 years. It’s a lithium-ion battery. Cost: From £6,500 Powervault 3: 4 kWh version This more modest solar battery from Powervault has a capacity of 4 kWh, but benefits from the same warranty length and DoD as its 8 kWh brother. Cost: From £4,470 SolaX 3.3 This more affordable solar battery from SolaX has a 10-year warranty and a good DoD of 90%. Cost: From £4,010 LG Chem RESU 6.5 LG are an up-and-coming player in the solar market and their 6.5 kWh battery is one of the most affordable on the market. Its DoD is 90% and it comes with a 10-year warranty. Cost: From £3,043 To decide which solar battery is best for you, you need to consider: The power of your solar panel system – there's no point buying a higher capacity battery if your system will never generate enough electricity to charge it How often you think you will need to charge your battery Your budget Whether you care about having the latest technology and a recognisable brand name When you’ve made these decisions, you can narrow down your choices. It’s also worth asking a few MCS-registered installers for their opinions on what they think would be best. Of course, they want to sell you whichever brand they supply, but they probably chose this for a reason. Ask them to give you a few pros and cons for the brands they recommend and see if this matches up with your research.

Solar Panel Installer job	Solar Panel Installer cost in 2026
Solar panel in Fort William	£4,650-£7,130
Solar thermal in Fort William	£3,000-£4,600
Commercal solar pv 11kw - 50kw in Fort William	£11,200-£16,800
small Commercial solar panel system in Fort William	£7,200-£10,800
Commercial solar pv 51kw+ system in Fort William	£44,000-£66,000
Thermodynamic (solar hot water) in Fort William	£4,125-£6,325
Solar battery in Fort William	£3,080-£5,390
Supply-only solar electricity in Fort William	£2,600-£4,875
Solar repair and maintenance in Fort William	£375-£575
Supply-only solar thermal panels in Fort William	£2,280-£4,275
Solar tiles in Fort William	£4,760-£7,140
Solar panel cleaning in Fort William	£100-£200
Solar panels with battery in Fort William	£3,400-£5,100

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