Cost, time and what's involved
Solar and storage
When it comes to installing solar or energy storage devices at your home, it may feel like a very technical process, however, it's quite straightforward. The first thing you need to do is choose an installer who will take care of the rest for you, which includes assessing and understanding your specific requirements. This guide is here to assist your installer with the necessary information they need to complete your installation.
If your installer is able to connect your solar or storage device, all they need to do is simply notify us of the installation within 28 days. However, in some cases, they may find that your electricity supply is not sufficient for the additional load and need us to upgrade your electricity supply first.
If you're carrying out the installation at a multi-occupied building, such as a block of flats or industrial units, it is important to gain the building owner's permissions before commencing any work.
What are solar panels?
Solar panels, also known as photovoltaic or PV panels, are devices that are typically installed on the roof of your property. They convert sunlight into electricity, which you can then use to power your home or business.
What is electricity storage?
A storage system stores the electricity generated by renewable energy sources like solar and wind power. Instead of using all the electricity right away, you can save some of it for later. It's like having a battery that stores excess energy.
Do you need an energy storage system
It's important to let your installer know when you think the most amount of electricity will be used. Your installer can then let you know whether solar panels will produce enough power during those times. If they don't, you may be advised to add an energy storage system which can store the extra power you generate and use it whenever you need it. Don't worry, your installer can help you measure this and talk you through your options.
Since you won't be able to do the installation work yourself, the first thing you need to do is choose an installer who will handle everything for you. If they need to notify us of your solar or storage device installations or require an upgrade to your electricity supply, they will need to contact us on your behalf. This will help us ensure that we receive all the correct information.
Choosing an installer
You don't have to worry about doing too much yourself, all you need to do is choose your installer, they will take care of the rest.
Notifying us
Once an installer has been chosen, they will visit you to complete the necessary checks to assess the size of your installation. If the maximum export of your installation after any export limitation scheme is under 5kW we will automatically approve your application and they will be able to complete the installation. Your installer should complete the application and provide installation confirmation on your behalf using our automated 'Smart connect' installer portal.
In some situations they may need our help
If upgrades to your electricity supply are required, your installer can still use Smart Connect to notify us. One of our experts will then assess the requirements and advise you and your installer of the next steps if any additional work is required from our teams. Occasionally, we need to visit customers as part of the assessment process to make sure we have all the information we need.
Complete connecting you solar or storage device
We'll then book in the work. Once we're done, your installer can connect your solar panels and energy storage device if it's required.
Cost and time
If your installer is able to complete their work without needing to upgrade your electricity supply, there will be no costs which you need to pay to us. However, if our teams need to make upgrades to your power, the cost and timing of each project can vary depending on a number of factors.
We're unable to provide an exact price or time frames online as they are determined on the specific work required. Therefore, it will be provided once we review your application and in some instances we may need to visit you first to provide you with an accurate quotation. Don't worry this will all be arranged through your installer.
Notifying us
Installers can notify us of installations using our automated Smart Connect portal. If upgrades to the electricity supply are required, our dedicated teams will reach out to installers directly to discuss the details.
Only installers can notify us on behalf of customers. This will help us ensure that we receive all the correct information when notifying us of an installation.