Solar clarity in an hour

Thinking about solar?
Here's how to figure out if it's right for you.

Written by solar specialists with the research and installs behind us — and no financial reason to steer you towards any particular product. Work through the guide and make your own call.

Start the solar guide Or jump to compare products →

Prefer to skip the research? Just get in touch and we'll make the recommendations for you →

Where to start

What brings you here?

Three starting points — pick the one that fits.

Is solar right for me?

Honest answers to the questions homeowners ask first — savings, payback, downsides, batteries.

Learn about solar →

I'm installing it myself

Step-by-step DIY guide, component comparisons, and a kit builder to price your system.

Open the DIY hub →

Plan it & get expert help

Two-minute planner builds your kit and savings estimate, then hands off to an MCS installer.

Start the planner →

Skip the framing

Start with your numbers

Answer a few questions about your home and usage and get a recommended system with indicative costs three ways — we install it, you install and we arrange certification, or full DIY. Takes about two minutes.

Plan your system

The guide

The 8 stages

Each stage works standalone — jump in wherever you like.

In-depth guides

Go deeper on the big decisions

Complete, honest guides to the questions homeowners ask most — costs, batteries, grants, and EV charging.

Solar cost & savings

What a system really costs in 2026 — and what you actually save.

Home battery storage

How batteries work with solar, the specs that matter, and sizing.

Grants & funding

Every UK scheme explained — VAT relief, SEG, ECO4 and more.

EV charging with solar

Solar divert explained and which chargers actually do it.

Browse all guides →

Products

Browse products by category

EV Chargers

Home EV chargers compared on charge speed, smart features, install compatibility, value, and warranty.

Solar Panels

Domestic solar panels compared on efficiency, output, warranty, value, and install compatibility.

Battery Storage

Home battery storage systems compared on capacity, efficiency, inverter compatibility, warranty, and value.

Inverters

String inverters for DIY solar installations.

Mounting & Racking

Roof mounting kits for solar panels.

Cables & Accessories

DC cable, connectors, isolators and generation meters.

Heat Pumps

Air-source heat pumps for UK homes. Eligible for the £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant.

Solar Diverters

Divert surplus solar generation to your immersion heater instead of exporting it.

Featured

Popular head-to-heads

The product matchups we get asked about most — same criteria, different verdicts.

Batteries

Alpha ESS Smile G3 vs GivEnergy AIO

Two leading UK all-in-one systems — when the GivEnergy premium is worth it.

Solar panels

Jinko Tiger Neo vs REC Alpha Pure-R

High-output N-type TOPCon vs premium low-light heterojunction.

EV chargers

Zappi vs Ohme ePod

Solar-first vs tariff-first — two different EV charging philosophies.

Batteries

Fox EP5 vs Pylontech US5000

Two most-installed mid-tier battery cells — Fox ecosystem vs Pylontech universal compatibility.

Solar panels

Aiko Neostar 2S vs REC Alpha Pure-R

ABC back-contact vs HJT — two premium cell architectures head to head.

Heat pumps

Vaillant aroTHERM Plus vs Mitsubishi Ecodan

R290 refrigerant vs the most-installed UK ASHP — quieter, warmer flow.

Browse all comparisons →

Latest

Latest from the blog

Review

LONGi Solar Panels Review UK: Hi-MO Range, Warranty & Pricing

LONGi is the world's largest monocrystalline wafer and module manufacturer, and its Hi-MO panels turn up on UK solar quotes constantly. This review covers the actual UK-sold ranges, real warranty terms, Tier 1 bankability status, hardware pricing and where LONGi sits against Aiko, JA Solar and Trina.

6 min read

Guide

7kW Solar System UK: Cost, Output and Who It's For

A 7 kWp solar system sits between the popular 6 kW and 8 kW sizes — a good match for large family homes with an EV, a heat pump, or a home office pushing consumption above 5,500 kWh a year. It typically needs 17–19 panels, generates around 5,700–6,300 kWh annually, and costs £8,500–£12,500 installed. This guide covers what you get, the G99 DNO process, and realistic payback.

7 min read

Review

Mitsubishi Heat Pump Review UK: Ecodan Range, Pricing & Verdict

Mitsubishi Electric's Ecodan range has the largest installed base of any heat pump brand in the UK, built at a dedicated factory in Livingston, Scotland. This review covers the current R32 and R290 model lines, realistic installed pricing before and after the £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant, warranty terms, noise levels, and how it stacks up against Daikin, Vaillant and Samsung.

7 min read

Guide

Solar Panels During a Renovation: When to Add Them & What Changes

If you're already extending, re-roofing, or rewiring your home, adding solar at the same time avoids paying for scaffolding and access twice. Here's how to sequence the work, what qualifies for 0% VAT, and what to check with your structural engineer and mortgage lender before you start.

7 min read

Review

Aiko Neostar 3S vs LONGi Hi-MO X10: Back-Contact Flagships Compared

Aiko's Neostar 3S+ 530W and LONGi's Hi-MO X10 540W are the two highest-spec residential panels you can buy in the UK right now, and both use back-contact cells — just built two different ways. Identical 23.9% efficiency, identical temperature behaviour, very different warranties and prices. I have been comparing them for a real system spec; here is what actually separates them.

6 min read

Guide

Solar Panels on Council Housing: Who Pays and How to Ask

Solar panels are going up on council housing across the UK, funded by the £1.29 billion Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund — and tenants pay nothing. This guide explains why councils are installing solar now, what free daytime electricity is worth to you, your legal right to ask for improvements, and the routes open to right-to-buy owners and leaseholders.

7 min read

Review

Growatt Solar Inverter Review UK: String, Hybrid Models & Pricing

Growatt is one of the biggest names in budget-to-midrange solar inverters, and its MIN, MOD and SPH ranges turn up on UK quotes constantly. This review covers what each range actually does, real UK hardware pricing, the ShinePhone monitoring app, and where Growatt sits against Solis, GoodWe, SolarEdge and Enphase.

6 min read

Guide

Solar Panels on a Shed: UK Rules, Costs & What They Can Power

A garden shed is a surprisingly good candidate for solar. Panels don't need planning permission in most cases, a 1–3 panel off-grid system handles workshop lighting and power tools comfortably, and a supply-and-install contract qualifies for 0% VAT until March 2027. Here's what you need to know.

5 min read

Who we are

Who writes this?

Sepehr is a solar specialist and co-founder of Smart Solar Homes — a UK team that works with MCS-certified installers. This site was built to give homeowners the straight-talking education the industry rarely provides. If you want to go further than the guides, we can arrange your install too.

Where we operate

We cover the whole of the UK. Established installer partners in Yorkshire, the Midlands, and the North East — more added regularly.

MCS Certified✦Based on published specs✦UK-wide✦Updated regularly✦No paid placements

Thinking about solar?
Here's how to figure out if it's right for you.