Egg’s 4 steps to solar: What is the solar panel installation process?

It doesn’t get much cleaner or greener than generating your own solar energy to power your home.

Not only do solar panels drastically reduce the cost of your electricity bills, but they also lower your carbon emissions. The sun is an environmentally friendly and incredibly powerful power source, meaning your pocket and the planet will thank you.

It’s all well and fine putting solar panels on your wish list and imagining a greener future, but how do you get solar panels installed? They aren’t as much of a pipe dream as you think. They are achievable and attainable and the process isn’t as much of a minefield as you’ve been led to believe.

What’s the process of getting solar?

Let’s break down the process, down to costs and timeframes, in just four steps.

1) Your enquiry

After you have made your enquiry, our team will call you to take you through some questions.

• They will confirm your location and ask for your home’s annual kWh output (so have this ready!)

• They will give you information about our products available – including both solar and battery storage and their benefits

A concept is created of what your system could look like

• This is done within 24 hours of your call

• Satellite images of your home are used to determine whether your home is viable for a solar system

• This concept will be sent to you with an estimated price and details of the next steps

2) The survey

An Egg surveyor will visit your home to take accurate measurements

• Within 10 working days of your concept design

• This involved a shading analysis, measurements of your roof, loft and roof rafters, and an assessment of your electrical supply and cable routes

• This survey costs £199 and will be taken off your final price if you choose to have your installation with Egg

Your Installation Proposal and final quote

• Within 3 days of your survey

• This is your final design once the measurements are confirmed and is more detailed and bespoke to your home with refined energy outputs

• It comes with final costing, details of how long the installation will take, and exactly how many panels fit on your roof

• We will follow up to see if you want to go ahead!

3) The legal bits

The contract

• We will send you your contract for you to sign and get back to us

• Our quotations are valid for 30 days

• Once signed, we’ll ask for you to pay your deposit (25% of the total price)

• We will send you a handover pack, filled with all the documentation you need – reference numbers, all passwords, and certificates

(Potential) G99 application

• Takes 45 working days

• Not everyone gets this, but it depends on the size of your inverter and energy output

• If this is required, we’ll need to inform the DNO (Distribution Network Operation) through a G99 application – which we do for you

• The DNO are the people who look after the energy that goes into your home, so this application requests permission to install your solar and battery system

• If needed, the DNO can charge £360 to £660 for the application, which is paid directly to them

4) The go-ahead!

Installation day!

• Takes approximately 4 days

• Scaffolding will arrive and be built a few days before the installation

• Once complete, we will send you a final invoice for the remaining 75%

• This price is minus the £199 you’ve already paid for your survey

• You start reaping the benefits right away!

How much does it cost to get solar panels installed?

What are the costs of a solar panel system? It’s a common (and important!) question.

While upgrading to solar certainly shows in the installation costs, the combination helps to save both energy and money in the long run.

Pairing your solar panels with a battery saves you as much as 90% on your energy bills. According to the Energy Saving Trust, the average home with a 3.5-kilowatt system could reduce its annual energy bills by anywhere between £170 and £440 off its household bills. That makes quite the difference!

So, while the upfront price of solar can be off-putting, you immediately start reaping the benefits as soon as it’s installed.

But what is it you’re paying for? Let’s break down the total cost.

Solar panels - starting from £7,250

• Includes installation

• This is based on 8 panels, the minimum typically required to generate enough solar energy to meaningfully reduce reliance on the grid

Battery storage - starting at £6,900

• Includes installation

• If the battery is installed along with the solar panels, it is included in the 0% VAT in that solar installations have

• If we install solar and battery storage at the time, you pay 0% VAT. If battery storage is installed after and separately from solar, VAT is 20%

Survey - £199

• Paid upfront

• This is taken off your final payment if you choose to continue with us

Deposit – 25% of the total price

• Paid ahead of the installation

Final payment – 75% of the total price

• Paid once completed

• Payment of the survey is taken off the total price

Want to make your house a green home? Take that first step to harnessing the sun’s power by making a solar enquiry here.