Find out the benefits for your home - it only takes 5 minutes!
We work out what savings you could make if you install solar panels, match you with the right local installer and make the admin as smooth as possible.
Answer a few simple questions about your home — it only takes around 5 minutes and couldn’t be easier.
We’ll tell you how you will save energy and costs with solar panels (as well as if you'd benefit from combining other green tech, like a heat pump) and explain the next steps.
Use Thermly to choose a trusted local installer, book a FREE survey and schedule your installation.
Our quick Green Tech Appraisal is free, and only takes a few minutes*.
Yes, because they generate electricity from light and there’s still some light in the winter, albeit a lower intensity and for a shorter time than in the summer (which is when they work best).
It all depends. Solar panels work more efficiently with south facing roofs, but can also be installed on east and west facing roofs. North facing is absolutely not recommended, unless you live in the southern hemisphere! The other considerations are the size and pitch of your roof, the extent of any shading (for example from other buildings or trees) and the integrity of the roof structure to hold the weight of the panels. Also, listed buildings will likely need consent.
Taking away the consultation with your installers and obtaining planning permission (if you need it), the physical aspect of installing solar panels takes between 1 and 3 days, depending on the number of panels and size of roof. You may find scaffolding goes up a few days before your installer starts on site too.
First you will have scaffolding installed to enable safe access to the roof space. The panels are then lifted and secured to the roof by attaching mounting brackets to the rafters, then attaching rails to the brackets and then locking the panels into the rails. In some cases, a ‘cherry picker’ crane may be used but it will all depend on access – something that can be assessed during survey.
The financial impact of the panels will start immediately after being connected, and they last 25 years, making them a very good investment.
They’re relatively low maintenance, but they aren’t “no maintenance”. Read our article %%link%%How long do solar panels last%%link%% for more info.
There aren’t dedicated solar panel grants, but the Warm Homes Scheme offered by the Government provides financial assistance on a means tested basis to households in certain low-income locations.
Yes. Whilst there is some flexibility about where your inverter and batteries can be located, the process of fixing the panels to the roof and running the necessary cabling will typically mean access to the loft space under the panels is needed. The process specific to your roof and home can be discussed in detail during the survey.
Yes, as you would for any major changes you make to your home. Installing solar panels will likely increase the overall market and rebuild value of your home, so you need to ensure your insurance covers this.
Our installer network can offer a range of different panel finishes which can be discussed with you if you decide to have a free survey. We increasingly see all-black panels and frames as the choice for many households, as they look a little sleeker on the roof!
They have a hydrophobic coating, which isn’t exactly “self-cleaning”, but does limit dirt sticking and helps rain wash away dust, dirt and bird poo. Read our article “How long do solar panels last” for more info about the minimal ongoing maintenance needs of your PV system.
Your installer will advise you on the best ways to ensure that birds, squirrels and other animals don’t nest or get lodged underneath your solar panels – but the simplest means is by installing a protecting mesh around perimeter of the panels. Done well and in the right colour, the mesh should not be particularly visible.
Your installers will ensure your solar panels are equipped with the right tech to make this happen – and you will need a Smart Meter to make this work. Once connected, you notify your supplier who will then meter any exported electricity and deduct the value of the electricity exported from your bill. It’ll be a good time to look around and get the best tariff that maximises the value of the energy exported.
Yes, but we’d always advise you not to, unless there is some excellent reason. Being connected to the Grid means you will pay the standing charge, but this should be offset by the income you earn from exporting electricity, and if something goes wrong being Grid connected means you will also have power. To be truly off Grid, and generate sufficient electricity in the winter, the size of the panel system – and the battery storage you would need, increases significantly. The cost impact of that could then well outweigh the benefits you derive from being off Grid.
Yes, provided you also include a piece of kit that enables you to ‘island’ your home in the case of a power cut. Regulations do not permit you to remain connected in the case of a power cut without it – as you’re in danger of electrocuting people working on the network. Expect to pay an additional £600-£900 to provide that islanding capability – but if you need a guaranteed power supply, for example, and you’re in an area that suffers regular outages, it could be a good investment.
Whether it’s 150W, 250W, 400W or 450W solar panels you’re thinking about for your home you’ll be able to find many from UK based retailers. More importantly, though, you need to think about getting them installed professionally, by MCS-Certified installers. That way you know it will have been done properly and to a high standard. The panels themselves are not the most expensive part of any PV system, you’ll find that inverters, scaffolding and installation costs outweigh the cost of the panels. With that in mind you need to know the costs are fair and reasonable – which is where Thermly comes in. Start your journey now and see how much you could save.
There are a few UK based manufacturers like GB-SOL based in Wales. There are many others like from mainland Europe, North America and China. The tier one suppliers – often identified for commercial scale solar due to their financial backing - include Jinko, JA Solar, Longi, Trina, Canadian Solar, Hanwah, and others. There are plenty more, but make sure you check whichever ones you choose are also approved by the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS).
Reputable MCS Certified installers can only use genuine and MCS Certified products, so that’s the route we recommend and that’s the route we help you with. If you’re doing this yourself, however, the usual rules apply. Buy from reputable and known retailers with a physical presence (showroom, shop, warehouse etc), and avoid buying from private sellers on auction websites offering hot deals. You know the ones we mean.
In simple terms you should check the MCS list of approved PV installers. Once you’ve got a list there, you can look at things like performance and warranty indicators. The best PV panels have a degradation rate of less than 0.5% per year (so in 25 years they’re still producing around 87% of their original output), performance warranties of 25 years and above, and efficiencies in excess of 21-23%. Speak to your Thermly installer about the options when they come to undertake a survey, they’ll provide more detail on the options that they install.
Honestly, we don’t know, it’s not something we deal with. We’d rather be open and let you know now, rather than pretend we know what we’re doing when it comes to flexi-solar.
Come to Thermly – we’ve done the work for you. When we expand into an area we look at all the available installers who provide the range of technologies we want to install. We do our research, a number of background checks and individually assess whether they’re a good fit for Thermly, all before contacting them. Once we’ve contacted them, our installers then need to provide us with a raft of additional documentation that supports our background assessment, and our regional leads also go and visit them to build a positive relationship from the outset. This is all before they are onboarded and trained to use the platform.
We are currently operating in the following local authority areas:
The are no UK government incentives in the form of grants available for PV in the UK – at least for most households. Some Local Authorities have secured funding to support lower income homes with energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions installations typically related to heat rather than PV generation – and there are specific eligibility requirements that need to be considered. You can find out more by visiting this link: %%link%%Apply for the Warm Homes: Local Grant to improve a home - GOV.UK%%link%%. These grants are dealt with by your local authority.
In Scotland, things are slightly different – there is up to £18,000 available for efficiency and heat related improvements, provided as a combination of grants and loans, but you must own, and be living in the property as your primary residence. More details can be found here: %%link%%Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan%%link%%. For PV, you can get up to £5,000 in interest free loan funding provided it’s a hybrid solar PV/solar thermal system, there is no grant available.
You may want to think more carefully about the Smart Export Guarantee, which requires energy suppliers to pay a (minimal) payment for everything you export once your PV is in place; and far more lucratively, a decent export tariff from a forward thinking energy supplier. You can get up to 15p per kWh exported currently.
Panels can be installed vertically with a suitable wall and appropriate fixings. However you need to be aware of the efficiency drop which results from siting them sub-optimally. Optimally would typically be south facing and at a pitch of about 35 degrees. If we say that’s optimal and therefore ‘100%’, then siting them vertically but on a south facing wall will reduce that to around 70%. If they’re vertical and on a south west facing wall, then it drops again to about 67%. If the only space you have is on a vertical wall, and it’s south facing, then it’s a possibility. If that wall faces east, west or in a northerly direction, we’d suggest there are better things you could spend your money on in energy terms for your home.
No idea. Probably. Sorry we don’t do them. We’re guessing you probably live in a flat and are looking to benefit from the outdoor space you have to save money on your energy bills. Panels aren’t small and a couple would fill a typical balcony so you’d lose that usable space. There’s a host of health and safety issues related to doing so as well, and they may suffer from shading either from the barrier or the balcony above. We’re very sorry but there’s not a lot we can do here at Thermly to help you at the moment when it comes to installing solar on a balcony!
At Thermly we believe it should be easier for people to make decisions that benefit their home, their community, and the planet.
We’re passionate about collaborative projects and initiatives that support this ambition, so we built the Thermly platform to do just that.
Provide tailored and independent advice specific to homeowners’ properties
Connect homeowners to our independently checked local, trusted installer network
Arrange necessary surveys and help access any available funding
Support homeowners through the whole process, including post-installation
