Installation & Commissioning
Most domestic installations are on and off the roof within one to two days, with scaffolding up a little longer.
MCS-certified • G98 / G99 handled • Full handover pack
Rails fixed to the rafters through properly flashed penetrations, with the array sitting no more than 200 millimetres above the roof plane — the condition most permitted development rights turn on.
Approved installers — accreditations held by Qualis Energy Limited
What happens, in order
Most domestic installations are on and off the roof within one to two days, with scaffolding up a little longer.
Two things happen ahead of the installation. The network operator application goes in — G98 notification after the event for smaller systems, G99 approval before installation for larger ones or those with substantial battery capacity — and the scaffold is booked. Where prior approval is needed we build the operator’s response time into the programme, so the date we give you is a date we can keep.
BeforeScaffold goes up a day or so before and comes down a day or so after. We will tell you where it lands, what it means for access and parking, and roughly how long it will be there. It is the part of the job most likely to inconvenience a neighbour, so it is worth a conversation before it appears.
Day 0Rails are fixed to the rafters through properly flashed penetrations, not to the battens. Panels go on to the layout agreed in your proposal, kept clear of the roof edges. Where bird protection is specified, the mesh goes on at this stage — it is cheap now and awkward later.
If we uncover something unexpected under the tiles — a rafter in poor condition, previous work that was not what it should have been — we stop and tell you before we carry on, rather than covering it with a panel.
Day 1DC cable routes are planned rather than improvised, run in conduit where they are exposed and kept away from anything that will chafe them over twenty-five years. The inverter and battery go where they were agreed at survey. Consumer unit work is carried out to the current edition of the wiring regulations, with the correct RCD protection and isolation.
The loft gets left as we found it. That sounds like a small thing until you have had it done badly.
Day 1–2The system is tested and commissioned properly: insulation resistance, polarity, string voltages and currents against the design, earth continuity, RCD operation, inverter start-up and shutdown, and battery charge and discharge behaviour. We register the installation on the MCS database.
CommissioningMonitoring is set up on your phone before we leave and we walk you through it — what generation, consumption, charge state and export look like, and what a normal day should resemble so you can spot an abnormal one. We explain the settings we have chosen, including charge and discharge priorities and any time-of-use schedule.
HandoverAfterwards
The documents you keep, and the very small amount of maintenance solar actually needs.
You receive the MCS certificate, the electrical installation certificate, the network operator paperwork, the equipment datasheets and warranty registrations, and your export application pack. That last one matters: MCS certification of the installation is required to apply for a Smart Export Guarantee tariff, and rates vary considerably between suppliers, so it pays to shop around rather than default to your current one.
Keep the file. A future buyer’s solicitor will ask for it.
Solar needs very little. UK rainfall handles most of the cleaning; the real tasks are keeping the array clear of debris and moss, glancing at the monitoring occasionally so a dropped string does not go unnoticed for a year, and an inverter check every few years. Batteries and inverters carry their own warranty periods, which we register on your behalf.
FAQs
How long does an installation take? +
Most domestic installations are on and off the roof within one to two days. Scaffolding goes up a day or so before and comes down a day or so after, so the total disruption is usually under a week.
What happens if you find a problem under the tiles? +
We stop and show you before carrying on. A rafter in poor condition, or previous work that was not what it should have been, is a conversation to have at the time rather than a surprise on the invoice.
What testing is done at commissioning? +
Insulation resistance, polarity, string voltages and currents checked against the design, earth continuity and RCD operation. The system is commissioned properly rather than energised and left.
What paperwork do I receive? +
The MCS certificate, the electrical installation certificate, the network operator paperwork, the equipment datasheets and the warranty registrations. Keep the file — a future buyer’s solicitor will ask for it.
Do solar panels need cleaning or servicing? +
Very little. UK rainfall handles most of the cleaning. The real tasks are keeping the array clear of debris and moss and glancing at the monitoring occasionally, so that a string that has stopped performing is noticed in weeks rather than years.
Do I need the MCS certificate? +
Yes, if you want to be paid for what you export. Registration on the MCS database is what allows you to apply for a Smart Export Guarantee tariff at all, and it is done on completion as part of the job.
Book a survey
A free on-site survey, a fixed written price, and an installation that is on and off the roof inside two days.