Solar panels in Reading: what to know before you buy

The grid comes first

Many buyers start with panels and leave the network until last. However, the network can shape your design and your start date. Our data lists SSEN Distribution as the operator for central southern England. That area includes Reading.

The size of your system sets the route. MIS 3002 says installs up to and including 16 A per phase follow G98, while larger ones follow G99. MCS counts all generators together. A battery therefore adds to the total, and solar plus storage can push you into G99.

For G98, a National Grid page says the operator is told within 28 days of commissioning. The MCS standard says the installer carries out the notification. Ask yours to name who will do it and when.

What your roof may produce

The PVGIS tool from the European Commission models output for any address, so it gives a fair starting point. For Reading, the PVGIS run gives about 1,021 kWh a year per kWp for a south roof pitched at 35 degrees. The best tilt is 40 degrees, at about 1,024 kWh per kWp.

For example, a 3.5 kWp system would make around 3.5 x 1,021, or about 3,574 kWh a year. This is a modelled estimate, so it will not match your meter exactly.

Three things push the figure up or down. Direction comes first, and south wins. Shade comes second, because even a small patch can drag down a whole string.

Pitch matters least here, since 35 and 40 degrees give almost the same result. If your roof is much flatter or steeper, ask the installer to model your exact angle. A good surveyor will also check how shade moves through the day and across the seasons. Our post on solar panel output across UK cities shows how Reading compares with other places.

Planning in Reading

Planning applications go to Reading Borough Council. Contact it if you are unsure, because it knows the local rules for your street.

England changed its permitted development rules for home solar on 27 August 2026. The Planning Portal says the new rules split houses from blocks of flats. Projects that lose out can use the old rules until 26 August 2027.

Under those old rules, panels had to stay within 200mm of the roof and below the highest part of the roof. Because the rules have moved on, check the current text with the council.

Some cases need a call to the council before you sign anything. In a conservation area, the old rules barred panels on a wall that faces the road. For a listed building, the permitted development right did not apply. For a flat, there is now a prior approval step for stand-alone solar.

Plug-in solar is new to the rules. GOV.UK describes panels under 800W that connect to a domestic mains socket. The Planning Portal says the August changes allow them but block them on wooden structures or cladding. Even so, ask the council and your landlord before you buy.

Roof checks, exports and choosing an installer

Before any of that, expect a roof check. MIS 3002 says the installer must make sure a suitably competent person checks that the roof structure can take the load. Since 18 June 2026 installers also need structural and wind loading evidence where no certified mounting system exists, MCS says. Ask to see that evidence in your pack.

Homes with solar often send spare power to the grid. The Smart Export Guarantee pays you for it. Suppliers must offer a tariff, yet they can set their own terms, so rates vary. Our post on the Smart Export Guarantee shows how to compare them.

To qualify, you need an MCS-certified installer. MCS runs a public search where you can check a business. Check too whether the firm belongs to the Renewable Energy Consumer Code, because members insure deposits and workmanship warranties.

Collect several quotes, because they often differ. Compare them like for like, looking at kWp, brand, warranty and who handles the paperwork. Our solar panel installation guide lists the points to cover. For the price side, see our solar panel costs guide.

Our page on solar panels in London covers the same questions for a nearby city. When you are ready, you can compare quotes through us. With your consent, we will pass your enquiry to an MCS-certified installer.