We install solar panels on homes and properties in and around Aylsham, helping you generate your own electricity and reduce energy bills. From site assessment through to a fully working system, we handle the roofing side of the installation with care so your roof stays weathertight for years to come.
Photo from one of our recent jobs
Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
Solar panels turn daylight into usable electricity, cutting the amount you draw from the grid and reducing your energy bills. If your roof faces broadly south, south-east or south-west and is free from heavy shading, it is almost certainly worth exploring.
A solar installation is not simply a matter of bolting panels to a roof. The process starts with a proper roof survey to confirm the structure can bear the additional load and that the tiles or slates beneath the mounting rails are sound. Loose, cracked or porous roof coverings should be attended to before panels go on, because access once a system is fitted is awkward and disruptive.
Mounting rails are fixed to the rafters through the roof covering using purpose-made flashings to keep the penetrations watertight. The panels clip onto the rails. Cables run from the array down into the loft and on to the inverter, which converts the direct current the panels produce into the alternating current your home uses. The inverter is typically wall-mounted near your consumer unit.
A standard installation on a typical semi-detached or detached house in Norfolk takes one to two days on the roof, with electrical work running in parallel or immediately after. Larger arrays or complex roof shapes take longer.
Most domestic installations in the UK use between 8 and 16 panels, forming a system of roughly 3 kWp to 6 kWp. As a guide, a 3-4 kWp system currently costs in the region of £5,000 to £8,000 fitted, while a 5-6 kWp system typically runs from £8,000 to £11,000 or more, depending on panel specification and the complexity of the roof. These are typical UK figures and will vary with your specific property.
Battery storage can be added at the same time or retrofitted later. A battery allows you to store electricity generated during the day and use it in the evening. A home battery unit currently adds roughly £2,500 to £5,000 to the overall cost, again depending on capacity and brand.
On a bright day, a 4 kWp system can generate more electricity than a household uses at that moment. Any surplus is automatically exported to the grid. Under the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG), energy suppliers are required to pay you for each unit you export, though the rate varies by supplier. You register with an SEG-licensed supplier separately from the installation itself. Maximising self-consumption, by running dishwashers and washing machines during daylight hours, gives you the best return on the investment.
Many homeowners pair solar panels with an electric vehicle charger so that cheap, home-generated electricity charges the car during the day. A dedicated EV charger can be installed at the same time as the solar system, sharing the same electrical work phase and reducing overall disruption. Similarly, air source heat pumps run most economically when they can draw on solar generation, though a heat pump installation is a larger project involving heating engineers as well as electricians.
A solar array is expected to produce electricity for 25 years or more. The panels themselves are generally reliable over that span, but a poorly fitted mounting system or inadequate flashing will let water in long before the panels wear out. Common problems include rail fixings that miss the rafter, flashings that are not properly bedded, and lead or mortar work around penetrations that is rushed or skimped. Getting the roof work right at the start avoids expensive remedial work later.
As roofers, we concentrate on making sure every penetration is watertight and every fixing goes into solid timber. The difference between a roof that stays dry and one that develops a slow leak over two or three winters is almost always in the standard of the flashing and fixing work.
Older properties, particularly those with clay pantile roofs common in this part of Norfolk, need careful mounting details to avoid cracking tiles, but they are not unsuitable.
A 4 kWp system in the UK typically generates around 3,400 to 3,800 kWh per year under normal conditions. At current domestic electricity rates, that represents a meaningful annual saving, with payback periods for most households falling in the seven to twelve year range depending on usage patterns and export payments received.
Before agreeing to any installation, it is worth asking the following:
MCS certification is the industry standard for solar installations in the UK. It is required if you want to register for Smart Export Guarantee payments. Check that the installer or their sub-contractor holds current MCS registration before work begins.
Concrete interlocking tiles and plain clay tiles are the most straightforward surfaces for mounting. Natural slate requires slate hooks rather than rail brackets that clamp to the tile, and the hooks must align with the rafters beneath. Flat roofs can carry panels on ballasted frames angled to face the sun, without any roof penetrations, though the frame design matters for wind loading. Each roof type has its own correct method, and using the wrong one causes problems within a few years.
If you are considering solar panels on your Aylsham home or a property nearby, speak to us about a roof survey before you finalise any quote from an installation company. Knowing the condition of your roof covering and the suitability of your roof structure before panels go on is the most useful thing you can do to protect the investment. Call us to arrange a roof survey so you go into any solar quote with the full picture.
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Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
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