Solar & battery FAQs for Edinburgh & Lothian homes
Answers to the questions Edinburgh and Lothian homeowners most often ask about solar panels and home battery storage: how panels perform in Scotland, battery sizing, adding a battery to existing solar, inverters, tenements, conservation areas, VAT, finance and installation timescales.
Below are the questions we hear most often from homeowners across Edinburgh and the Lothians. If yours is not here, get in touch and we will answer it directly — or request a survey and we can discuss your specific home in detail.
Do solar panels work in Edinburgh's climate?+
Yes. Modern panels generate from both direct sunlight and diffuse daylight, so they produce useful electricity even on overcast days — common in Edinburgh. A battery helps by storing surplus from brighter spells for use in the evening or during duller periods, which is particularly valuable through the shorter winter days.
What size battery do I need?+
Battery sizing depends on your evening and overnight electricity use. We look at your household consumption pattern at survey and recommend a capacity in kilowatt-hours (kWh) that can store your typical daytime surplus for use later. Most UK home batteries are between 5 and 15 kWh, but the right size is specific to your home.
Can I add a battery to my existing solar panels?+
In most cases, yes. An AC-coupled battery can be fitted alongside almost any existing inverter, or we can upgrade you to a hybrid inverter with a DC-coupled battery if that is more efficient. We assess your current system at survey and recommend the best route.
What is a hybrid inverter?+
A hybrid inverter manages both your solar panels and your battery in one unit. It can convert panel DC to household AC, charge the battery from surplus generation, and discharge the battery to your home when needed. It is usually the cleanest option for a new solar-plus-battery install.
Can you install solar on an Edinburgh tenement?+
It depends on roof ownership, building access, and any listed-building or conservation-area designation. We advise on what is practical at survey, including rear-elevation, flat-roof, or ground-floor options where street-facing installation is not permitted. We never recommend work that would breach planning rules.
Is there VAT on solar and batteries?+
There is 0% VAT on solar panels and home battery storage until 31 March 2027. This applies to the installation as a whole, and we confirm the current position in your written quote.
Is finance available?+
Loans are available, subject to status. We do not quote specific loan amounts or rates on this site. We can discuss the options available to you after your survey.
How long does installation take?+
The on-site installation typically takes one to three days, depending on system size, roof access, and scaffolding requirements. The survey and design stage usually takes a week or two before installation is scheduled.
Do you cover areas outside Edinburgh?+
Yes. We cover the whole of Midlothian, East Lothian and West Lothian in addition to the City of Edinburgh. If your postcode starts with EH, we can almost certainly arrange a survey.
Are you the installer?+
Scottish Energy Efficiency arranges the survey, design, and project management. Installation is carried out by our MCS-certified partner. We install through MCS-certified partners so your system is registered and compliant.
What is MCS certification?+
MCS (Microgeneration Certification Scheme) is the quality standard for small-scale renewable installations in the UK. Installing through an MCS-certified partner means your system meets recognised standards for equipment and workmanship.
Will a battery work during a power cut?+
Most standard battery systems shut down during a grid power cut for safety reasons, because they are designed to export as well as import. Some systems offer a backup or islanding feature that can keep essential circuits running during an outage — we can discuss this option at survey if it matters to you.
Still have questions?
We are happy to talk through your situation with no obligation. Call us, send a WhatsApp, or request a survey and we will be in touch.