Thinking about panels on your roof? We are a local Cornwall electrician, and we would rather you understood how solar works for your home than be rushed by a sales script. Here is the honest version: what happens on the roof, what affects output, and what to check before you sign anything.
Talk your roof through with our friendly team.
How it works
Each panel is made of cells that turn daylight into direct current (DC) electricity. That DC travels down cables to an inverter, which converts it to alternating current (AC), the same type your sockets and appliances use.
The AC feeds into your consumer unit. Your home uses what it needs first. If the panels are producing more than you are using, the surplus goes out to the grid, or into a battery if you have one. When the panels produce less than you need, you draw the rest from the grid as normal.
Is your home suitable?
No two Cornish roofs are the same. These are the things that shape whether solar makes sense and how the system should be designed.
The process
A clear sequence, with time to ask questions at every stage.
We talk through how you use electricity, then look at the roof, the route for cables, your consumer unit and where an inverter could sensibly go. Photos and recent bills help.
Panel layout is planned around the actual roof: orientation, pitch, shading from chimneys or trees, and the fixings suited to your roof covering and exposure.
Check the planning requirements for your property before work starts, especially for listed buildings, conservation areas or unusual mounting arrangements. Discuss any notification or approval needed from the local distribution network operator and who will handle it.
Scaffolding goes up, rails and panels are fixed, and the DC cabling, inverter, isolation and AC connection are installed and labelled.
The system is tested and commissioned, then we walk you through isolation, monitoring and the paperwork you should keep with your home records.
Every quote is different. The main factors are the number and type of panels, the inverter, the roof covering and fixings, scaffolding and access, any consumer unit or earthing work, and whether storage is included.
Generation follows the seasons: long summer days produce far more than short winter ones, and weather varies year to year. Treat any output figure as an estimate for a typical year, not a promise for every month.
Many inverters offer an app or display showing what the system is producing. Checking it now and then is the easiest way to spot a fault or a shading change early. Ask us what monitoring suits your setup.
A battery can store daytime surplus for use in the evening. It is not essential, and it does not suit everyone. Read our battery storage guide, then discuss whether it fits your home.
Brands we use
These are the panel and inverter brands we currently supply and install. Panels capture the daylight; the inverter converts it for use in your home.
Product details and specifications are on each manufacturer’s own website. We will talk through which equipment suits your home before you decide.
Call or email and we will talk it through, no pressure.
Your local electrical team, serving homes and businesses across Cornwall.
