Solar Panels London: MCS Solar Panel Installers for North London
We design and install solar panels and batteries for London homes from our office in St Albans. Most of our London work is in North London: Barnet, Enfield, Haringey and the Hertfordshire border. Elsewhere in London, send your postcode and we will tell you plainly whether we can reach you.
London costs more to install in than anywhere else in Great Britain. The government's 2025/26 figures put small systems here at £2,101 per kW, about 16 percent above the national mean. This page shows the London numbers that drive that price, with a source for each one.
Get a London solar quote
Tell us your postcode first so we can confirm we cover it.
Solar panels in London: the short answer
- Cost: London averages £2,101 per kW up to 4 kW and £1,759 per kW from 4 to 10 kW (DESNZ 2025/26), so roughly £7,350 for 3.5 kW and £10,550 for 6 kW before any battery.
- Output: about 1,025 kWh per kWp a year on a south-facing roof (PVGIS), so a 4 kWp array makes about 4,100 kWh.
- Grid: UK Power Networks everywhere in London; G98 notification up to 3.68 kW single-phase, G99 approval above it.
- Planning: roof slopes are usually permitted development, even in most conservation areas; listed houses and flat roofs are the main exceptions.
- Coverage: North London is our patch. Elsewhere, ask first.
Where we install solar panels in London
Plenty of firms say they cover "all of London". We don't. Our surveyors and installers travel from St Albans, so the London homes we look after are mostly in the north of the city, where the A1, A41 and M25 bring us in quickly and where a return visit for aftercare is practical. Each of the areas below has its own page with local planning and housing detail.
If you live in South, West or central London, we may still be able to help, but it depends on the job and the distance, and we would rather tell you before a survey than after. Put your postcode in the form and we will reply with a straight yes or no. For the borough-by-borough picture across Barnet, Camden, Enfield and Haringey, read our North London solar panel installation page. If you are just over the border in Potters Bar, Borehamwood or Cheshunt, the Hertfordshire page is the better starting point.
London solar facts, with sources
These are the London-specific numbers that change a solar decision here compared with the rest of the country. Each row names where it comes from. Last reviewed 18 October 2026.
| Topic | What it means in London | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Who connects you | UK Power Networks runs all three licence areas that cover London: London Power Networks (inner London), Eastern Power Networks (the East of England down to North London) and South Eastern Power Networks (South London). Whichever side of the city you are on, the G98 notification or G99 application goes to UK Power Networks. | UK Power Networks Annual Review 2024, "Who we are" |
| G98 or G99 | Up to 16 A per phase (3.68 kW single-phase, 11.04 kW three-phase, counting every generator and battery inverter at the property) the installer notifies within 28 days of commissioning. Above that, G99 approval is needed before installation. | Energy Networks Association, EREC G98 / G99 guidance |
| Yield | About 1,020 to 1,025 kWh per kWp a year for a south-facing 35 degree roof anywhere from Westminster to Enfield. East and west slopes give roughly 77 to 80 percent of that. | PVGIS 5.2, EU Joint Research Centre, queried 18 Oct 2026 |
| Installed cost | London had the highest mean cost per kW of any GB region for systems up to 4 kW: £2,101, against £1,808 across Great Britain, about 16 percent more. For 4 to 10 kW the gap narrows to about 8 percent (£1,759 against £1,622). | DESNZ Solar PV cost data 2025/26 (TIC), regional table, 28 May 2026 |
| Housing stock | 54.0 percent of London households (1.8 million) live in a flat, maisonette or apartment, against 21.7 percent across England and Wales. For most of those homes the roof belongs to a freeholder, so the first question is whose roof it is. | ONS, Housing, England and Wales: Census 2021 |
| Conservation areas | Camden has 40 conservation areas covering about half the borough. Haringey has 28. A conservation area does not ban solar on a roof slope; the planning test is set out below. | London Borough of Camden and Haringey Council conservation area pages |
| London Plan | Policy SI 2 of the London Plan 2021 requires major developments to be net zero-carbon, with at least a 35 percent on-site reduction beyond Building Regulations and a "be green" step to produce, store and use renewable energy on site. It applies to major development, not to panels on an existing house. | Greater London Authority, The London Plan 2021, Policy SI 2 |
| Solar Together London | The Mayor and the London boroughs have run this group-buying scheme since 2018. Across five phases it took 72,330 registrations and led to 3,231 installations totalling 7,600 kWp, with 20 to 30 percent reductions reported for phases 3 to 5. | GLA EIR response "Solar Together", 1 September 2026 |
What solar panels cost in London
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero publishes installed costs for every MCS-registered system. Its 2025/26 release, published on 28 May 2026, includes a breakdown by region. London recorded 7,998 installations, fewer than any other region in Great Britain, and the highest mean cost per kW for small systems. The figures include VAT where it applied and exclude batteries.
| System size | London mean | Great Britain mean | East of England mean | London worked example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 to 4 kW | £2,101 per kW | £1,808 per kW | £1,796 per kW | 3.5 kW: about £7,350 |
| 4 to 10 kW | £1,759 per kW | £1,622 per kW | £1,663 per kW | 6 kW: about £10,550 |
| 10 to 50 kW | £1,214 per kW | £1,267 per kW | £1,241 per kW | Mostly larger homes and small commercial roofs |
Why London costs more is mostly about access rather than equipment. Terraced streets mean scaffold often goes up through a house or from a rear garden, a parking bay suspension may be needed for the van and skip (each borough sets its own charge), and many roofs are small or split by dormers and party walls, so fixed costs are spread over fewer panels. That is also why the premium shrinks as systems get bigger: for 10 to 50 kW, London's mean was slightly below the national figure.
A battery adds to these figures. The Energy Saving Trust puts typical home battery costs at around £5,000 to £8,000. For a full breakdown of North London prices by house type, see our North London solar panel costs guide, and model your own payback with the ROI calculator.
How much electricity London roofs produce
Sunshine barely changes across the capital. We ran the European Commission's PVGIS model for three points across London; the spread between them is under one percent. Orientation matters far more than postcode: a west-facing slope in Finchley gives about 23 percent less than a south-facing one on the same street.
| Location | South-facing (kWh per kWp a year) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Central London (51.51 N, 0.13 W) | 1,025 | South-facing, 35 degree pitch |
| Finchley, N3 (51.60 N, 0.19 W) | 1,025 | East-facing: 823. West-facing: 792 |
| Enfield (51.65 N, 0.08 W) | 1,020 | South-facing, 35 degree pitch |
Shading from neighbouring buildings and trees is the bigger London variable, and no regional figure captures it. Your MCS performance estimate is calculated for your actual roof, orientation and shading, and that is the number to judge a quote on.
Planning permission for solar panels in London
The rules are national, but London has more of the designations that trigger them. Under Class A of the permitted development rules, as amended by S.I. 2026/896 in August 2026, panels on a pitched roof are permitted if they protrude no more than 0.2 metres from the roof slope and nothing sits above the highest part of the roof, excluding chimneys.
- Conservation areas: permitted development is withheld for equipment on a wall, balcony or roof enclosure that fronts a highway. A roof slope is not caught by that limit, so a rear-slope array in one of Camden's 40 or Haringey's 28 conservation areas is often still permitted.
- Listed houses: since 27 August 2026 a listed dwellinghouse is outside Class A, so it needs planning permission as well as listed building consent.
- Article 4 directions: a direction removes only the rights it names. Many London directions target windows, doors and front boundaries rather than roof equipment, so check the wording for your street rather than assuming solar is blocked.
- Flat roofs: a flat-roof array needs a prior approval decision from the council before work starts.
We check your address against the borough's conservation-area and Article 4 maps before we design, and we prepare the application where one is needed. The detail is in our guide to solar panels in conservation areas.
Who we are, and what a London job with us involves
SOLA UK Ltd (company number 12993768) is an MCS-certified installer and a member of the Renewable Energy Consumer Code, registered with TrustMark and OZEV. We fit AIKO 485W all-black panels as standard, which suit dark slate roofs, and SigEnergy or Tesla Powerwall batteries sized to your consumption.
- A surveyor visits your roof before you get a fixed price, including scaffold access and any parking bay suspension.
- We check the planning position for your address and the network route with UK Power Networks.
- You get the MCS performance estimate, a layout drawing and a written price with the VAT position stated.
- After installation we register the system on the MCS database and hand over the paperwork you need for a Smart Export Guarantee tariff.
Comparing more than one company? Our guide to checking a solar company before you sign shows how to verify MCS, consumer code and TrustMark claims for any installer, us included. The step-by-step UK process is in our solar panel installation guide.
Solar panels in London: questions
Do you install solar panels everywhere in London?
No, and we would rather say so up front. We are based at Arquen House, St Albans, and our London work is concentrated in North London: Barnet, Whetstone, Cockfosters, Enfield, Tottenham and Hampstead each have their own page, and we also have a Barking page. For anywhere else in London, send your postcode with the form or call 0800 470 0922 and we will tell you plainly whether we can survey and look after your system.
How much do solar panels cost in London?
The government's Solar PV cost data for 2025/26 gives London a mean of £2,101 per kW for systems up to 4 kW and £1,759 per kW for 4 to 10 kW systems, including VAT where it applied and excluding batteries. That puts a 3.5 kW system at about £7,350 and a 6 kW system at about £10,550 as London averages. London was the most expensive GB region for small systems, about 16 percent above the national mean. A quote for your roof replaces these averages once the roof, access and network route are known.
Who is the network operator for solar panels in London?
UK Power Networks. It operates the London Power Networks licence area for inner London, Eastern Power Networks for the East of England down to North London, and South Eastern Power Networks for South London. Systems up to 16 A per phase (3.68 kW on a single-phase supply) are notified to UK Power Networks within 28 days of commissioning under G98. Larger systems, including many solar and battery combinations, need G99 approval before installation.
Do I need planning permission for solar panels in a London conservation area?
Often not for panels on a roof slope. Under Class A of the permitted development rules as amended in August 2026, panels on a pitched roof must protrude no more than 0.2 metres and sit no higher than the highest part of the roof. In a conservation area the rights are withheld for equipment on a wall, balcony or roof enclosure that fronts a highway, not for roof slopes as such. A listed house falls outside Class A, a flat-roof array needs a prior approval decision, and an Article 4 direction removes only the rights it names. Camden alone has 40 conservation areas, so we check the address before designing.
Can I put solar panels on a London flat?
Sometimes. Census 2021 shows 54 percent of London households live in a flat, maisonette or apartment, and in most of those the roof is owned by the freeholder, so you need the freeholder's written agreement before anyone designs a system. A top-floor flat with its own section of roof, or a converted house where the lease includes the roof, is the likeliest case. Ask your managing agent first; we can then survey.
Should I wait for Solar Together London instead?
It is worth knowing about. The Greater London Authority reports that the scheme has run five phases since 2018, with 72,330 registrations and 3,231 installations, and that phases 3 to 5 gave 20 to 30 percent reductions. Registration opens in rounds, so check solartogether.co.uk or your council's page for the current position. If a round is open, compare its price and specification with a quote surveyed on your own roof.
How much electricity will solar panels generate in London?
PVGIS, the European Commission's solar model, gives about 1,025 kWh per kWp a year for a south-facing 35 degree roof in central London and Finchley, and about 1,020 in Enfield. An east-facing slope gives about 823 and a west-facing slope about 792. So a 4 kWp south-facing array would produce about 4,100 kWh a year before shading. Your MCS performance estimate uses the MCS method for your exact orientation and shading.
Is it still 0% VAT on solar panels in London?
Yes, until 31 March 2027. HMRC VAT Notice 708/6 applies a zero rate to the installation of solar panels in residential accommodation in Great Britain from 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2027, and batteries have qualified since 1 February 2024. From 1 April 2027 the rate reverts to 5 percent, not 20 percent.
Sources
- Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Solar PV cost data 2025/26, Total Installed Capacity workbook (regional and annual tables), published 28 May 2026: gov.uk/government/statistics/solar-pv-cost-data
- European Commission Joint Research Centre, PVGIS 5.2 PVcalc, SARAH2, queried 18 October 2026: re.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pvg_tools
- UK Power Networks, Annual Review 2024, "Who we are" (licence areas)
- Energy Networks Association, guidance on EREC G98 and G99 connections
- Office for National Statistics, Housing, England and Wales: Census 2021
- London Borough of Camden, Conservation areas; Haringey Council, Conservation areas in Haringey
- Greater London Authority, The London Plan 2021, Policy SI 2 Minimising greenhouse gas emissions
- Greater London Authority, EIR disclosure "Solar Together", 1 September 2026
- The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) (Amendment) Order, S.I. 2026/896, Schedule 2 Part 14 Class A
- HMRC VAT Notice 708/6, energy-saving materials and heating equipment; Energy Saving Trust, solar panels advice
Get a quote for your London roof
MCS-certified, based in St Albans, installing across North London and Hertfordshire.