Solar panels – also called Solar PV (photovoltaic) – are one of the most accessible and environmentally friendly ways to generate electricity in your home. At H2ecO, we can help install solar panels to your Dorset property. With rising energy costs and the urgent need to reduce carbon emissions, switching to solar PV is a smart investment whether on your current home or a new property you’re building.
Why Choose Us for Your Renewables?
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5-Year Comprehensive, Insurance-Backed Warranty: Peace of mind guaranteed with every solar panel system we install. -
Only MCS-Certified Components: We use fully accredited Microgeneration Certification Scheme products to ensure top efficiency and compliance. -
Expert Installers, Fully Qualified: Every installation is led by a Part P, 18th Edition certified PV specialist, so you're in safe, professional hands. -
£5 Million Third-Party Insurance: Covered for every eventuality. We don’t take risks with your property – or our reputation. -
Future-Proof & Financially Stable: We're a trusted name in solar with a strong foundation and long-term commitment to the renewables industry. -
Tidy, Respectful, and Responsible: We treat your home like it’s our own, leaving everything clean, neat, and just how you’d want it. -
Servicing & Support for Existing Solar Systems: Already got panels? We’re here to keep them running at peak performance.
How Does Solar Power Work?
Solar panels – installed on your roof or ground – capture energy from the sun and convert it into DC electricity (similar to what a battery produces). An inverter then converts that DC electricity into usable mains electricity, which can power your property or be exported and sold back to the National Grid.
If you have battery storage, you can also use solar panels to keep them charged.
How Does Solar Panel Installation Work?
- Get in Touch: Give us a call or drop us an email/web enquiry to talk through your solar journey.
- Free Cost Estimate: After discussing your requirements, we’ll provide a free cost estimate using satellite imagery.
- Survey & Quote: Provided that you are happy with the estimate, we’ll send an engineer to carry out a detailed survey. From there, we confirm everything with a formal quote.
- Installation, Handover & Payment: Ensuring professionalism and care at every stage of the process, we get to work. Once it’s all done to your satisfaction, we’ll talk you through your new solar PV system – and you’re all set!
To find out more about how you could benefit from Solar PV, plus to get a no-obligation quote, please get in touch.
Key Benefits of Solar PV Systems
- Self-consumption first – The electricity generated is used by your property before any surplus is sent back to the grid.
- Minimal maintenance – The modern “fit-and-forget” system comes with advanced monitoring tools available via apps or web portals.
- Detailed energy insights – Some systems can track total site energy consumption, helping you make informed decisions on energy savings or battery storage options.
- Protect against price spikes – By creating your own energy, you’re no longer at the mercy of national energy companies’ price increases.
- Easy installation – As a solar panel installer in Dorset, we can help provide an easy and quick setup.
Financial Benefits of Solar PV
As well as essentially getting free electricity for life with solar PV, you can also sell excess electricity generated from your panels from between 4p and 15p per kWh.
Under a scheme called the “Smart Export Guarantee”, larger energy suppliers are obliged to pay for any exported energy they receive.
The Smart Export Guarantee (SEG)
🔹 To qualify for SEG payments, your solar PV system must be installed by an MCS-certified installer, like us.
🔹 You’ll also need a smart meter installed by your energy provider to measure exported energy.
🔹 Check the latest SEG supplier rates on the OFGEM website.
While the government didn’t specify a specific amount per kWh, the market seems to have settled at around 4-15p per kWh of export. This is then typically applied as a credit against the normal incoming bill.
Statistics show that the optimal amount of electricity generated annually from a 4kW solar PV is around 4,000 kWh.
The average energy usage for a home in the UK is 2,700 kWh. This would give you 1,900kWh of electricity you could sell back to the grid at between £285 and £76 per year.
As a generalisation, we would recommend fitting the maximum number of panels you can fit / afford as energy prices are only going up and logically the value of exported energy will also rise – at the same time as our household consumption increases with the increasing use of electric Vehicles and heatpump heating systems.
You’re also protected against energy price volatility. So, if energy bills go up significantly, you won’t be impacted as much.
GET IN TOUCHMounting systems
On-Roof Solar PV Installations
- Uses brackets that are carefully installed in conjunction with an existing or new roof covering of slates or tiles.
- MCS-approved brackets are available for almost all tile/slate types.
- When installed properly leave the roof just as weathertight and structurally sound as it was before.
- Because the panels are installed above the roof covering with an air gap between, they are able to run with the benefit of air cooling.
- PV panels are more efficient when cooler so this provides the most efficient method for mounting panels if output is the key consideration.
- On roof mounting typically allows more flexibility in panel layout where roof space is tight or a more complicated shape.
In-Roof Solar PV Installations
- Replaces the roof covering with the PV panels for a neater, more integrated look.
- In-roof mounting components are more expensive than on-roof components so on a retrofit installation, an in-roof installation will cost more.
- On a new-build, however, the fact that the area covered with panels will not need to be covered with tiles/slates will offset the additional cost.
- The downside of in-roof systems is a small drop in production due to the panels running at slightly higher temperatures because they have less air movement than an on-roof system. Estimates vary between 3% and 5% less than on-roof.
- Due to the way the in-roof systems are fitted, they can sometimes limit the number of panels that can be fitted.
See it in action
Solar Edge
Watch how SolarEdge’s power optimizers enable greater energy yield for the entire PV system.
How Much Does Solar PV Cost?
The cost of installing roof solar panels in Dorset and the surrounding areas depends on a number of factors. A typical 4-6kW domestic solar PV system (excluding battery storage) costs between £6,500 – £8,500, including supply, installation, scaffolding, and VAT (currently zero-rated for residential installations).
What Affects the Size of Your Solar PV System?
✔ Budget – The amount you’re willing to invest in solar energy.
✔ Roof space – The number of panels that can be installed.
✔ Grid limitations – Your local Grid Operator’s regulations on how much energy can be exported.
💡 Our advice: Install the largest system possible within these constraints for maximum long-term savings.
Thinking About Battery Storage?
Battery storage allows you to store surplus energy from the day to use at night. Modern batteries can charge from the grid at night when it is cheaper and has a lower carbon intensity. The best batteries include machine learning to be able to intelligently work out and learn your consumption and production, factoring in weather forecasting to “play” the energy market to maximise your savings or carbon reduction.
Many customers are electing to include battery storage with their PV system. If your budget won’t allow that, we recommend saving up for a year so that you can buy a good battery. We don’t recommend small batteries (less than 5kWh) or batteries that aren’t connected to the manufacturer for ongoing monitoring.
Learn more about our battery storage solutions here.
Servicing, maintenance & repair
Servicing and Troubleshooting
Generally, solar PV systems are fit-and-forget – there is no need to have regular servicing.
If the panels get dirty from bird soiling or moss growth, cleaning by a window-cleaner who uses a pole-fed pure-water system is an appropriate solution.
If you have any concerns about the electrical safety or performance of your solar PV system, our call-out rate is £185 for the first hour of work (usually sufficient for diagnosis) and then £65 per hour thereafter.
If roof access is required for any diagnosis or repairs, this will usually require separate costs for scaffolding.
ENQUIRE NOWSolar Panel FAQs
Yes. Most homeowners see a noticeable drop in their electricity bills. Plus, if you’re generating more energy than you use, you can even earn money by selling it back to the grid through the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG).
Yes. While they’re most efficient in direct sunlight, solar panels still generate electricity on cloudy days – just at a slightly reduced rate.
Most domestic installations are completed in 1 to 2 days. We’ll give you a clear schedule upfront, and we always work efficiently and tidily.
We can usually tell from satellite imagery during your free estimate, but we’ll confirm everything with a detailed on-site survey before you commit to anything. This will include a structural survey of your roof timber construction.
Solar panels need very little maintenance. A periodic clean and an occasional health check is usually all that’s needed to keep them performing at their best. We also offer servicing for peace of mind.
Most solar panels come with a 25-year performance warranty, and many last even longer. It’s a long-term investment with long-term benefits.
You can export it to the grid and get paid through the Smart Export Guarantee. It’s a great way to maximise your return! Or you could store it in battery storage.
You’re covered. All our solar panel systems come with a 5-year comprehensive, insurance-backed installation warranty, on top of the manufacturers component warranties – and we’re just a phone call away if you need us.
