Solar makes sense in Wingham on unlisted village houses with a south, south-east or south-west roof and a good electricity spend. The commuter-village demographic, working-from-home base load, and the switch to EV and heat pump all push the sums the right way. A 4kW system with a 5kWh battery and Octopus Flux typically returns eight to nine years on current tariffs, faster with an EV in the mix.
What we design
- MCS-certified design with SAP-compliant SEG (Smart Export Guarantee) paperwork so you can sell surplus back to the grid.
- Hybrid inverter (SolarEdge, GivEnergy or Fox) sized to the panel array plus battery. Single-phase G98 to UKPN under 3.68kW export, G99 pre-approval above that.
- Lithium battery at 5, 10 or 13.5kWh depending on base load. Larger for households with EV plus heat pump.
- Tariff advice. Octopus Flux for a battery-heavy setup, Intelligent Octopus if you also have an EV. We include the switchover paperwork in the handover.
Listed cottages
Solar on a Grade II listed cottage in the Wingham conservation area needs listed building consent. Dover District Council will consider in-roof solar (Solarwatt, Viridian) or plain-tile solar rather than on-roof frames, and they will usually refuse anything on a principal elevation. We work with the conservation officer before quoting, and we do not take deposits until LBC is granted.
Fabric first
Solar on an uninsulated Victorian cottage with a 400kWh/month bill and single-glazed sashes is a bad first spend. Loft and cavity insulation, and then solar. We will say so and route you to the right sequence.
Battery-only retrofit
You do not have to have solar to have a battery. Battery-only under a G98 notification with Octopus Flux gives most households a two to three year payback purely on grid arbitrage. Cheap night rate in, peak-rate save out. Ask about a standalone GivEnergy or Powerwall install.