4.8 out of 5 on TrustpilotMCS certified installersIn solar since 2010, family-run in Retford

About usContact

SolarSave
0333 577 6576 Get My Free Solar QuoteFree Quote

Rated 4.8 out of 5 from 36 Trustpilot reviews 5.0 on Google

Solar panel installers on Teesside Solar panels in Middlesbrough and Stockton

We fit solar panels for homeowners across the whole of Teesside, on both banks of the river: Middlesbrough, Stockton-on-Tees, Thornaby, Billingham, Yarm and out to Redcar. It's about 87 miles from our Retford office, and the consultation, quote and installation are exactly the same as anywhere else. This page covers how solar performs here, local planning, costs, export payments, batteries and the Tees Valley grant.

0% depositNothing to pay when you sign

About 87 miles north of Retford

A map of Teesside: Middlesbrough and Stockton-on-Tees on the River Tees, with Redcar, Yarm, Hartlepool and Darlington, and the North Sea beyond the estuary.
Get My Free Solar Quote

or call 0333 577 6576Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm

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

Teesside homes

Semis are the most common home in both boroughs: 42% of households in both Middlesbrough and Stockton-on-Tees, according to the 2021 Census. Middlesbrough also has a lot of terraces (28%), while Stockton has more detached houses (27%).

Most semis and detached houses have room for a good-sized system. On terraces we often look at the rear slope or a back extension. Either way, the technical survey measures the roof before anything is fitted.

Middlesbroughsouth of the river

  • Semis42%
  • Terraces27.8%

Stockton-on-Teesboth banks of the river

  • Semis42.4%
  • Detached26.5%
  • Terraces21.8%

Share of households, 2021 Census

  • Solar on a Middlesbrough terrace

    More than a quarter of Middlesbrough households (27.8%) live in terraced houses. The Energy Saving Trust's rough guide is about four panels on a mid-terrace and eight on an end-terrace. The MCS installation standard keeps panels 400 mm in from the edges of a home's roof unless specific measures are taken, which on a narrow terrace decides how many fit. Even four panels can cover part of a household's daytime use.

  • Roof space and roof orientation

    Which? says a system of around 4 kWp needs at least 20 square metres of roof space. Direction matters too: the Energy Saving Trust says a south facing roof is best, east or west gets around 15 to 20% less energy, and north-facing isn't recommended. East and west slopes can still carry a worthwhile system, so we check the available roof space on every slope before designing.

  • Choosing the right solar system size

    We design a system sized to your roof, your electricity bills and how your household uses electricity. If you're home in the day, more of the energy generated goes straight into the house; if you're out, a battery helps you use more of it later. A south facing roof with room to spare gives you the most choice.

  • Solar panels in Stockton-on-Tees

    Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council handles planning on both banks of the Tees, from Billingham and Norton to Thornaby, Ingleby Barwick and Yarm, and the housing leans more towards semis and detached homes: 42.4% and 26.5% of households, against 21.8% in terraces. Larger roofs usually mean room for more panels. We cover Stockton, Norton, Thornaby, Billingham, Eaglescliffe and Yarm.

How well solar PV works in the North East

In the government's analysis of small home solar systems for 2024/25, the North East was one of the three best-performing regions, and London came bottom.

  1. around9.5%the North East's average load factor for small systems, 2024/25
  2. roughly830 kWha year for each kW of panels
  3. about3,300 kWha year from a 4 kWp system

That year was the weakest on record for small solar PV systems nationally, and the North East still averaged a load factor of around 9.5%. That works out at roughly 830 kWh for each kW of panels, so an annual generation of about 3,300 kWh from a 4 kWp system (our arithmetic from the government figure). Sunnier years produce more.

Solar panels work in daylight, not only in direct sunshine. The Energy Saving Trust says they still generate electricity on cloudy days, just at a lower level, and produce less in winter, when the days are shorter. Most of a year's output comes in spring and summer. On the environmental side, the Energy Saving Trust puts the cut in carbon emissions at around one tonne a year for a typical home system, which lowers your household's carbon footprint.

Solar across the North East

Planning on Teesside

Middlesbrough Council and Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council handle planning in their own boroughs. For most houses, roof panels are permitted development, so you don't need planning permission. Watch for these:

The national limits for houses were updated on 27 August 2026. Our planning permission guide has the detail.

  • Linthorpe, Middlesbrough. The Linthorpe conservation area has an Article 4 direction. Check with Middlesbrough Council what it covers before assuming panels don't need an application.
  • Other Middlesbrough conservation areas include Albert Park and Linthorpe Road, Marton and The Grove, Nunthorpe and Poole, and Ormesby.
  • Stockton's 11 conservation areas include Yarm, Norton, Hartburn, Eaglescliffe with Preston, Egglescliffe, Thornaby Green, Billingham Green and the town centre.
  • In conservation areas, panels can't go on a wall, balcony or roof enclosure facing the road, and flat-roof panels need prior approval. Listed buildings always need consent.

Solar panel costs on Teesside

an average 4.5 kWp solar panel system, no battery, by the Energy Saving Trust's guide
£7,600
fall in the median cost per kW of home systems up to 4 kW, 2025/26, after inflation
about 9%
payback, in the Energy Saving Trust's examples
9 to 12 years

What solar panels cost depends mostly on the size of the solar PV system, the roof and whether you add a battery. As a guide, the Energy Saving Trust gives around £7,600 for an average 4.5 kWp home system without a battery. 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 solar panels and batteries for homes are 0% VAT until 31 March 2027. From 1 April 2027 the rate goes back to 5%.

Prices have been coming down. Government cost data for 2025/26, as reported by pv magazine, showed the median cost per kW of home systems up to 4 kW fell about 9% after inflation compared with the year before. The best way to know you're paying a fair price for a solar installation is to compare written quotes for the same size of system, with the same panels, inverter and scaffolding included.

The Energy Saving Trust's examples put payback at around 9 to 12 years, depending on region and how much you're home in the day. It expects panels to last 25 years or more, so the long-term savings come after that.

See our solar panel cost guide for prices by size.

The Smart Export Guarantee and your energy bills

At current electricity prices, using your own solar power is usually worth more than exporting it. The price cap rate from October to December 2026 is 26.32p a unit, after the government removed VAT from electricity bills from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027. The Energy Saving Trust notes that export typically pays around 12p a unit, less than half that.

You still get paid for the renewable energy you don't use. Under the Smart Export Guarantee:

  • Every supplier with at least 150,000 domestic customers has to offer an export tariff, and the rate must always be above zero.
  • You can choose any SEG supplier, not only the one that sells you electricity, although the best rates often go to their own customers.
  • You need an MCS certified installation and a smart meter that can record your exports every half hour.

Rising energy prices

The price cap rose again on 1 October 2026. Ofgem said a typical dual-fuel bill went up 4%, and would have been around £45 higher still without the VAT cut on electricity. Making your own energy doesn't fix the price of what you buy, but it cuts how much you need, which is where the savings on your energy bills come from, whatever energy costs do next.

Our Smart Export Guarantee guide explains the tariffs.

What a unit of electricity is worth to you

Used at homeThe price cap rate, October to December 202626.32p

ExportedWhat export typically pays, by the Energy Saving Trustaround 12p

4%the rise in a typical dual-fuel bill on 1 October 2026, says Ofgem

The Tees Valley grant

nearly£14 million

of Warm Homes: Local Grant funding, shared by

  • Middlesbrough
  • Stockton
  • Redcar and Cleveland
  • Darlington
Delivered by
E.ON
Runs until
March 2028
Owner-occupiers pay
nothing for the work

Middlesbrough, Stockton, Redcar and Cleveland, and Darlington share Warm Homes: Local Grant funding of nearly £14 million, led by Darlington Borough Council. It includes solar panels for eligible lower-income households, it's delivered by E.ON, and it runs until March 2028.

The rules are national, and the grant is aimed at improving energy efficiency in the homes that need it most. The home must have an energy efficiency rating (EPC) of D to G, and the household needs an income of £36,000 or less, a means-tested benefit, or a postcode in one of the most deprived areas. Owner-occupiers pay nothing for the work.

If you qualify, apply through the council scheme. If you don't, we'll quote. If you don't qualify, we'll give you a written quote, and home solar and batteries are 0% VAT until 31 March 2027.

Battery storage on Teesside

Battery storage keeps the electricity generated by your panels during the day for the evening, or charges overnight on a cheaper tariff. We can fit a battery with new panels, or add battery storage to a solar PV system you already have, even if another company installed it.

What size of battery

Which? says home batteries are typically 5 kWh to 15 kWh, and that the usable capacity is usually less than the stated figure, so compare usable capacity when you look at quotes. The Energy Saving Trust says a typical home battery is about 10 kWh and should last about 10 to 12 years.

Power cuts

Solar PV installations switch off in a power cut. The network's G98 rules require loss-of-mains protection that disconnects them, for the safety of the network. The Energy Saving Trust says a battery doesn't normally keep your home running in a power cut either, unless extra equipment and set-up are included, so ask if that matters to you.

What the network needs to know

Network operators treat a home battery as both demand and generation, so it counts towards the 3.68 kW per phase limit for a simple notification, together with the panels. A bigger combined system needs Northern Powergrid's approval before it's connected. The Energy Networks Association says its fast-track process for home storage cuts the network's response time from 45 days to 10 days or less. We handle the application, and the technical survey checks your consumer unit.

Read are solar batteries worth it? before you decide.

Coming to Teesside from Retford

MiddlesbroughAbout 87 miles north of our office in Retford

If you're installing solar panels on Teesside with us, we don't cut corners because it's further away. You get a free consultation, by phone or at your home, a written quote with no pressure to sign, and the same standard of installation as everywhere else. Northern Powergrid runs the network on Teesside, and we handle the notification or approval.

We're a family-run business in Retford, MCS certified and members of RECC and NAPIT, and we've been in solar since 2010, fitting renewable energy systems from the Midlands to the North East. Teesside homeowners can read our reviews on Trustpilot, where we're rated 4.8 out of 5 from 36 reviews.

Retfordour office Middlesbroughyour home

How our solar panel installations work

  1. Free consultation.

    By phone or at your home, we go through your bills and what you want from the system, and James builds your proposal.

  2. Quote.

    You get the full price in writing for a system sized to your home and use. Take your time: there's no pressure.

  3. Technical survey.

    Once you've signed, an independent technical surveyor checks the roof, the fuse board (consumer unit) and where the panels and cables will go.

  4. Network approval, if needed.

    Systems over 3.68 kW need Northern Powergrid's consent first. It can take from a couple of days to 90.

  5. Installation.

    Once the scaffolding is up, most homes are fitted in a day, wired in and switched on.

  6. Handover.

    We notify Northern Powergrid and email your handover pack within 7 working days.

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

Homes, businesses and future plans

Most of our work is on homes, but we also fit solar on business premises, designed around when the business uses its power. If you run a business on Teesside, talk to us about your site. For commercial properties in England, equipment for onsite renewable energy generation and storage, such as rooftop solar panels and batteries, is left out of business rates valuations until 31 March 2035.

Planning for an electric car or a heat pump

If an electric vehicle, or an air or ground source heat pump, is on your list, say so at your consultation. Either adds to your electricity usage, which changes how big a solar system makes sense and whether a battery earns its keep.

What our customers say

Trustpilot and Google

From the initial enquiry through to completion, the whole process took only around three weeks…

Chris May 2026

Google

We felt looked after, not patronised, and the team were very professional and thorough.

Natalie H. December 2025

Trustpilot

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

Roger September 2025

Nearby areas we cover

Solar panels across the North East  ·  See all the areas we cover

Questions about solar panels on Teesside

Do you cover Teesside?

Yes, both banks of the Tees: Middlesbrough, Stockton-on-Tees, Thornaby, Billingham, Yarm and Redcar.

How much electricity will solar panels generate in Middlesbrough?

On the North East's 2024/25 average for small systems, about 830 kWh a year for each kW of panels, so roughly 3,300 kWh from a 4 kWp system. Your roof's direction and any shade change that.

Are solar panels worth it in Middlesbrough?

It can be. The Energy Saving Trust's examples put payback at around 9 to 12 years, and panels should last 25 years or more.

Do I need planning permission for solar panels in Linthorpe?

Possibly. The Linthorpe conservation area has an Article 4 direction, so check with Middlesbrough Council what it covers before you go ahead. We do this before designing.

Is there a solar grant on Teesside?

Yes, for eligible lower-income households. The Tees Valley councils have Warm Homes: Local Grant funding that includes solar panels, delivered by E.ON until March 2028.

Will solar panels get any cheaper?

They have been getting cheaper: government cost data for 2025/26 showed the median cost per kW of small home systems down about 9% after inflation. But the 0% VAT rate on home solar ends on 31 March 2027, after which 5% applies.

What does Martin Lewis say about solar panels?

MoneySavingExpert, the site Martin Lewis founded, says solar panels take at least 10 years to break even, and that export rates range from 1p to 25p a unit, so it pays to shop around.

Which solar company has the best reputation?

Look for solar installers with recent reviews on independent sites, MCS certification for the renewable technologies they fit, and membership of a consumer code such as RECC. We're rated 4.8 out of 5 from 36 reviews on Trustpilot and 5.0 from 6 on Google.

Do solar panels work in winter on Teesside?

Yes, but expect much less. Government figures for small home systems put output from October to December 2024 at about a third of the April to June level.

Can I add battery storage to my existing solar panels?

Yes, including solar PV installations another company fitted. A battery added later is 0% VAT until 31 March 2027.

Isn't Teesside a long way from Retford?

About 87 miles. It doesn't change the service: same consultation, same quote, same standard of 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. Energy Saving Trust: Rooftop solar panel installation, updated 1 October 2026
  3. MCS: MIS 3002 Solar PV installation standard, issue 1.0, January 2025
  4. Which?: Solar panels buying advice, 12 August 2026
  5. Energy Saving Trust: Solar panels, costs, savings and benefits, updated 1 October 2026
  6. DESNZ: Feed-in Tariff load factor analysis 2024/25, 18 December 2025
  7. Energy Saving Trust: Solar power fact check, updated 13 August 2026
  8. DESNZ: Energy Trends June 2026, 29 September 2026
  9. legislation.gov.uk: General Permitted Development Order 2015, Schedule 2, Part 14, up to date to 9 October 2026
  10. legislation.gov.uk: S.I. 2026/896, solar permitted development changes, in force 27 August 2026
  11. GOV.UK: Planning practice guidance, when is permission required?, updated 26 July 2023
  12. HMRC: VAT on energy-saving materials and heating equipment (Notice 708/6), zero rate runs to 31 March 2027
  13. pv magazine: UK hits 22.3 GW solar capacity as cost per kW falls (DESNZ cost data 2025/26), 4 June 2026
  14. Ofgem: Energy price cap, 1 October to 31 December 2026, 26 August 2026
  15. Ofgem: Energy price cap will rise by 4% from October 2026, 26 August 2026
  16. Ofgem: Smart Export Guarantee, checked 11 October 2026
  17. Ofgem: SEG guidance for generators, December 2019, still current
  18. GOV.UK: Smart Export Guarantee, updated 1 October 2026
  19. Darlington Borough Council: Warm Homes Local Grant, checked 11 October 2026
  20. GOV.UK: Warm Homes: Local Grant, successful local authorities, updated 2 July 2026
  21. GOV.UK: Warm Homes: Local Grant policy guidance, July 2026
  22. Which?: Solar panel battery storage, 15 May 2026
  23. Energy Saving Trust: Battery storage, updated 6 October 2026
  24. Energy Networks Association: G98 single premises summary guide, checked 11 October 2026
  25. Energy Networks Association: G98 for multiple premises, undated, checked 11 October 2026
  26. Energy Networks Association: EREC G98 Issue 1 Amendment 7, 3 October 2022
  27. MCS: Notifying DNOs, updated 14 July 2026
  28. Northern Powergrid: About us, checked 11 October 2026
  29. legislation.gov.uk: Explanatory memorandum to S.I. 2022/405, business rates and onsite renewables, March 2022
  30. MoneySavingExpert: Solar panels, are they worth it?, updated 28 September 2026

Get your free quote on Teesside

Tell us a little about your home and we'll call to arrange a free consultation, by phone or at your home, then send you a written quote. No obligation, and no pressure.

Prefer to talk? Call 0333 577 6576, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

  1. Step 1
  2. Step 2

Get My Free Solar Quote

Get a quote and we'll help calculate how much you could save.

We'll check we cover your area

Who should we send your quote to?

Google
reviews5.0

Rated 5 out of 5
by our customers on Google

We'll only use your details for your quote. Privacy policy