DIY Solar Panel Installation Guide

Overview: What You Need To Know About DIY Solar Panels

This guide is a 10-minute read. Short on time? Read this overview and bookmark our DIY solar panel guide for later…

You don’t need to be MCS accredited to legally fit solar panels on a DIY basis in the UK. 

But, whilst you might see some upfront cost savings in comparison to using a professional, they’ll be at the expense of: 

• You having to undertake a hugely complex and lengthy DIY project
• A reduction in efficiency of your system (DIY solar panel kits tend to be hugely inefficient, hence being so cheap)
• Only MCS certified installations are eligible for the Smart Export Guarantee; so you won’t be able to earn cash on any electricity you produce

If you still want to build a DIY solar panel setup, expect to need a 3.5kW system (10 350w panels) for a 3-bedroom semi. A system of this size (not including a storage battery) will cost up to £4,500. 

Our advice?

If you’re planning to install a small and basic kit to power things such as outdoor lights, a DIY setup would be suitable. 

However, if you’re planning a pitched roof installation capable of powering all of the electronic appliances in your property; get your system professionally installed.

‍Get prices on professionally spec’d and installed solar panel systems here.

Can I Build A DIY Solar Panel System?

Legally, you are allowed to install a DIY solar panel system. However, bear in mind:

• This is not a basic DIY project
• DIY solar panel systems are cheap for a reason; they’re low quality and highly inefficient
• An installation that isn’t MCS approved won’t be eligible for the Smart Export Guarantee; the scheme to sell excess electricity back to the grid

‍Want to take the hassle out of your solar panel installation? Get quotes here, and get an install completed by one of our experienced MCS registered fitters. 

Complexity

Whilst there are DIY solar panel kits available, they can be complicated to install. And typically, these kits are designed for small-scale use, they’re not designed to make your home self-sufficient. 

If you plan to install a ground mounted DIY solar panel kit with just one panel to power items such as outdoor lighting, this can be done on a DIY basis fairly easily using a kit. 

However, if you’re looking for a roof mounted solar panel system to power your home, we’d advise using a MCS registered installer.

Quality of Materials

Most DIY solar panel kits are of “reasonable” quality, with panel efficiency being lower than average. So, whilst you may save some money on labour, you’ll lose out when it comes to the amount of electricity that’s produced and therefore, energy savings. 

Certified MCS installers only fit high quality solar panels, with high efficiency and a long lifespan of up to 25-years. 

Put simply, a professional installation helps to reduce the payback period.

‍All of Dwellow’s installers are MCS registered, giving you a solar panel installation that requires no leg-work on your end. Click over to our solar panel quote page here. 

Smart Export Guarantee (SEG)

The Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) allows households generating green energy in the UK to sell it back to the grid. This incentive helps you pay off the initial cost of your solar panel system over time. 

However, to be eligible, you’ll need to have a solar panel system that’s been signed off by an installer that’s part of the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS). This is the governing body for low-carbon projects; they ensure installations meet certain standards.

Don’t know someone that is MCS registered and will sign off your system? You’ll lose out on £1000s in SEG payments over the lifespan of your system.

‍You can get prices for solar panels (installed by our engineers) here, which will be eligible for the Smart Export Guarantee payment scheme. 

How Many Solar Panels Do I Need?

If you’re set on buying a do it yourself kit, you’re going to need to determine exactly what size DIY solar panel system you need. That’s going to be based on the electricity your household consumes…

The average 3-bedroom semi-detached property in the UK will use approximately 2,700kWh of electricity per year. To cover most of this property’s electricity demand, you’ll need a 3.5kWh system, which would usually use 10, 350w panels. 

Of course, variables affect exactly what size DIY kit you need, including: 

• Size of your property
• Electricity consumption
• Efficiency of your solar panels (cheap DIY solar panels won’t produce as much electricity as high quality panels)
• Hours of sunlight per day that you panels receive
• The list goes on…!

We’ve written a detailed guide to how many solar panels you need here. 

‍If you’re looking for a hands-free setup, we determine exactly what size system you need (free) as part of the installation process. Jump over to our solar panel installation page here. 

DIY Solar Panel Kit Cost

A typical 3.5kW DIY solar panel system will be somewhere in the region of £3,000-£4,500. Prices are likely to rise sharply if you choose to add solar battery storage. 

In comparison, a solar panel installation from a MCS accredited company will cost in the region of £7,000. 

The additional cost of having a solar panel system installed by a professional includes: 

• Assurance that the system exceeds minimum safety and installation standards
• Accurately spec’d system, meaning you’ve not paid for extra solar battery storage or panels that you don’t need
• Eligibility for the Smart Export Guarantee Scheme, so you can earn a small income from excess electricity produced, by selling back to the grid
• A hassle free project; installing solar panels on a DIY basis isn’t easy, and working at height with panels weighing 20 kg or more can be dangerous

Whilst using a solar panel kit is an option, it’s certainly not the best one. You can get solar panel quotes on-screen here and enjoy a hassle-free installation completed by qualified MCS installers.

DIY Solar Panel Efficiency

Solar panel efficiency varies massively depending on the brand and model you choose. Typical specification sheets will show efficiency levels of 15-25%. 

The problem here is, cheap DIY solar panels are towards the lower end of that range. The drop from 25% efficiency down to 15% means you’ll be producing 40% less electricity from your panels. 

The Energy Saving Trust shows approximate savings of £600 per year for highly efficient panels. This would drop to £360 per year for those in the lower end of the efficiency range (15%). 

With a typical lifespan of 25 years, you’d generate electricity savings of approximately £15,000 with highly efficient panels, and just £9,000 with low efficiency DIY solar panels. 

But it gets worse. The Energy Saving Trust figures are based on being eligible for the Smart Export Guarantee (which DIY solar panels are generally not). 

Without SEG payments, average savings for highly efficient panels are £330 or £8,250 over a 25 year lifespan. That means a low efficiency panel would only see savings of £4,950 over the same period!

So, £15,000 in savings for high efficiency panels and £4,950 for low efficiency panels. It’s easy to see why people simply get a qualified MCS installer to fit their system, rather than choosing to take on a project and fit DIY solar panels, only to save less!

‍You can get prices on highly efficient solar panels here; prices include installation!

Should I Buy A DIY Solar Panel Kit?

There is definitely money to be saved by installing a solar panel system yourself, if you’re able to spec the system correctly, choose high quality materials and install it to MCS standards. 

However, even for the competent DIYer, managing all of the above is unlikely. And the end result is that your system isn’t as efficient as it could be. 

Essentially, the cost of your solar panel in its lifetime (when taking into account efficiency and SEG payment loss), is likely to be more for a DIY installation than it is compared to just employing a professional. 

Worse still, for a DIY install, you have a huge project on your hands that could take months to complete!

You can get a fixed price on-screen for a hassle-free solar panel installation by jumping over to our page here. 

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