Wymondham Roofers installs solar panels on homes in Costessey and the surrounding area, covering everything from the roof survey through to the completed electrical connection.
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Solar panel installation is a significant purchase, and the options available to homeowners have multiplied considerably. Panels, mounting systems, inverters, batteries and add-on diverters all come in different types, at different price points, with different practical trade-offs. This page sets out what those options actually are, what the honest differences look like, and how to think about the choice for your own property.
Wymondham Roofers covers Costessey and nearby areas including Norwich, Cringleford, Hellesdon, Drayton, Bowthorpe, Taverham, Postwick, Mattishall, Ashwellthorpe and the wider surrounding area. Our starting point is always the roof itself - panel choice only makes sense once you know the roof is in good enough condition to take them.
Most panels sold for domestic installation in the UK today are one of three types: monocrystalline, polycrystalline or thin-film. Monocrystalline panels dominate the market for good reason, but the choice is worth understanding rather than just accepting.
Monocrystalline panels are cut from a single silicon crystal. They are the most efficient type in terms of electricity output per square metre - typically 19% to 22% efficiency for quality panels. If your usable roof space is limited, higher efficiency means you can fit more generating capacity into a smaller area.
They perform better than polycrystalline panels in lower light conditions, which matters on overcast days. They tend to be more expensive, but prices have fallen significantly over the past few years. For most domestic installations in the UK, monocrystalline is the sensible default.
Pros: higher efficiency, better in diffuse light, longer rated lifespans (often 25 years from manufacturers), compact for a given output.
Cons: higher unit cost than polycrystalline.
Polycrystalline panels are made from silicon that has been melted and cast rather than grown as a single crystal. Efficiency is typically 15% to 17%. They are cheaper per panel than monocrystalline, but because they are less efficient you may need more of them to hit the same total output - which can eat into any cost saving if roof space is tight.
They are a reasonable option for properties with a large, unobstructed roof area where fitting extra panels is straightforward. For constrained roofs, monocrystalline is usually the better choice.
Pros: lower cost per panel.
Cons: lower efficiency, more panels needed for equivalent output, slightly worse performance in low light.
Thin-film panels use a different manufacturing process and are applied as a layer rather than assembled from silicon wafers. They are flexible, lightweight and can be integrated directly into roofing materials in some formats. Efficiency is typically lower than crystalline panels (10% to 13% for most commercial thin-film products), which means you need a larger area to generate the same output.
For most standard pitched domestic roofs, thin-film is rarely the right choice. It appears more often on commercial flat roofs or in building-integrated applications. If an installer recommends it for a standard house roof without a specific reason, ask why.
Pros: lightweight, flexible in some formats, lower cost in some applications.
Cons: lower efficiency, higher area requirement, less common for domestic pitched roofs.
How panels are fixed to your roof matters as much as which panels you choose. The mounting system takes the structural load, determines how well-sealed the roof is beneath the panels, and affects how long the installation remains watertight.
The most widely used system for pitched roofs. Aluminium rails are fixed to the rafters using hooks or brackets that sit under or through the tiles. Panels clip onto the rails. The system is well-proven, can accommodate most tile types, and allows panels to be removed individually if needed.
The quality of the hook or bracket and how it is sealed against the tile is critical. A properly specified hook for your tile profile - not a one-size-fits-all bracket forced under whatever tile is there - is what separates a good installation from a future leak.
On some roof types, a section of tile is removed and replaced with a purpose-made aluminium hook that integrates flush with the surrounding tiles. The rail then bolts to the hook. This gives a cleaner waterproof finish than a bracket that forces under an existing tile. It is more involved to fit but produces a more reliable long-term seal.
Integrated systems replace a section of roof covering entirely. Panels sit flush within the roof plane rather than standing proud of it. They look neater from the street and some homeowners prefer the appearance. The trade-off is that the panels are harder to access for inspection underneath, and if a panel fails, removal requires more work than a standard rail system.
In-roof systems cost more to install and are generally only worth considering where appearance is a priority or where a partial re-roof is already planned at the same time.
Honest summary: for most homes in Costessey and the surrounding area, a quality rail-based system with correctly specified hooks is the practical choice. In-roof systems are valid but carry a cost premium and are not always worth it on a standard semi-detached or detached house.
The inverter converts the DC electricity your panels produce into AC electricity your home can use. The type of inverter affects how the system handles shading, how easy it is to monitor individual panel performance, and what the installation looks like internally.
A single central inverter connected to all panels in a string (or series of strings). This is the standard, lowest-cost option and works well when all panels face the same direction and shading is minimal. The drawback is that if one panel underperforms due to shading, dirt or a fault, it can reduce the output of the whole string - depending on the system's design.
A small inverter attached to each individual panel. Each panel operates independently, so shading or a fault on one panel does not affect the others. Easier to monitor panel by panel. More expensive per installation than a string inverter, but the performance advantage on partially shaded roofs can be significant.
If your roof has obstructions - a chimney stack casting a shadow across part of the panel array, a neighbouring tree, a dormer - microinverters are worth the extra cost. If the roof is clear and all panels face the same direction, a string inverter is harder to justify replacing with microinverters on cost grounds alone.
A middle-ground option. An optimiser is fitted to each panel and maximises its individual DC output before the power reaches a central inverter. Similar performance benefit to microinverters on shaded roofs, but the central inverter is still present. Monitoring is panel-level. Cost sits between string inverters and full microinverter systems.
A solar battery stores electricity generated during daylight hours for use in the evening. Without storage, surplus electricity is exported to the grid under the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG), for which energy suppliers pay a rate that is currently considerably lower than the cost of buying electricity back. A battery reduces what you export and increases what you self-consume.
Home batteries for domestic solar currently cost roughly £2,500 to £5,000 installed, depending on capacity (typically 5kWh to 15kWh for a home system). The payback period for a battery is longer than for the panels themselves. Whether it makes financial sense depends on your electricity consumption pattern - specifically how much you use in the evenings versus during the day when panels are generating.
If you work from home and use electricity throughout the day, a battery adds less value than for a household that is empty during daylight hours. This is a calculation worth doing with your installer before committing.
Battery technology has improved and prices continue to fall. There is no penalty to fitting solar now without a battery and adding one later - most modern inverters are designed to be battery-ready.
If your home has a hot water cylinder (rather than a combi boiler that heats water on demand), a solar diverter is worth considering. A diverter detects surplus electricity being exported to the grid and redirects it to your immersion heater instead. Hot water is effectively free on days with good generation.
Diverters cost roughly £300 to £600 installed, which is significantly less than a battery. They do not store electricity in the same way - you cannot use the stored energy for lighting or appliances - but for heating water they are a cost-effective way to use surplus generation that would otherwise be exported at a low rate.
Current UK market prices for domestic solar installation vary by system size, panel type and installer. Typical ranges are:
VAT on domestic solar panel installations in the UK currently stands at 0%, so the prices above are the full cost. Scaffold is sometimes quoted separately - always confirm it is included before comparing quotes.
Monocrystalline panels cost more per unit than polycrystalline, but because you need fewer for the same output, the total installed cost difference is often smaller than people expect. Microinverters add roughly £500 to £1,000 to a typical 4kW installation compared with a string inverter setup.
Fitting solar panels to a roof that has unresolved problems - cracked or slipped tiles, failing flashings, deteriorating felt - means those problems are hidden under panels for years. Any remedial work needed after installation costs significantly more because the panels have to come off first.
Before committing to a panel specification or a price, a physical roof survey confirms the roof is in suitable condition, checks the structural load capacity, and identifies anything that needs attention. This is not an optional add-on - it is the correct starting point for any reputable installation.
For a standard domestic property in Costessey the process runs as follows. The roof is surveyed and any remedial work identified. Scaffold is erected. Mounting hooks or brackets are fixed to the rafters, rails are installed, and panels are secured and connected together. Cables are routed neatly to the inverter location, which is usually in the loft or on an internal wall. The inverter is wired into the consumer unit by a registered electrician, the system is tested and commissioned, and you receive the completion documentation. For systems above a certain size, the Distribution Network Operator is notified - ask your installer to confirm this is handled as part of the job.
Wymondham Roofers covers Costessey and the surrounding area, including Norwich, Cringleford, Hellesdon, Drayton, Bowthorpe, Taverham, Postwick, Mattishall, Ashwellthorpe and the wider surrounding area. Call us to arrange a roof survey and talk through the right panel and mounting options for your property.
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