Here is a question I get fairly often. A homeowner says: “We had a quote from one of the big national companies and they told us to put eight panels on the roof. You have quoted sixteen. Why the difference?”
It is a fair question, and the answer says a lot about how solar is sold in this country. The short version is this. We build the system for you. Some of the larger companies build the system for themselves. In this post I will explain what that means and why it matters for your bill, your payback and your peace of mind.
Building the system for you, not for them
When we design a system, we start with your home and your electricity use. How much power you get through, which way your roof faces, how much space you have, what you want to achieve. The number of panels falls out of that. If your roof and your usage support sixteen panels, that is what we will recommend.
Some of the large companies work the other way round. They have a set range of inverters and panels, a set of targets to hit, and a sales process to follow. The system is shaped around what suits them to sell, not around what suits your house.
How the sales target drives the number
A national company often sends a salesperson, not an installer. That salesperson walks through your door with a job to do, and that job is to close a sale.
A big part of that is working out the most you will happily pay before the price puts you off. They would often rather sell you eight panels at a price you say yes to on the spot, than quote sixteen and risk you wanting to think it over, sleep on it, and maybe ring someone else.
So the small system is not necessarily the right system for you. It is the one most likely to get a signature today. That is price anchoring, not system design.
Bespoke versus off the shelf
As a small installer we do bespoke systems. That word gets overused, so let me be plain about what it means here. You get what suits you, not a fixed package.
- Want a smaller system to keep the cost down? We will do that.
- Want to fill the roof and maximise generation? We will do that too.
- Somewhere in between? Fine.
The difference is that we will walk you through the pros and cons of each option first. More panels means more generation and more saving, but a higher upfront cost. Fewer panels costs less now but leaves savings on the table. You decide, with the full picture in front of you.
Honest advice cuts both ways
People sometimes expect a solar company to push the biggest, most expensive system it can. We do not work that way, and the honesty runs in both directions.
Some customers have seen a cheaper system elsewhere, often with a cheaper battery, and want to go that route. We are happy with that, as long as the kit meets a decent standard. There are some lower end systems we will not fit, and we will explain exactly why, in terms of payback, quality and the support behind them. We will not put our name to something we do not trust.
Just as often, it goes the other way. Some people ask for more battery than they actually need. When that happens, we tell them. We will point out that they have specified more storage than their current usage justifies.
Sometimes the answer comes straight back: “Ah, but we are planning an air source heat pump.” Fair enough. That changes the picture entirely, so let us put the extra battery in. The point is that the decision is made with the facts on the table, not guessed at.
You do not know what you do not know
This is the heart of it. When you are working out what solar system you want, you are usually doing it for the first time. You do not yet know what questions to ask or what trade offs matter. That is completely normal.
Our job is to close that gap. We put real effort into understanding these systems inside out: how they perform, how to specify them correctly, and how to get the best from them day to day. So when you make your decision, you are making an informed one.
A salesperson on a target has a different incentive. They benefit from you knowing just enough to say yes. We benefit from you understanding the whole thing, because an informed customer is a happy customer who recommends us to a neighbour.
Quality that lasts decades
We currently fit one system because, after testing several over the years, it is the one we trust most. As better or more suitable kit comes along, we will fit that too. The bar does not move: decent standard, decent support, decent quality, built to last well into the future.
I mean that literally. I want the systems we install to be working in 30 or 40 years, long after I have retired. That long view is exactly why we will not chase a quick sale with an undersized system or a cheap battery. It would not serve you, and it would not serve our name.
The bottom line
If a big company quotes eight panels and we quote sixteen, the difference is not that one of us is wrong about your roof. It is who the system is built for. A bespoke design starts with your home and your usage. A packaged sale starts with a target.
We design honest, bespoke solar and battery systems across Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire, around Huntingdon, St Ives, St Neots, Buckden and the surrounding villages. If you want a quote built around you, call the office on 01480 400607 or request a survey through our website.
Jason Pope
Owner, Selec Group