The Question We Get Asked Most
Of all the improvements we quote for, solar PV is the one homeowners are most likely to have already researched — and most likely to have conflicting information about. Costs, incentives and battery technology have all shifted over the past few years, so it's worth revisiting the basics rather than relying on what may have been true when you last looked into it.
How the Economics Actually Work
A solar PV installation earns you money (or saves it) in two ways: reducing how much electricity you need to buy from the grid during daylight hours, and — if you generate more than you use — exporting the surplus back to the grid under a Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) tariff with your energy supplier. The exact return depends on factors specific to your property, so rather than quote a generic payback period here that may not apply to your roof, we'd always recommend getting a site-specific assessment before deciding whether the numbers work for you.
What Actually Determines Your Return
- Roof orientation and pitch — south-facing roofs perform best, but east/west-facing roofs can still be worthwhile, particularly if your usage pattern spreads across the day
- Shading — from chimneys, trees or neighbouring buildings, which can disproportionately reduce output even from a small shaded area
- Your household's usage pattern — solar generates during daylight hours, so households that use more electricity during the day (rather than entirely in the evening) see faster payback without needing a battery
- Roof condition and type — an older roof nearing the end of its life is worth addressing before panels go on top of it, since removing panels to carry out roof repairs later adds unnecessary cost
Is Battery Storage Worth Adding?
A home battery stores surplus solar generated during the day for use in the evening, when most households actually consume the most electricity. It increases the proportion of your own generation you actually use yourself, rather than exporting it at a lower rate than you'd pay to import electricity back later — but it adds meaningfully to the upfront cost, so it's very much a case-by-case decision based on your usage pattern and budget, not an automatic addition to every installation.
Things Coastal and Older Properties Should Check
Many homes across Margate, Ramsgate and Broadstairs are older builds with a mix of roof types and conditions. Before quoting, we check the roof structure can take the additional load, whether scaffolding access is straightforward, and — for properties in a conservation area — whether panel visibility from the street affects what's permitted, since some conservation areas restrict front-facing or visible installations. This is worth checking early, as it can affect panel placement even where the installation itself is otherwise straightforward.
Our Advice
Solar PV can still make strong financial sense in 2026, but "is it worth it" genuinely depends on your specific roof, usage pattern and budget — not a single national average figure. We're happy to assess your property and give you real numbers based on your actual roof and electricity usage, rather than a generic estimate.