Solar Xtra designs and installs solar panel systems, battery storage and EV chargers for homes and businesses across Solihull. Every system is sized to your roof, your household's actual electricity use, and the type of property you own. From the 1930s semis around the town centre to the large detached homes in Knowle and Dorridge, nothing is quoted off a template. Free, no-obligation survey and an itemised quote with no pressure to buy.
What solar typically looks like in this borough.
Solar Xtra helps Solihull homeowners cut electricity bills, reduce reliance on the grid and lower their carbon footprint with solar PV, battery storage and EV charging. Everything is designed, installed and guaranteed by one accountable team, so there is no passing the job between suppliers.
Solihull combines high home ownership with a large stock of south-facing detached and semi-detached roofs, which makes it one of the more naturally solar-suited boroughs in the region. Knowle, Dorridge and the roads around Packwood and Hockley Heath have some of the best roof space in the area for larger systems with battery storage.
Newer estates around Shirley tend to have textbook south-facing roofs that install quickly. The older 1960s and 70s housing stock in Chelmsley Wood is often a strong fit for ECO4-funded solar where the household is eligible.
Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council has committed to a net-zero borough by 2041, with its own operations targeting 2030, and actively supports residential renewable energy adoption.
A common misconception is that solar only works on bright, sunny days. Modern panels generate electricity from daylight rather than direct sunshine alone, so they keep producing through the overcast conditions typical of the West Midlands.
Panel orientation, roof shading and battery storage all affect how much you actually get out of a system. That is why we model your real roof at survey stage instead of quoting from a generic assumption or a satellite photo.
Postcodes we cover across the borough:
Solar Xtra installs across the whole borough, from the town centre out to the villages. These are the areas we work in most often:
Not sure if your street is inside our coverage?
Check Your PostcodeRising energy prices, a borough-wide net zero commitment and a housing stock well suited to rooftop PV have made solar an easy decision for a lot of Solihull households. Here is what actually drives it.
Generating your own electricity reduces how much you buy from the grid, which gives you a genuine buffer against rising prices. Instead of passively paying whatever your supplier charges, your roof becomes a source of free daytime power. Add a battery and it becomes power you can use whenever you need it, not only when the sun is out.
Installing solar reduces your household's carbon footprint and supports Solihull Council's published net-zero-by-2041 commitment for the borough. Beyond the environmental case, a properly certified solar PV system makes your home more attractive to buyers who now prioritise energy efficiency and lower running costs when house-hunting.
Panels generate from daylight rather than direct sunshine alone, so a grey West Midlands afternoon still produces. Orientation, shading and storage decide how much you actually keep, which is why we survey the roof properly rather than estimating output from a satellite image.
What a properly sized system delivers for a typical household in the borough, from the day it is switched on through to the day you sell.
Want to know what your roof would actually generate and save?
Solihull's housing stock varies a lot by area, so system size should too. Pick the property type closest to yours to see what we typically install and what it tends to generate.
Select your property type below for a typical Solihull estimate.
Roof space is usually the limit here, not budget. On smaller terraced roofs we prioritise panel efficiency over panel count, so you get the most from the area available. A compact battery can still make sense if your household uses most of its electricity in the evening.
The most common install we do in Solihull. The 1930s to 1960s semis around the town centre and Olton, and the newer estates in Shirley with their south-facing roofs, both sit in this range. Shirley roofs in particular are often single-day installs.
Knowle, Dorridge and Bentley Heath territory. These properties usually have the roof space for a larger array and the consumption to justify a bigger battery. Mature tree shading is worth checking properly on these leafier streets, including seasonal shading from deciduous trees.
Balsall Common and Hampton-in-Arden properties often land here. Systems above 3.68kW per phase need DNO approval before installation rather than notification afterwards, which adds a little lead time. We handle that application for you and factor it into the schedule from the start.
Estimates based on current electricity rates and typical self-consumption for Solihull properties. Actual figures depend on your roof, your household's usage and your export tariff. Your free survey gives you exact numbers for your home.
Most Solihull homes suit a 4kWp to 6kWp array. Larger detached properties around Knowle and Dorridge often take more, given their roof size and higher household consumption.
We size every system to your roof and your actual usage rather than applying a rule of thumb. Two houses on the same street can need very different systems once shading and consumption patterns are taken into account.
Every Solar Xtra installation starts with a free survey covering roof orientation, pitch, shading and your household's energy use. That feeds into a bespoke system design and a fixed, itemised quote.
The install itself is carried out by our own engineers, not a subcontracted crew, so the team who designed the system is the team who fits it. See our full solar panel installation service for what is included.
Solar panel systems in Solihull typically cost between £5,000 and £11,000 depending on system size, panel type and whether battery storage is included. Here is what that actually looks like on real Solihull properties.
Three examples based on the properties we most often work on in Solihull, including what each one typically pays back.
A straightforward south-facing roof, usually completed in a single day. The most common install shape in this part of the borough.
The battery lifts how much of your own generation you actually use, which is where the real saving on a detached property comes from.
Fitted as one combined project. Doing all three together is usually cheaper than three separate visits because the scaffolding and labour are shared.
Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council supports residential renewable energy adoption as part of its net-zero-by-2041 commitment. We confirm exactly which of these you qualify for during your free survey.
Homeowners across Great Britain pay no VAT on the installation of solar panels and battery storage. The relief runs until 31 March 2027 and covers new solar-and-battery combinations, retrofit batteries and standalone battery systems.
The SEG requires larger licensed energy suppliers to pay you for surplus electricity your system exports back to the grid, turning generation you cannot use at the time into income rather than waste.
Government-funded solar for eligible lower-income households. Particularly relevant to the older housing stock in Chelmsley Wood, where the property type often fits the scheme criteria well.
Up to £7,500 towards an air source heat pump installed alongside solar. Read more about our heat pump installations.
Finance is available across solar, battery and EV charger installations, so you can start saving on your bills without paying the full cost upfront. Ask about current options when you book your free quote.
All figures are typical ranges for Solihull properties and include the current 0% VAT relief. Your exact price depends on your roof, your chosen equipment and any access requirements, all confirmed in writing after your free survey.
From the first survey to the day your system starts generating, one team handles every stage. Here is how a typical Solihull installation runs.
A qualified surveyor assesses your roof size, orientation, pitch and any shading from trees or neighbouring buildings, alongside your current and likely future electricity use.
Your system is designed around what the survey actually found, not a standard package. You get a fixed, itemised quote with panels, inverter, battery, labour and scaffolding priced separately.
We confirm your permitted development status, handle the grid connection notification with your network operator, and sort any approvals needed before work starts.
Panels, inverter and any battery are fitted by our own engineers, not a subcontracted crew. Most Solihull homes are completed inside one to two days.
The system is tested, commissioned and handed over with your monitoring app set up, so you can see exactly what your roof is producing from day one.
In most cases, no. Residential solar installations in England, Solihull included, fall under permitted development and need no planning application.
The exceptions are listed buildings and properties inside conservation areas, which matters locally because parts of Knowle old village and Dorridge sit within conservation area boundaries.
Shading is a genuinely common consideration around Knowle, Dorridge and Balsall Common, where mature trees affect a roof's output more than most homeowners expect.
We assess shading properly at survey stage, including seasonal shading from deciduous trees, rather than estimating it from a satellite photo. That changes both the panel layout and the inverter choice.
Connecting a new solar or battery system to the electricity network requires notifying your Distribution Network Operator. For Solihull, that is National Grid Electricity Distribution. This is the mandatory UK approval process that confirms your installation meets DNO safety and technical standards.
Covers smaller systems, which is most terraced and semi-detached installs in Solihull. It is a straightforward notification submitted once the system is in, with no waiting period before work can begin.
Applies to larger systems and requires DNO approval before the install goes ahead. Worth knowing if you are in Knowle, Dorridge or Balsall Common and looking at a 7kW or larger array, since it adds some lead time.
Solar Xtra manages the entire G98 and G99 process on your behalf. You do not contact the network operator, fill in forms, or chase approvals. We build the lead time into your installation date so the schedule you are given is the schedule you get.
Most residential installations are completed in one to two days depending on system size and roof complexity. That covers panel fitting, inverter and battery installation, testing, commissioning and a full handover with your app set up.
Solar on its own only helps while the sun is up. Adding storage and a home charger is what turns generation into something you actually use across the whole day.
A battery stores the solar power you generate during the day and releases it in the evening, when your production drops but your household demand typically rises.
That increases how much of your own generation you actually use, cuts what you import at peak rates, and gives you backup power during outages.
With solar and a battery together, you move from simply consuming grid electricity to generating, storing and managing your own.
That combination delivers the independence solar alone does not quite reach. Most Solihull households find the evening hours are where the biggest gap sits.
We install several leading battery brands. The right one depends on your budget, your roof, and how your household actually uses electricity across the day.
A premium all-in-one inverter and battery with integrated EV charging built in. Popular across Solihull given how many households here run an electric vehicle.
A trusted modular battery that scales with your needs. Start smaller and add capacity later if your usage grows or you add an EV to the household.
High capacity and widely recognised, which suits the larger detached properties around Knowle and Dorridge where household consumption runs higher.
Electric vehicle ownership is growing quickly across the borough, and new petrol and diesel car sales end in 2035. Dorridge, Knowle and Balsall Common have some of the highest EV ownership rates in the West Midlands.
A dedicated home charger is faster and cheaper than public charging. Paired with solar, you can charge largely for free using surplus daytime generation instead of pulling from the grid.
We install solar-compatible chargers including Zappi and Ohme, both of which can prioritise charging from your own solar output rather than importing. Every install includes the required electrical load assessment and any DNO notification, and we confirm the best position for the charge point at survey stage.
Yes, either at the point of installation or retrofitted later. Many Solihull customers add a battery afterwards once they have seen how much surplus their system produces. Retrofitting is straightforward on most setups, though the inverter you already have will influence which batteries are compatible.
Yes. A standalone battery still saves money by charging on a cheap overnight tariff and discharging during expensive peak hours. We size it to your evening usage pattern rather than to a roof, and the same 0% VAT relief applies until March 2027.
Yes, across the whole borough. Every install includes the required electrical load assessment and any DNO notification. We confirm the best position for the charge point during the survey, factoring in cable runs, parking layout and where your consumer unit sits.
If you are planning all three anyway, doing them as one project is usually cheaper because the scaffolding, labour and electrical work are shared rather than repeated. It also means one system design rather than three that have to be made to work together afterwards.
Not sure whether you need a battery, a charger, or both?
Talk to Us FirstA West Midlands team you can actually speak to before and after your installation, not a call centre or a lead-generation front passing your details to whoever bids highest.
Over fifteen years installing solar, battery storage and heat pump systems, with the standards and workmanship that comes from doing it properly for that long.
Every system is sized to your roof, usage and budget using real survey data. No fixed packages, no assumptions pulled from a satellite image.
Designed and installed by our own qualified team. Not subcontracted, not salesperson-led, and not handed to a different crew on the day.
No pressure selling and no inflated savings claims. If something will not work well on your property, we tell you plainly rather than quoting it anyway.
Covering the quality of the installation itself, on top of manufacturer product warranties that typically run from 10 to 25 years.
Every quote includes a proper roof assessment, shading analysis, system sizing and a bespoke savings projection, at no cost and with no obligation.
Everything we install across the borough, for homes and for commercial properties.
The questions we are asked most often on Solihull surveys.
Solar-only systems typically cost £5,000 to £8,000 for a semi-detached home. Adding battery storage brings that to roughly £9,000 to £13,000. VAT is 0% until at least March 2027, which is already included in those figures. Your free survey gives you an itemised quote with panels, inverter, battery, labour and scaffolding priced separately.
Yes. Solihull gets around 1,380 sunshine hours a year, and modern panels generate from daylight rather than direct sun alone, so output continues through the overcast conditions typical of the West Midlands. Orientation and shading matter more than raw sunshine hours, which is why we survey the roof properly.
Most homes do not, since residential solar falls under permitted development. The exceptions are listed buildings and properties inside conservation areas, which is relevant in parts of Knowle old village and Dorridge. We confirm your status during the free survey before anything is agreed.
Typically one to two days on site, depending on system size and roof complexity. That covers panel fitting, inverter and battery installation, testing, commissioning and a full handover with your monitoring app set up.
0% VAT on solar and battery storage until March 2027, the Smart Export Guarantee for surplus you export, ECO4 for eligible lower-income households, and the Boiler Upgrade Scheme worth up to £7,500 towards a heat pump installed alongside solar. We confirm which apply to you at survey.
Most homes suit a 4kWp to 6kWp array. Larger detached properties around Knowle and Dorridge often take more given their roof size and higher consumption. We size every system to your specific roof and usage rather than applying a rule of thumb.
It depends on your budget and how your household uses electricity. SigEnergy suits homes wanting integrated EV charging, Fox ESS offers strong value with modular sizing you can expand later, and Tesla Powerwall 3 suits larger properties with higher consumption. We recommend the right fit after seeing your roof and your bills.
Yes, either at installation or retrofitted afterwards. Many Solihull customers add a battery once they have seen how much surplus their system actually produces. The inverter you already have will influence which batteries are compatible, which we check before quoting.
It is the mandatory grid connection process with your Distribution Network Operator. G98 covers smaller systems up to 3.68kW per phase and is a notification submitted after installation. G99 applies to larger systems and needs approval before work begins. Solar Xtra manages the whole process for you.
If your roof needs replacing within the next five to ten years, yes. Combining the work saves £1,500 to £3,000 in shared scaffolding alone and avoids paying to remove and refit panels later. We can coordinate re-roofing and solar as a single project, including in-roof systems that sit flush with the roofline for a neater finish.
Yes, for offices, warehouses, retail units, schools and farms across Solihull and the wider West Midlands. Commercial solar can qualify for corporation tax relief in the year of purchase through the Annual Investment Allowance, with typical payback around six to nine years. Call us for a free commercial energy audit.
Yes. Flexible finance is available across solar, battery and EV charger installations, so you can spread the cost rather than paying everything upfront. Ask about current options when you book your free quote.
Beyond Solihull, we install solar panels, battery storage and EV chargers across the wider West Midlands. If you are unsure whether your property falls within our service area, get in touch and we will confirm.
Start with a free, no-obligation survey. We assess your roof, model your usage and put together an itemised quote with no pressure to buy. From there we handle system design, grid notification, installation and registration, so the whole journey runs through one accountable team.
