We are different; try us!

If you would like to benefit from free electricity, please get in touch now - we are still installing free solar panels, but only for a limited time.

The recent announcement from the government about the cuts to the Feed-in Tariff means that free solar won't be around for good.

The demand for free solar is high and the panels are being installed fast, so join the hundreds of people claiming their free installations before time runs out.

Energy prices will continue to rise and this could be the last opportunity you have to take positive action and lower your electricity bills.

What is a “Free Solar” scheme?

Bearing in mind that a decent size solar PV system might cost £13,000 to buy, why on earth are we offering these schemes for free?

The important point to be aware of here is that Solar PV panels offer more than just a saving on your electricity bill. Thanks to some  legislation introduced in April 2010, they also create an income under a scheme called the Feed-in-tariff scheme (FIT scheme). The income generated under the FIT scheme is paid out to the owner of the solar PV system purely for generating clean electricity. By keeping this income ourselves and allowing the homeowner to benefit from using the free electricity generated by the solar PV system, we are able to supply and install the whole system free of charge.

Is your house suitable?

This is the question we are most often asked so we will try and lay out here the criteria we are looking for to be able to install a free solar PV system.

- The  roof space needs to be close to South facing, un-shaded by trees, buildings or any other objects and in reasonably good condition.
- The ideal pitch is 30 degrees.
- We are also only able to install free solar PV systems with a minimum nominal output of 3kwp which means that we need a continuous area  of at least 22m2.
- You need to be the homeowner yourself or have the homeowner’s permission.
-  If your house is more than 2 stories high, has a flat roof or slate or kent peg tiles or is thatched, then it will not meet the criteria.

If your property doesn’t meet the criteria because it’s not south facing or there is too much shading on your roof for example, there is always the opportunity to purchase a system from us which would allow you to benefit from a return of up to 10% a year from the FiT.

What’s the benefit to you?

As the homeowner, you will benefit from the free electricity that you use that has been produced by the solar PV system. In an ideal situation this could equate to £400 worth of saving in the first year alone if you used all the electricity produced by a 4kwp system on an un-shaded south facing roof. If the cost of buying electricity continues to rise every year, the amount you save will increase at the same rate.  Any excess electricity you generate and don’t use is automatically sent back to the National Grid and earns a much smaller additional rate which, like the FiT payment is paid to The Green Home Company.

Who owns the system?

The solar PV system belongs to The Green Home Company unless you decide to buy it outright from us at some point. This means that effectively we are putting our panels on your roof to benefit both sides. We will enter into a 25 year lease arrangement with you during which we take full responsibility for maintaining the panels and making sure they are operating efficiently.

Would you be better off buying a solar PV system?

If you can afford it, a solar PV system really is an excellent investment that can pay for itself outright in around 10 years and then go on providing a worthwhile income for another 15-20 years after that.  Average size systems cost between £12,000 and £15,000 and earn you up to £1200 a year through FIT payments and energy savings. If you have the money available then buying a system outright is definitely the way to go and we will be delighted to provide you with a quote.

What paperwork is involved?

If you own the house and don’t have a mortgage, the only paperwork required is a signed copy of our lease agreement and a signature on a document that we register with the land registry to prove that we are the owners of the panels. As we are potentially putting £13,000 worth of solar panels on your roof, it is important for us to make sure that you are in fact the owner of the house and that you agree to the arrangement.  If you have a mortgage, then we will also need a signature from your mortgage provider agreeing that we can register ownership of the panels at the land registry.  All of these documents have been prepared in very clear and straightforward terms and our admin team will make sure that all of the right bits of paper are in the right place at the right time for you.

What happens if you move house?

If you move house there are 2 options open to you. You can either buy out the system from us thereby bringing the lease arrangement to an end or you can introduce the buyers of your home to us and we can transfer the arrangement to them if they are happy to do so. If you have any concerns about this process we would suggest you seek independent financial advice. Fitting solar panels may impact on the value of your home. As energy prices increase across the board, a house that generates much of its own electricity could become a very attractive proposition.

Do you need building permission?

Normally you would only need building permission if the property is a listed building or if it is situated in a conservation area of some sort.

What work is involved?

The first step is for a technical survey to make sure that the roof space is suitable and to create a design for our install teams to work to. You will need to be at home for this and it should take no more than 90 minutes.

A solar PV system requires us to mount the solar panels on your roof and then connect them to an inverter which converts the DC current to AC current for distribution around your home. The inverter is then connected to the main distribution unit (fuseboard) in your home. We use scaffolding to work on the roof and normally complete an installation in 1-2 days.

Who does the installation?

We employ all our own installation teams so that we can be 100% certain of their training record and performance.

Why choose The Green Home Company over their competitors?

The Green Home Company is the renewable energy division of a 20 year old company called GML Construction Ltd. GML builds public buildings such as schools, outdoor centres and nurseries and has won many awards for the sustainable buildings which are its passion. We installed over £1million of solar panel systems in the south east in 2010. Any company will delight in telling you how wonderful they are. We think certain key facts make us stand head and shoulders above our competitors:

1. We use top quality Solar PV panels.
2. Our panels our uniquely designed to perform well in “low light” conditions. These are the conditions that prevail in the UK for long periods of the year meaning that we squeeze much more electricity out of them in any given year than can be produced from a standard solar PV panel.
3. We employ our own installers and invest heavily in their training to make sure they are the best in the industry. Unlike many other companies we do not pass this vital role on to the lowest bidding sub-contractor.
4. We are a 20 year old business with an £10,000,000 turnover. This means we are stable, established and trustworthy.

Step by step guide for those wanting a free solar PV system:

1. Contact us with details about your house. (by phone or e-mail)
2. Our advisors will ask questions to see if your roof space is likely to be suitable and will try and do this by looking at your roof using an on-line mapping tool.
3. Once we know we have satisfied the basic criteria we will send out a surveyor. There is no charge for this visit.
4. If the surveyor confirms that the property is suitable we will send you a confirmation letter and contract paperwork.
5. When we have processed the signed contract paperwork we will then contact you to arrange a suitable installation date.