Reviewed by Georgia Howson, MCS Certified Solar Expert
Solar Panel Installers in the West Midlands
Stratford Energy Solutions installs MCS certified solar panels, battery storage and EV chargers across the West Midlands, from our base in Stratford-upon-Avon. We have been fitting renewable energy systems across the region for over 15 years, with verified projects in areas including Birmingham, Coventry and Solihull. Stratford Energy also has a dedicated West Midlands case-study archive for local installations.
Over 15 years installing across the West Midlands and surrounding areas
Cut your electricity costs by hundreds of pounds a year
MCS certified, in-house engineers with 10+ years of experience
Free survey, no obligation, and a 14-day cooling-off period on every contract
Most homes go from first call to switch-on inside a few weeks
How a West Midlands Solar Installation Works, Step by Step
We work with homeowners across the West Midlands, including Birmingham, Coventry, Solihull and surrounding communities. Every system is designed around your roof, your house and how your household actually uses power, then fitted by our brilliant in-house solar engineers. We pride ourselves on never using subcontractors for our installations. Solar, battery and EV charging are quoted as one job, not three. Stratford Energy has completed verified residential and commercial projects across the West Midlands, including multiple installations in Coventry and Solihull.
Four stages, from your first call to the day the system switches on. Most West Midlands jobs run from enquiry to commissioning in a matter of weeks rather than months.
1.
Talk to the team
Call us on 01789 262 411 or send the form. One of our Renewable Energy Experts, will talk through your property, your bills and what you want the system to do.
2.
Free survey and a fixed proposal
We look at roof pitch, orientation, shading and your actual consumption before we quote. The quotation holds for 30 days. If you go ahead, a deposit of up to 25% confirms the order, and you have 14 days to change your mind under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013.
3.
Installation
Most residential systems are on and wired within one to two days. The same in-house team does the work. We agree the date with you and give reasonable notice.
4.
Switch on and aftercare
We commission the system, set up monitoring on your phone, issue the MCS certificate and handle the G98 or G99 notification to your local electricity network operator. We’ll also take care of this paperwork for you, making the process as straightforward as possible.
Where We Install in the West Midlands
We install solar panels, battery storage and EV chargers across the West Midlands, including Birmingham, Coventry, Solihull and surrounding communities. Our published projects confirm established coverage across this part of the Midlands rather than occasional one-off installations.
The West Midlands includes some of the country’s largest urban areas alongside established suburbs and lower-density residential neighbourhoods. That gives our engineers a broad mix of properties to work with, from terraced and semi-detached homes to larger detached houses and properties with garages or additional roof space. Coventry and Solihull are particularly well represented in Stratford Energy’s published residential case studies.
West Midlands roofs vary considerably from one neighbourhood to another. A Victorian terrace in Birmingham or Coventry is a different job to a larger detached property in Solihull, while post-war estates and newer developments bring their own roof layouts, orientations and shading considerations. Stratford Energy’s local projects demonstrate that variation. The Bowring family’s Coventry installation was on a semi-detached property, while the Briggs and Achinivu projects in Solihull were designed for detached family homes. We survey every property individually rather than assuming one system will suit the whole region.
The West Midlands is firmly within our established service area, with our Stratford-upon-Avon base putting customers across the region within easy reach of our experienced in-house installation team. Our team already completes residential and commercial renewable energy projects across the West Midlands, including installations in Solihull and Coventry.
Our Installations in the West Midlands
Our team has completed solar panels, battery storage and EV charging projects across the West Midlands. Published Stratford Energy projects include residential installations in Coventry and Solihull as well as substantial commercial work in Coventry. Here are two relevant residential projects:
We hold 4.9 stars from 150+ Google reviews, across every area we cover.
Thinking About Solar in the West Midlands?
No obligation, no hard sell, and if we genuinely think solar isn’t the right option for your property, we’ll tell you.
Solar Panels in the West Midlands: The Key Facts
| Average annual sunshine | The Met Office’s Coleshill climate station records an average of 1,501.25 hours of sunshine a year for the 1991 to 2020 period, providing a suitable long-term local climate reference for the West Midlands. |
| Sunniest and darkest months | July averages 193.98 hours of sunshine at Coleshill, while January averages 55.14 hours. (Met Office) |
| Local planning authority | There is no single local planning authority covering the whole West Midlands metropolitan county. Household planning applications are handled by the relevant metropolitan authority: Birmingham City Council, Coventry City Council, Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council, Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council, Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council, Walsall Council or City of Wolverhampton Council. |
| Conservation areas | Conservation areas are designated and managed by the individual metropolitan councils rather than through one West Midlands-wide list. Whether a property lies within a conservation area therefore needs to be checked against the relevant local authority for its address. |
| Areas with extra planning control | Additional planning controls also vary across the West Midlands. Depending on the address, a home may be listed, lie within a conservation area or be affected by an Article 4 direction that removes particular permitted development rights. We check the planning position for the individual property rather than applying one set of local restrictions across the whole region. |
| District net zero target | The West Midlands Combined Authority set a regional target of net zero carbon emissions by 2041. Its first Net Zero Five Year Plan was designed to put the region on a pathway towards that target, including action on domestic energy efficiency, commercial energy efficiency and electric vehicle uptake. (West Midlands Combined Authority) |
Panels run on daylight rather than heat, which is why sunshine data is more useful than temperature when putting local solar conditions into context. The Met Office’s Coleshill station records a 1991 to 2020 annual average of 1,501.25 sunshine hours. July averages just under 194 hours, while January averages just over 55. That seasonal variation is one reason battery storage can be worth considering alongside solar, because it allows more electricity generated during daylight hours to be used later.
Planning needs to be checked locally in the West Midlands because there is no single planning authority covering the whole area. Most ordinary roof-mounted domestic solar can still fall under permitted development, but listed buildings, conservation areas and Article 4 directions can change the position. The relevant council therefore depends on the property’s address, and we check the local planning context as part of assessing the installation.
How Much Do Solar Panels Cost in the West Midlands?
For most West Midlands homeowners, the right solar and battery system depends on the property, energy use and how much electricity you want to generate and store. As a guide, a full system is typically a five-figure investment, with payback often falling within 5 to 7 years.
A typical four-bedroom home may save around £500 to £700 a year on electricity, although the actual figure will vary with system size, usage patterns and energy prices.
We do not publish fixed package prices because we do not sell standard packages. Every system is designed around the home, so we assess the roof, your electricity use, your family’s habits and the best system layout before providing a firm quotation.
What we can tell you before the survey:
0% VAT
Domestic solar and battery installations carry zero-rate VAT until 31 March 2027. This directly reduces the overall cost of your installation.
Export payments
Because we are MCS certified, your system qualifies for the Smart Export Guarantee. Your supplier pays you for electricity you send back. We handle the certification side.
How you pay
A deposit of up to 25% confirms the order. The balance is due on completion, before we release commissioning and certification. The survey and the quote cost nothing.
What You Need to Know
We are not the cheapest installer in the West Midlands and we do not try to be. We use premium equipment from Viridian Solar, SunPower Elite, SolarEdge, SigEnergy and Tesla, and that is what makes savings of 80 to 98% achievable.
Your payback depends far more on how much electricity you use than on the size of the array. A household running an EV, a heat source or two people working from home could help reduce the payback period further.
Solar, Battery Storage and EV Charging for West Midlands Homes
We install six things, and most West Midlands customers take two or three of them as one system. Taken together, these are one system, not four purchases. See how the whole-home setup fits together.
On-roof solar panels
The standard fit, mounted on brackets above the tiles. Works on the pitched roofs found across much of the West Midlands’ housing stock.
In-roof solar panels
Panels set flush into the roof line instead of sitting on top. Worth asking about in conservation areas and on properties where appearance is part of the planning conversation.
Ground-mounted solar
For homes with the garden space and a roof that will not take an array.
Home battery storage
SigEnergy and Tesla Powerwall. Stores what you generate in the day for use in the evening. Can be retrofitted to panels fitted by someone else.
EV charging
A home charger wired into the same system, so you can use more of the energy generated by your solar panels to charge your car, reducing your reliance on the grid.
Commercial solar
For business premises across the city, quoted and installed by the same team.
How to Choose a Solar Installer in the West Midlands
Four key checks can help you choose the right solar installer.
Check they are MCS certified.
Not simply as a badge of accreditation, but because without it your system will not qualify for export payments under the Smart Export Guarantee. Ask for the certificate number and look it up on the MCS register yourself. Ours is NIC1758.
Ask who is actually doing the work.
Ask for a design, not a package.
A real proposal names the panels, the inverter, the battery capacity and the expected output for your roof at your orientation. Your quote should be tailored to your property, energy usage and individual requirements.
Check the consumer protections.
Look for RECC and TrustMark registration, ask how long the workmanship warranty runs, and ask what happens if the company stops trading. RECC gives you an independent dispute route that does not depend on the installer being cooperative.
Why West Midlands Homeowners Choose Stratford Energy
Three reasons come up in almost every conversation we have with customers in the city.
Premium equipment, designed for the property.
We only fit premium supplier kit, with manufacturer warranties running up to 40 years and our own 5 year workmanship warranty on top. Every West Midlands property is different, which is why we design each solar system around your home and energy requirements.
Local and accountable.
We are based in Stratford-upon-Avon with 25 people on the payroll, in-house MCS certified engineers and friendly Renewable Energy Experts on the other end of the phone. Stratford Energy has completed verified residential and commercial installations across the West Midlands, including repeated work in Coventry and Solihull. National installers sell the job and subcontract the work. If your system needs attention in the years following installation, having reliable ongoing support can make all the difference.
Protected long term.
MCS certified (NIC1758), RECC registered, TrustMark endorsed, NICEIC Domestic Installer and Approved Contractor. Four independent bodies, each providing additional protection and support should you need it.
Solar Panel Regulations and Certification in the West Midlands
Most West Midlands home solar installations need no planning permission at all, but conservation areas, listed buildings and Article 4 directions can create exceptions. Because planning is handled by the individual metropolitan councils, the relevant local controls depend on the property’s address.
In many cases, you can install solar panels on your home without applying for planning permission. The rules can change if your property is listed, sits in a conservation area or is affected by an Article 4 direction. In the West Midlands, the relevant local planning authority also depends on where your property is located, so we check the individual address before installation.
For most houses, roof-mounted solar panels fall under permitted development. In simple terms, this means you can usually install them without making a planning application.
There are still some basic rules. The panels should not sit higher than the top of the roof and should stay close to the roof surface. Different limits apply to panels installed on flat roofs.
Living in a conservation area does not automatically stop you from having solar panels. Roof-mounted panels can still fall under permitted development, but additional restrictions can apply depending on the building and the position of the panels.
Because conservation areas are managed by the individual West Midlands councils, we check the relevant authority’s current records for your address as part of the survey.
An Article 4 direction is an extra local planning rule that removes some of the rights homeowners would normally have to make changes without permission.
Article 4 directions in the West Midlands are made at local-authority level and normally apply to defined areas, properties or types of development. They do not create one region-wide restriction.
If your property is affected, we check the exact direction and the development rights it removes before confirming the planning route for your solar installation.
If your home is listed, the planning position needs more careful assessment and listed building consent may be required where the installation affects its special architectural or historic interest.
The West Midlands contains historic centres, older suburbs and individual listed properties across its metropolitan authorities, so we check the status of the property before moving ahead.
Stratford Energy is MCS certified under NIC1758.
MCS is the recognised quality standard for small-scale renewable energy installations. An MCS certified installation is also required if you want to apply for the Smart Export Guarantee and receive payments for eligible electricity exported back to the grid.
You can check an installer’s MCS status on the official MCS register before committing to any work.
Domestic solar and battery installations are zero-rated for VAT until 31 March 2027.
Will Solar Panels Work on Your West Midlands Home?
Yes, solar panels work well on many homes across the West Midlands. The main factors are your roof’s direction, pitch, available space and how much shade it gets during the day.
South-facing roofs often produce the most electricity, but east- and west-facing roofs can also be suitable. If your roof has heavy shading, limited space or planning restrictions, this may affect the type of solar panel system that can be installed, but with the latest technology and years of installing residential solar systems across the West Midlands, we can help you find the best system for your property.
A home survey is the best way to confirm what will work and how much electricity your system could generate.
Solar is likely to work well for you if:
- You own your home and plan to stay in it for at least five years
- Your roof faces anywhere from east through south to west, without heavy shading from trees or a taller neighbouring building
- Your electricity bill is over £100 a month
- Someone is home during the day, or you are willing to add a battery so evening use is covered
- You have an electric vehicle, or expect to
Solar may not be the right option for your property if:
- Your only usable roof faces north and is shaded for most of the day
- You are moving within two or three years, since the payback runs to 5 to 7
- Your roof requires repair or replacement before installation – or we can install a integrated in-roof system
- You are renting, in which case the conversation needs to start with your landlord
West Midlands homes give us a wide range of roofs to design around. The Bowring family’s semi-detached Coventry property was fitted with solar panels and a 10kWh storage battery, while the Briggs family’s detached Solihull home combined SunPower Performance panels with a Tesla Powerwall 2. The Achinivu family had relatively little usable roof space on their detached Solihull home, so their system was designed around six Maxeon panels.
These projects show why the right system depends on the individual property rather than the postcode alone.
What Happens If Solar Isn’t Right for Your Home?
The survey is free, with no obligation to proceed. We use it to assess your home, energy use and what type of system could suit you best. That might include solar panels, battery storage or an EV charger, depending on your property and how you use electricity. If you choose to go ahead, your installation is supported by a 5-year workmanship warranty.
Equipment is covered by the relevant manufacturer warranty, and Stratford Energy can manage warranty claims on your behalf. You also have a 14-day cancellation period from signing under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, with access to independent dispute resolution through RECC if required.
What We’ll Need to Give You a Quote
There are four key things you’ll need to share with us:
- A recent electricity bill, or your annual kWh figure if you know it
- A rough idea of when you use power: daytime, evenings, or both
- Access to the roof space and loft for the survey
- Whether you have an electric vehicle, or plan to get one
The survey itself takes about an hour. We check roof condition, pitch, orientation, shading through the day, your consumer unit and where a battery could sit. Following the assessment, you’ll receive a detailed written proposal tailored to your property and energy requirements.
Solar Panel FAQs for West Midlands Homeowners
These are the questions we are asked most often. If yours is not here, call us on 01789 262 411 or use the contact form.
Yes. The West Midlands is an established part of our service area. Stratford Energy has a dedicated West Midlands case-study archive and has published residential and commercial installations in areas including Coventry and Solihull. We install solar panels, battery storage and EV chargers from our Stratford-upon-Avon base.
Every system is quoted after a survey, so we do not publish fixed prices. What we can say is that a typical 4-bedroom home saves £500 to £700 a year and sees payback in 5 to 7 years. Domestic solar and battery installations carry 0% VAT until 31 March 2027, and the survey and quotation are free.
Yes, better than most people assume. The Met Office’s Coleshill station records an average of 1,501.25 hours of sunshine a year for 1991 to 2020. Panels run on daylight rather than heat, so grey days still generate. July averages 193.98 hours of sunshine, compared with 55.14 in January, which is why we usually recommend considering a battery alongside the panels.
Usually not. Most ordinary roof-mounted domestic solar can fall under permitted development when the relevant conditions are met. Conservation areas, listed buildings and Article 4 directions can alter the position, however, and the West Midlands has several separate local planning authorities. We check the current controls for the individual address before installation.
Most residential installations are completed in one to two days on site. From first call to switch-on usually runs a few weeks, depending on equipment lead times, network approvals and whether any planning or listed-building consent is required. The West Midlands is already an established part of our installation area, with verified projects across Coventry and Solihull.
Yes. Retrofitting a battery to an existing array is one of the more common jobs we do. We install systems including Tesla Powerwall and can integrate battery storage with existing solar panels where the existing installation and system design are suitable.
Yes, and it is usually cheaper to do it in one visit. Wiring the charger in alongside the solar and battery means the car can charge from your own generation instead of the grid. You pick the charger style and power output when the system is designed.
We are MCS certified under NIC1758, which you can check on the MCS register, and we are also RECC registered, TrustMark endorsed and NICEIC approved. Our residential workmanship warranty runs 5 years. Equipment faults go through the manufacturer warranty and we handle those claims for you. If a dispute cannot be settled directly, RECC provides an independent resolution route.
A typical 4-bedroom West Midlands home saves £500 to £700 a year, and a premium solar and battery system can cut a bill by 80 to 98%. The figure depends on how much electricity you use and when you use it. Savings estimates come from recognised modelling software and are indicative until we have surveyed your property.
Solar Panel Installation Across the West Midlands and Nearby
We install solar panels, battery storage and EV chargers across our West Midlands service area, with verified work in Birmingham, Coventry and Solihull and projects extending into the surrounding Midlands. Stratford Energy’s own case studies show established residential and commercial activity across the region.
Nearby areas with established Stratford Energy coverage include Birmingham, Coventry, Solihull, Warwick, Leamington Spa, Kenilworth and Stratford-upon-Avon. Our published case studies include multiple projects in Coventry and Solihull, with further installations across neighbouring Warwickshire.
Get a Free Solar Quote for Your West Midlands Home
Tell us your postcode and roughly how much you spend on electricity, and we’ll take it from there. Your home survey is free, with no obligation to proceed.
Prefer to explore your options first? Use our online system builder to see what a solar and battery setup for your home could look like, with no contact details required.
Prefer to speak to someone? Speak to one of our Renewable Energy Experts 01789 262 411.
