Guides
Solar panel, inverter and battery guides
Plain-English answers from our engineers on faults, servicing, batteries and the feed-in tariff. Every check we suggest is safe to do from the ground or the fuse board.
Mon–Fri 9:00am–5:00pm · Clear written quote before any work starts
Talk to us about solar, batteries or repairs.
Call 0800 156 0191, Monday to Friday, 9:00am–5:00pm, or send us a message through our contact page.
MCS certified
NAPIT registered
TrustMark approved
Fully insured
England, Wales & southern Scotland
Faults and repairs
Something not working?
Safe checks to try first, and what the common faults mean.
Solar installer gone bust?
What still protects you, how to claim, and who looks after the system now.
Panels off for roof work?
How removal and refit works, scaffold and timings, and your feed-in tariff.
Inverter noisy or getting hot?
Which sounds are normal, why a hot inverter cuts its output, and when to call an engineer.
Solar monitoring offline?
Check the panels are still generating, and get the inverter back on your Wi-Fi.
Cracked or faulty solar panel?
The signs to look for, and whether one panel can be replaced with a close match.
Solar tripping the RCD or fuse box?
How to tell if it’s the solar, the common causes, and how it’s fixed.
Isolation or earth fault?
What the fault means, why it shows on damp mornings, and the code each inverter brand uses.
Storm-damaged solar panels?
What to check from the ground, what home insurance covers, and how to claim.
Solar panels not working?
Seven checks from the ground or the fuse board before you call an engineer.
How much electricity do solar panels generate?
What’s normal month by month, and when low output means a fault.
How long do solar inverters last?
Why the inverter is usually the first part to fail, and when to repair or replace it.
Hybrid inverters
What a hybrid inverter does, and what to check before you switch to one.
Solar panel isolator switches
What the isolators do, and the signs that one is failing.
Solar panel optimisers
How to spot a failed optimiser in your monitoring, and what replacing one involves.
Servicing and upkeep
Keeping your system healthy.
What looking after solar panels really involves, and how long the parts last.
Lost your MCS certificate?
Why you need it, how to get a copy from your installer or MCS, and what to have ready.
Solar panels and home insurance
Whether your policy covers the panels and battery, what’s usually excluded, and how to claim.
How much does servicing cost?
5 and 10 year maintenance plans: what they cost and what’s included. Parts and labour are covered.
Can solar panels catch fire?
How common solar fires are, what causes them, and the warning signs to look for.
Solar panel maintenance
Simple checks from the ground, when to clean, and the 21 points on our yearly service.
How long do solar panels last?
What wears out first, and how to tell normal ageing from a fault.
Do solar panels work in winter?
What to expect from December to February, and the checks worth doing.
How to clean solar panels
How to clean them safely from the ground, and what never to use.
Batteries
Solar batteries.
Sizing, lifespan and what a battery can and can’t do in a power cut.
Solar battery not charging?
Safe checks in the app, the settings that stop it charging, and when to call an engineer.
What size solar battery do I need?
Size it from your evening and overnight use, and check your panels can fill it.
How long do solar batteries last?
What wears them out, and the signs yours is failing.
Solar panels in a power cut
Why most systems switch off, and when a battery can keep some power on.
Feed-in tariff and moving house
Payments, meters and paperwork.
Keeping your feed-in tariff paid, and what to sort out when a house with solar changes hands.
Feed-in tariff rates 2026/27
This year’s generation and export rates, and how long your payments last.
The Smart Export Guarantee
How to get paid for the solar you export, and how it fits with the feed-in tariff.
Switching your FIT supplier
Moving your feed-in tariff, supplier failures and fixing stopped payments.
Feed-in tariff meter readings
How to read your generation meter, send readings, and what to do if it’s faulty.
Will a battery affect my FIT payments?
Usually not. Ofgem’s rules, and the one set-up that can stop payments.
Buying or selling a house with solar panels
The paperwork to ask for, roof leases, and moving the feed-in tariff.
Planning a new system
Thinking about solar?
How many panels you need, and the options for your roof.
Warm Homes loans for solar and batteries
Cheaper loans through your bank, who can apply, and the free grant for lower-income homes.
Solar diverters
Heat your hot water with spare solar, and when a diverter is worth it.
Planning permission for solar panels
What counts as permitted development in England, Wales and Scotland.
G98 and G99 explained
When the network operator needs telling, when you need approval first, and why a battery often changes it.
Adding more solar panels
Extending your system without putting your feed-in tariff at risk.
Best direction and angle for solar panels
How much south, east, west and north-facing roofs make, and whether the angle matters.
Solar panel grants in England and Scotland
Free solar for lower-income homes, ECO4, 0% VAT and export payments.
How many solar panels do I need?
Work it out from your electricity use, roof space and location.
In-roof solar panels
In-roof against on-roof: looks, cost, planning and leaks.
Solar panels on a flat roof
Planning rules, mounting frames, tilt and protecting the roof.
Ready when you are
Tell us where you are and what you need.
We’ll call you back to talk it through, and you get a clear written quote before any work starts. Mon–Fri 9:00am–5:00pm.