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Solar panels in Nottinghamshire Your Nottinghamshire solar installer

We're a family-run solar panel installer based at Retford Enterprise Centre, in the north of the county. This page covers where we work, what solar panels cost, the grants and planning rules in Nottinghamshire, and how an installation works. Nottinghamshire is home: Worksop is 8 miles from our office, Mansfield 16 and Nottingham 27.

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  • MCS certified
  • RECC, Renewable Energy Consumer Code member
  • NAPIT member
  • IWA deposit and guarantee protection
  • Octopus Energy Trusted Partner

Where we install in Nottinghamshire

  1. Retfordour baseOur office, and the villages around it

  2. Worksopabout 8 miles

  3. Mansfieldabout 16 milesIncluding Mansfield Woodhouse and Warsop

  4. Newark-on-Trentabout 18 milesAnd the villages along the Trent

  5. Sutton-in-Ashfield and Kirkby-in-Ashfieldabout 19 miles

  6. Nottinghamabout 27 milesThe city and the boroughs around it: Gedling, Broxtowe and Rushcliffe

Over the county lines we cover Derbyshire and Lincolnshire, across the East Midlands, and South Yorkshire, which starts a few miles north of Retford. See solar panels in Yorkshire.

Why being local matters

Being close means a home visit is a short drive, the people who handle your paperwork are in the next town, and if you have a question after installation you're ringing someone nearby. From first call to aftercare you deal with the same team: James, who puts your proposal together, Stephanie in the office, and our installation team on the roof.

It also means we know the county's housing. In Bassetlaw, where our office is, 35% of homes are detached and 41% semi-detached, according to the 2021 Census, against 23% and 32% across England. In Mansfield district, 90% of households live in houses rather than flats. Detached houses and semis usually have the roof space for a good-sized system.

Sizing your solar system

As a rough guide, the Energy Saving Trust says a semi fits about 8 panels, a small detached house about 12 and a large one about 16. Ofgem's figure for a typical household's electricity consumption is 2,500 kWh a year. How many solar panels suit you depends on your use, your roof orientation and any shade, so we work out the system size at your consultation. Our guide to sizing a system shows how.

In the UK climate panels still generate solar energy on cloudy days, just less. Going by the government's national solar figures for a dull year (2024) and a sunny one (2025), a 4 kWp system produces somewhere between about 3,200 and 3,900 kWh a year. That's more than a typical household uses, but most solar generation arrives in the middle of the day, which is why export payments and battery storage matter.

Our office, in Bassetlaw

SolarSave Ltd

Retford Enterprise Centre
Randall Way
Retford DN22 7GR
Phone
0333 577 6576
Email
James@solarsaveltd.co.uk
Open
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
Find us on Google Maps
  • Detached, Bassetlaw35%
  • Semis, Bassetlaw41%
  • Houses, Mansfield district90%
Across England2021 Census

Solar panel costs and savings in Nottinghamshire

The Energy Saving Trust puts the average home solar panel system, about 4.5 kWp and without a battery, at around £7,600 installed. Our solar and battery systems start from £7,500 fully installed (10 panels, a Fox ESS battery and scaffolding to one side), or from £4,995 for solar panels on their own, and your free consultation ends with a written quote showing the full price. There's no VAT on solar panels or batteries for homes until 31 March 2027. Our solar panel cost guide has guide prices by system size.

Energy bills and your carbon footprint

Solar panels save money by replacing electricity you'd otherwise buy, so they cut your energy costs from the first day. From October to December 2026 the price cap averages 26.32p a unit, and if electricity prices rise, each unit you make yourself is worth more. For a 4.5 kWp system, that's worth £190 to £330 a year off the electricity bill before export payments, according to MoneySavingExpert's reading of Energy Saving Trust figures. With export payments included, the Energy Saving Trust's payback estimates run from about 9 to 12 years, depending on where you live and how much you're at home. It also estimates a home system saves around one tonne of carbon a year.

Think about long term savings rather than year one. The Energy Saving Trust expects panels to last 25 years or more, and the inverter to need replacing after around 12 years. MoneySavingExpert puts a replacement at around £800. Our panels come with a 25-year product warranty and a 30-year performance warranty.

Your actual savings depend on how much of your solar generation you use yourself, which matters more for your energy bills than the size of the system alone. That's where a solar battery helps, and it's why we ask how you use electricity at your consultation.

Should you buy now or wait?

Two facts to weigh. Prices have been falling: government cost data shows the cost per kW of small home systems fell by about 8 to 9% in 2025/26, after inflation. But the 0% VAT rate on home solar and batteries ends on 31 March 2027 and goes back to 5%, and no extension had been announced when we checked in October 2026. Neither is a reason to rush. Get quotes, compare them and decide when you're ready. You wouldn't be early: MCS recorded 148,531 certified solar installations across the UK from January to June 2026.

The Smart Export Guarantee for solar PV

Excess energy your panels make and you don't use goes to the grid, and under the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) a supplier pays you for it. The scheme covers small renewable energy generators, including domestic solar PV. Every supplier with 150,000 or more domestic customers has to offer a SEG tariff, and you can choose any of them: it doesn't have to be the company you buy electricity from. In April 2026 Which? found rates from 1p to 25p a unit. When we checked in October 2026, Octopus's Outgoing tariff paid 12p a unit to its own electricity customers.

Export payments are smaller than the saving on a unit you use yourself, so they work best alongside self-use rather than instead of it. To get paid you need a smart meter that records exports, and an installer and installation certified under MCS or an equivalent scheme. As MCS certified installers, we issue your MCS certificate after the system is commissioned. Our SEG guide explains how to apply.

What a unit you export earns

Which? found rates from 1p to 25p a unit in April 2026. The marker is Octopus's Outgoing tariff, 12p a unit to its own electricity customers when we checked in October 2026.
Suppliers that must offer a SEG tariff
150,000+ domestic customers
To get paid
A smart meter that records exports, and an MCS certified installation

Solar battery storage in Nottinghamshire

Without a battery, much of what your panels make in the middle of the day gets exported. Solar battery storage keeps it for the evening, which raises your self consumption: the share of your own solar electricity you use. You buy less from the grid in the evening, and a battery system can also charge overnight on a cheaper tariff. MCS figures show 92% of battery installations in the first half of 2026 went into homes with solar panels.

We fit batteries with new panels and add them to existing systems, including ones another company installed. Our customers' reviews mention a 10 kWh battery and EcoFlow batteries among those we've fitted. The safety standard for home batteries, PAS 63100, says they should go outdoors where practicable, and never in a bedroom, a loft or an escape route such as a hallway or landing. We agree the spot with you before anything is fitted. The Energy Saving Trust expects a battery to last about 10 to 12 years, and Which? says the average home uses 8 to 10 kWh of electricity a day, so we size your solar battery storage to your evenings rather than your whole day.

The Energy Saving Trust is frank that battery savings "won't always be enough on their own to justify the cost". Our guide are solar batteries worth it? goes through when one pays. If you're planning EV charging at home or a heat pump, tell us at your consultation, as both raise your electricity consumption and change the right size of battery storage.

of battery installations in the first half of 2026 went into homes with solar panels
92%
MCS

Where a home battery goes, under PAS 63100

  • Outdoors, where practicable
  • Never in a bedroom
  • Never in a loft
  • Never in an escape route, such as a hallway or landing

Planning permission in Nottinghamshire

Planning is handled by the district and borough councils, not the county council. Until April 2028 that means:

  • Bassetlaw District Council (Retford, Worksop)
  • Mansfield District Council
  • Newark and Sherwood District Council
  • Ashfield District Council (Sutton-in-Ashfield, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Hucknall)
  • Gedling, Broxtowe and Rushcliffe borough councils
  • Nottingham City Council

For most houses, solar panels on the roof don't need planning permission, and most domestic solar panel installations go ahead as permitted development. Listed buildings need consent, and there are extra rules in conservation areas. Mansfield district alone has 11 conservation areas, including the town's Market Place and Mansfield Woodhouse, and Newark and Sherwood district has 47. If you're in Newark or one of the Trent villages, we check before we design anything.

conservation areas in Newark and Sherwood district
47
in Mansfield district
11

Councils are changing. The government has decided to replace Nottinghamshire's councils with two new ones, "Nottinghamshire Council" and "Greater Nottingham Council", from 1 April 2028, subject to Parliament. Until then, the current councils handle planning.

Grants in Nottinghamshire

The government's Warm Homes: Local Grant can pay for insulation, solar panels and other improvements for lower-income households. It runs across most of Nottinghamshire through the Midlands Net Zero Hub, covering Bassetlaw, Mansfield, Newark and Sherwood, Ashfield, Gedling, Broxtowe and Rushcliffe. Nottingham City wasn't on the government's list when we checked in October 2026. What's on offer varies by council: Bassetlaw's page lists solar PV, while Mansfield's council said in October 2025 that it would start with insulation and consider solar PV for later years.

In Gedling, Broxtowe and Ashfield, Nottinghamshire County Council runs the grant with Nottingham Energy Partnership, and its page lists solar PV among the measures. The council says improvements are fully funded for households that qualify, but warns of a long waiting list, handled first come, first served. All the grant work in those three districts is done by the council's appointed installer.

You'll need a home rated EPC D to G and one of these: a household income of £36,000 or less, someone on a means-tested benefit, or a postcode in one of the lowest-income areas. Our grants guide explains more.

The Boiler Upgrade Scheme only covers renewable heating, such as £7,500 towards an air source heat pump. It doesn't cover solar panels or batteries. When we checked in October 2026 we found no council group-buying solar scheme running in Nottinghamshire.

Your electricity network

National Grid Electricity Distribution runs the network across most of Nottinghamshire, as part of its East Midlands area. For most home systems it works on a "fit and notify" basis: we fit the system, then notify it within 7 working days of switch-on (the rules allow 28). Larger systems need its approval beforehand. Network boundaries don't always follow county lines: a few miles north of Retford, South Yorkshire is on Northern Powergrid's network. We confirm your operator from your postcode.

  1. We fit the system
  2. Switch-on
  3. We notify the network within 7 working days

How our solar panel installations work

The full process usually takes two to three weeks from first call to switch-on. Bigger systems that need network approval can take longer.

  1. Free consultation.

    By phone or at your home. We ask how you use electricity and what you want from solar.

  2. Quote.

    A written quote with the full price and no hidden fees, talked through with you, and no pressure to sign.

  3. Technical survey.

    Once you've signed, an independent technical surveyor checks your roof, its structure and your fuse board. The MCS installation standard requires a competent person to check the roof can carry the panels.

  4. Network approval, if needed.

    Systems over 3.68 kW need the network operator's consent before they're fitted. We apply for it, and it can take from a couple of days to 90.

  5. Installation day.

    Scaffolding goes up first. Once it's up, most homes are fitted and switched on in a day.

  6. Paperwork.

    We notify the network and email your handover pack within 7 working days. You'll need your MCS certificate to apply for export payments.

NG24 · July 2026

A recent installation in NG24, Newark

A home in the NG24 postcode district, which covers Newark-on-Trent and Balderton. Photos from the job, July 2026.

An orange tiled roof with a few tiles lifted where the metal roof hooks for the panels sit
Before the panels: tiles lifted where the roof hooks go.
A column of black solar panels on an orange tiled roof, beside a flat roof
Finished panels on one of the roof faces.
An inverter and a red isolator switch fixed high on a brick wall under a concrete canopy
The inverter, fixed high on a covered wall.

Checking any installer

Whoever you get quotes from, check they're MCS certified. MCS is the UK's quality mark for small-scale renewable energy systems, and you need it for export payments and for the Warm Homes: Local Grant. Membership of the Renewable Energy Consumer Code (RECC), which is approved by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, is another good sign: RECC advises paying no more than 25% as a deposit when you sign. We take no deposit at all. We're MCS certified and members of RECC and NAPIT, a government-authorised competent person scheme for electrical work.

  • MCS certified
  • RECC, Renewable Energy Consumer Code member
  • NAPIT member
  • IWA deposit and guarantee protection
  • Octopus Energy Trusted Partner

Solar energy for businesses and farms

We fit domestic and commercial solar, from homes to business premises and farm buildings. For commercial solar, we design the system around when you use power and work out the return before you commit, and the same applies to commercial battery storage. In England, plant and machinery used for onsite renewable generation and storage, including rooftop solar and batteries, is left out of business rates valuations until 31 March 2035.

Rooftop solar and batteries, left out of business rates valuations until

31 March 2035

What our customers say

Trustpilot

Not once did James try and force us in to making a decision.

Mr Banks April 2025

Trustpilot

All fitted and up and running the same day! No fuss or mess and very efficient.

Ian A. January 2024

Trustpilot

James was available practically 24/7 to answer any questions before, during and after installation.

Roger September 2025

Questions people ask

Are you based in Nottinghamshire?

Yes. Our office is at Retford Enterprise Centre, Randall Way, Retford DN22 7GR, in Bassetlaw.

Do you cover Newark and the south of the county?

Yes. Newark is about 18 miles from our office and Nottingham 27. We install across the whole county.

Do I need planning permission for solar panels in Nottinghamshire?

For most houses, no. Listed buildings need consent, and conservation areas have extra rules. Your district or borough council handles planning, not the county council.

How much do solar panels cost in Nottinghamshire?

An average home solar panel system of about 4.5 kWp, without a battery, costs around £7,600 installed, according to the Energy Saving Trust. Ours start from £7,500 fully installed (10 panels, a Fox ESS battery and scaffolding to one side), or from £4,995 for solar panels on their own, and you get the full price in writing after a free consultation.

Are you MCS certified?

Yes. We're MCS certified, and members of RECC and NAPIT. MCS certification is what lets your system earn Smart Export Guarantee payments.

Can I get a solar panel grant in Nottinghamshire?

If your household is on a lower income or a means-tested benefit and your home has an EPC of D to G, possibly. Most Nottinghamshire districts have Warm Homes: Local Grant funding through the Midlands Net Zero Hub, though not every council offers solar panels through it, so ask yours what's available.

Should I buy solar panels now or wait?

Prices fell by about 8 to 9% in 2025/26, but the 0% VAT rate on home solar ends on 31 March 2027 and goes back to 5%. Get quotes, compare prices like for like and decide when you're ready.

Can I install solar panels myself?

You can buy plug-in solar kits of up to 800W, legal in Great Britain since 27 August 2026. For a rooftop system, the VAT relief only applies when the same company supplies and installs it, and export payments need an MCS certified installation.

Sources

Figures and rules on this page were checked on 11 October 2026. Schemes, tariffs and prices change, so check the latest before you decide.

  1. ONS: Census 2021, accommodation type (TS044), 2021 census
  2. ONS: Census 2021, accommodation type (TS044), Bassetlaw, 2021 census
  3. ONS: Census 2021, accommodation type (TS044), Mansfield, 2021 census
  4. Energy Saving Trust: Rooftop solar panel installation, updated 1 October 2026
  5. Ofgem: Review of typical domestic consumption values, decision, 27 May 2026
  6. DESNZ: Digest of UK Energy Statistics 2026, chapter 6 (renewables), 2026
  7. Energy Saving Trust: Solar power fact check, updated 13 August 2026
  8. Energy Saving Trust: Solar panels, costs, savings and benefits, updated 1 October 2026
  9. Ofgem: Energy price cap, 1 October to 31 December 2026, 26 August 2026
  10. MoneySavingExpert: Solar panels, are they worth it?, updated 28 September 2026
  11. pv magazine: UK hits 22.3 GW solar capacity as cost per kW falls (DESNZ cost data 2025/26), 4 June 2026
  12. MCS: The 2026 Low Carbon Landscape, updated 20 August 2026
  13. HMRC: VAT on energy-saving materials and heating equipment (Notice 708/6), zero rate runs to 31 March 2027
  14. GOV.UK: Extension of VAT energy-saving materials relief, 11 January 2024
  15. Ofgem: Smart Export Guarantee, checked 11 October 2026
  16. Ofgem: SEG guidance for generators, December 2019, still current
  17. Which?: Smart Export Guarantee rates, the best and worst tariffs, 24 April 2026
  18. Octopus Energy: Outgoing export tariffs, checked 11 October 2026
  19. MCS: Certificate queries, updated 20 May 2026
  20. BSI: PAS 63100:2024, fire protection of home battery systems, March 2024
  21. Energy Saving Trust: Battery storage, updated 6 October 2026
  22. legislation.gov.uk: General Permitted Development Order 2015, Schedule 2, Part 14, up to date to 9 October 2026
  23. Newark and Sherwood District Council: Conservation, checked 11 October 2026
  24. Capsticks: Local government reorganisation decisions, July 2026, July 2026
  25. GOV.UK: Warm Homes: Local Grant, successful local authorities, updated 2 July 2026
  26. GOV.UK: Warm Homes: Local Grant policy guidance, July 2026
  27. Bassetlaw District Council: Warm Homes: Local Grant, updated 6 February 2026
  28. Mansfield District Council: Acceptance of funding for Warm Homes Local Grant project (report), 10 October 2025
  29. Nottinghamshire County Council: Notts home energy support, checked 11 October 2026
  30. Energy Saving Trust: Boiler Upgrade Scheme, updated 16 July 2026
  31. National Grid Electricity Distribution: Micro generation (G98), checked 11 October 2026
  32. Northern Powergrid: About us, checked 11 October 2026
  33. Energy Networks Association: Find my network operator, checked 11 October 2026
  34. Energy Networks Association: G98 single premises summary guide, checked 11 October 2026
  35. MCS: MIS 3002 Solar PV installation standard, issue 1.0, January 2025
  36. MCS: About us, updated 3 August 2026
  37. RECC: Advice for consumers, checked 11 October 2026
  38. GOV.UK: Competent person schemes, updated 17 September 2026
  39. legislation.gov.uk: Explanatory memorandum to S.I. 2022/405, business rates and onsite renewables, March 2022
  40. GOV.UK: Households can save as plug-in solar panels come to market, 26 August 2026
  41. Which?: Solar panel battery storage, 15 May 2026

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