Solar for a Chafford Hundred home: your roof checklist

No. Even neighbouring homes can differ in roof direction, shading, alterations and electricity use. We recommend treating any roof illustration as a starting point for assessment, rather than evidence that a particular system will fit your property.

Ask for the proposed positions of panels and roof equipment, including space around rooflights, dormers and other features. Ask how the layout accounts for shade through the year. Record the total rated capacity and the predicted annual generation as separate figures.

Check roof ownership, lease conditions and any estate covenants alongside the planning position. A property’s age does not establish that every alteration is permitted. Thurrock Council and the relevant property documents are the starting points for your address.

If much of your electricity use is in the evening, ask for a storage comparison. If you use electricity through the day, more generation may already be consumed directly. Compare the additional battery benefit with its additional cost, using your own demand data.

Gather annual electricity use and note any planned extension, roof repair, EV or heat pump. Explain access restrictions and where equipment might be located. Your enquiry should help the installer identify questions to resolve at survey rather than assume a finished design.