Solar…Simplified

Your equipment, including the panels, inverter and battery, will have a 10 year warranty, although their life expectance is a lot longer. Our installation work also has an insurance backed guarantee, and these warranties and guarantees can be transferred to the new owner if you sell your house.

You will need a smart meter if you want to be able to export power to the grid and get paid. If you don’t already have a smart meter, you can ask your energy provider to install one for you. They will usually do this free of charge. You can, however, still have solar panels installed if you do not have a smart meter, or if you are waiting for one.

Solar panels work by converting daylight into DC electricity, which is then fed into an inverter, which converts the DC electricity into AC electricity for your house to use, or for you to export to the grid. Your inverter can also use the DC electricity generated, or grid power, to charge your battery for use when there is no light.

Most solar panels have a minimum generation guarantee of 25 years, meaning they will guarantee that their power output will be no less than a certain amount of their ability (usually <>80%) for at least 25 years. Studies have shown that solar panels will actually last a lot longer than this, even for older models.

A solar storage battery will allow you to charge the battery with excess solar power in the daytime so that you can use the battery to power your house at night time. The battery can also be charged from the grid, allowing you to use a cheap off-peak tariff to charge you battery, and use the energy at peak times, maximising savings.

You can build a solar and battery setup to go completely off grid, but you would need a lot of solar panels and large amount of storage to supply you house without any grid usage at all. You can also use your installation for power during a grid outage, but it does require some extra installation work to make it safe during a power cut.

Your solar panels will still work on cloudy or rainy days, but they will not generate as much as they would on a sunny day. For most people, their system does not generate enough power during mid-inter so they need a battery to supplement their supply, but often the solar they export in the summer covers the cost of charging the battery.

Solar panels can be installed on a flat roof, and Modified offers a specialist service to install on flat roofs - even on the top of loft conversions. Due to the extra difficulties of installing on a flat roof, a lot of other companies do not off this service.

Your solar panels do not require much maintenance for continued use. Usually, the rain will be enough to keep them clean, although in certain areas, like costal regions or areas of dense traffic, there may be other build up like salt or dirt from traffic fumes which needs cleaning off occasionally.

Your inverter will show you the status of all of your installation - the amount of power you are generating, the amount of charge the battery is holding, and the amount of power you house is using, either from solar, batteries or the grid. There is also a mobile app which relays all the data to your phone or PC to monitor.

The length of time it takes for your installation to pay for itself depends on the size of the installation and how much electricity that you use. However, usually an installation of solar panels with a battery designed to cover moderate electricity use will pay for itself in 5-7 years.

It is very unlikely that your solar panels will get damaged by hail or strong winds, as the UK does not really experience the type of extreme weather events that would be required to cause damage. Calculations are made before installation to ensure that the panels, mounting kit and your roof will not be damaged by wind.

Your panels are unlikely to overheat in the summer. When mounted on top of a pitched roof, there is room for airflow underneath them, and when mounted in an in-roof system, extra precautions are taken for overheating and fire hazards. However, solar panels are actually more efficient on a cool but bright sunny day.

It is possible to add a battery to an existing solar panel installation, but usually the inverter will have to be changed as well to a hybrid model which will manage battery charging and discharging, or an additional AC coupled inverter being installed which acts as a battery charger.

If you do not have any space to install solar panels, it is possible to install a battery with an inverter. This can significantly reduce your electricity costs by allowing you to choose a time-of-use tariff to charge the battery during a cheap off peak period ignorer to use the battery power during expensive peak times.

There are some Government grants and incentives for solar panel installation. Until 2027, installation of a solar panel and battery system by an MCS accredited installer is 0% rated for VAT. There is also an ECO4 grant scheme for people claiming certain benefits which provides a grant for solar panel installation.

Your solar panels are connected to an inverter, which converts the DC energy from you solar panels into AC energy which is used by your house, or fed into the grid. The connection to the grid is via an individual circuit connected into your existing consumer unit.

You can install solar panels on a listed building or in a conservation area, but you will usually have to apply for planning permission to do so. You may also have to apply for planning permission if you live in a National Park.

It is possible to install aground mounted solar panel installation on your property. Under permitted development rights, the array must be no more than 9m2, and not more than 4m tall, and not within 5m of the boundary of the property. For larger installations, or different specifications, planning permission is required.

It is possible to install solar panels on a garage or an outbuilding, and they both follow the same permitted development rules as your house. You may have to consider some additional factors, such as running the AC power cable from the inverter back to the main property in order to connect to the fuse board and the grid.

You can add more panels to an existing installation at a later date, but if the panels are of a different voltage, so extra equipment may need to be added to make them compatible with your existing system, or your inverter may need changing in order to allow more inputs.

If you move house, it is not very likely that it would be worth removing the panels and taking them with you to reinstall on another property. However, as installing solar panels adds value to your property, it would be better using the money from the value increase to install a new system on your new house.

You do not need to inform your electricity provider before you install solar panels. However, f you want to install  a system with a greater output than 3.68kW, you will need prior permission from your DNO (Distribution Network Operator). Modified will administer this process for you, and obtain any permission your require before installation.