How to Choose the Right Solar Panel System

The right solar system is the one sized to how your household actually uses electricity, on a roof that suits it, fitted by a certified installer you can check up on. None of that needs to be rushed. Here is how to compare options and protect yourself along the way.

Start with how you use electricity

Before you compare quotes, have a rough picture of your own usage. A year of bills or your supplier's app will show your annual kWh, and it helps to know when in the day you use most: a house that is empty from 8 till 6 uses solar very differently from one with someone at home all day. Plans matter too. An electric car or a heat pump in the next few years changes what size of system, and whether a battery, makes sense. Our guide to typical household energy usage gives a useful starting point.

A good installer will ask about all of this at the survey. Our guide to what happens at a solar survey explains what to expect.

Get more than one quote, and compare like with like

Two or three quotes is sensible. When you compare them, look past the headline system size at what is actually being proposed:

• Panels: make, model and number, and the product and performance warranties.

• Inverter: its output rating, whether it is a hybrid that can run a battery now or later, and its warranty.

• Battery, if included: usable capacity rather than the headline figure, the inverter power that charges and discharges it, and whether it can be expanded.

• Generation estimate: how it was worked out, and whether it accounts for shading and orientation on your roof.

• What is included: scaffolding, bird protection, monitoring, the network operator notification and the MCS certificate.

If one quote is very different from the others, ask why. A difference in design is often the explanation, and a good installer will be happy to talk it through.

Check the installer, not just the price

• MCS certification. An MCS certificate (or an equivalent scheme) is what the Smart Export Guarantee relies on if you want to be paid for exported electricity. You can search the installer on the MCS website.

• A consumer code. Look for membership of a code such as RECC, which sets standards for how installers sell, take deposits and handle complaints.

• Reviews. Read recent reviews on independent platforms such as Trustpilot and Google, including how the company responds to the poor ones.

• Companies House. Check how long the company has been trading and who runs it.

• How they treat you now. Pressure to sign on the day is a warning sign. A reputable installer will give you time to think.

Protect yourself once you have chosen

• Get everything in writing: the equipment, the price, what is included, the payment stages and the expected timescale.

• Be wary of large upfront payments. A deposit is normal; consumer codes set rules on how deposits are handled and protected.

• Consider how you pay. Paying at least part directly to the installer by credit card can give extra protection under section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act. Conditions and limits apply, so check with your card provider.

• Keep the paperwork: quote, contract, invoices, warranties, the MCS certificate and the network operator confirmation. You will need them for your export tariff and if you ever sell the house.

• Agree where a battery will go. Battery siting should follow the fire safety specification PAS 63100:2024, which good installers apply as best practice. It generally steers batteries away from lofts, escape routes and bedrooms.

Related guides

If you are still working out whether your home is a good candidate, start with is your roof suitable for solar panels. If you are weighing up a battery, see what size solar battery you need.

When you are ready, request a solar and battery quotation and we will survey your home and explain exactly what we would fit and why.