Can solar panels be installed on a glass roof?

Glass roofs: As they are too fragile to support the solar panels and fixings. Nevertheless, if your roof isn’t suitable for solar panels there are other options too. For example, you may be able to install ground-mounted solar panels to take advantage of any shade-free land you own.

Can a UK roof support solar panels?

As long as your roof is pitched, has enough unshaded space, and doesn’t contain spray foam insulation underneath, it should be suitable for solar panels. The large majority of UK roofs are more than capable of supporting solar panels for as long as you need them to.

Can a roof be used for solar panels?

Even a roof that doesn't fit the ideal requirements can still be suitable for solar panels. Solar installers will provide slightly differently advise about the most suitable way to maximise energy generation. They will also recommend additional technologies you can use to boost your supply.

How many solar panels can be installed on a roof?

Your roof will need to be large enough to fit a suitable number of solar panels, as there’s rarely much point putting just two or three panels up there. The average solar panel takes up 2m², and your installer should leave around 40cm on each side of the array, as well as 3cm between every panel.

Is my roof big enough for solar panels?

Whether you roof is big enough for solar panels depends on the size of the array you want installed. You can also look at our other resources to see how many solar panels you may need for your particular house size and roof. For a standard 4kW size system you would need around 28 square meters of clean roof space.

Can you put a solar panel on a thatched roof?

Thatched roofs are not suitable for solar panels. There’s no mounting system designed for thatch, which wouldn’t be ventilated well enough underneath the panels and so would rot. And given that thatched roofs already present a fire risk, putting an electrical system on top wouldn’t be sensible!