How it works

It starts with a conversation. We ask about your home, what you pay for energy, and what you want to change. Some people want lower bills. Some want to charge a car from the sun. Some want to stop worrying about power cuts.

Then we visit. An engineer measures the roof and checks it for shading from trees, chimneys and neighbouring buildings. We look at your electrical supply and your consumer unit, and we find space for an inverter, a battery or a charger. We ask for your bills or smart meter data so the design is built on how you actually use energy, not on an average.

Back at the desk we model the system. The design shows what the panels should generate on your roof and how much of it you are likely to use, store or export. Then we give you a fixed quote, itemised so you can see what each part costs. The survey and the quote are free.

What the design tells you

A good design answers the questions a brochure cannot. How many panels fit, and where? Is a battery worth it for the way you live, and what size? Can the car charge from surplus solar? Will the system cope with a heat pump or air conditioning later?

Every home gets a different answer. In Epsom the design called for a 9 kWh Sigenergy SigenStor battery. In London it was 5.5 kW of solar with a 31 kWh battery, a Sigenergy gateway, and a myenergi eddi that sends surplus solar to the hot water tank. We choose the kit to fit the home, from manufacturers including Sigenergy, Fox ESS, myenergi, Daikin and Fujitsu.

If the design shows that something will not pay its way, we say so. You go ahead knowing what the system should do and why each part is there.

Design and the rest of our work

Design is the first step of everything we install: solar panels, battery storage, EV charging, air conditioning and air-to-air heat pumps, wet or electric underfloor heating and MVHR ventilation. The same team that surveys and designs your system installs it, commissions it and hands it over, so nothing is lost between the drawing and the roof. If you are building or renovating, we can work from your plans before the first fix.

Pros and cons

Pros

You see what a system should do on your roof, with your usage, before you commit
Panels, battery, charger and heating are sized to work together, not bought one at a time
Room is left for what you plan next, such as an electric car or a new heating system
You get a fixed, itemised quote, so you can see what each part costs
The team that designs the system installs it and hands it over

Cons

It takes a visit and a little of your time before you get a number
The design is only as good as what we know about your energy use, so we will ask for your bills
Modelled generation is an estimate, and the weather changes from year to year
The right design is not always the cheapest one on paper
Sometimes the answer is that a technology does not suit your home yet

Who it suits

Homeowners thinking about more than one technology, now or later
Homes with a tricky roof, shading, or a listed building or conservation area question
Anyone comparing quotes who wants to understand what they are buying
Households whose energy use is changing, with a new car, new heating or more time at home

What is included in a Bespoke installation

A first conversation about your home, your bills and your plans
A survey of the roof, including measurements and a shading check
A look at your electrical supply, your consumer unit and where each part can go
A modelled design showing expected generation and how the parts work together
A fixed, itemised quote with the VAT treatment shown
A straight answer when something will not earn its place in your home

Frequently asked questions

What does a consultation cost?

The survey and quote for an installation are free. Tell us what you have in mind, and we explain the terms of anything beyond that when you get in touch.

What do you need from me before the survey?

Recent electricity bills or access to your smart meter data, so we can see how you use energy. Plans or drawings help if you have them. On the day we need access to the roof space and the consumer unit.

Will you tell me if solar or a battery is not worth it for my home?

Yes. The point of designing first is to find out. If the roof is too shaded, or your usage means a battery will sit half empty, we tell you and suggest what would work better.

Can you design for something I want to add later?

Yes. If an electric car or a new heating system is a few years away, we size the inverter, the cabling and the space now, so adding it later does not mean replacing what we fitted.

Design and consultation