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Tips and guides about Solar & renewable energy
The route runs through the electrical trade: Level 3 plus the 18th Edition, then the City & Guilds solar qualification — two to three years from scratch. Employed PV electricians earn £35,000–£50,000; add battery storage and EV charging and the multi-skilled band hits £45,000–£60,000, with self-employed triple-skill installers at £50,000–£75,000+.
What a solar or electrical installer needs to check before fitting an EV charger alongside solar panels, including DNO notification, load management, and current EV charger grant eligibility.
How often UK solar panels typically need cleaning, why bird-proofing matters, and why the inverter, not the panels, is usually the first part of a system to need replacing.
How UK home batteries are typically sized, how they work with flat and half-hourly time-of-use tariffs, and how the 0% VAT relief applies to battery storage.
How the Smart Export Guarantee works, who has to offer it, what determines your rate, and how to compare tariffs before choosing where to export your surplus solar electricity.
What MCS certification covers, why it matters for warranties and the Smart Export Guarantee, and what RECC and HIES membership add on top for consumer protection.
A look at typical UK solar installation costs by system size, how the 0% VAT relief applies, and the factors that genuinely determine how quickly a system pays for itself.