Why does my solar installer need to be MCS-certified?

MCS (Microgeneration Certification Scheme) certification is required for two things: (1) eligibility for the Smart Export Guarantee — the scheme that pays you per kWh exported to the grid; (2) most home insurance and mortgage lenders treat MCS-installed solar as standard, whereas non-MCS installs sometimes trigger insurance and disclosure complications. An MCS-certified installer follows MIS 3002 for solar PV installs and registers each install on the MCS database, which Ofgem and your electricity supplier use to confirm SEG eligibility.

How are installers ranked on Propertoasty?

We geo-filter by straight-line distance from your area's centroid (town centre, local authority centre, or postcode district centre depending on which page you're on), widening the radius automatically when installer density is low so the section doesn't render empty. We then rank by a Bayesian-smoothed Google review score — installers with very few reviews are damped toward the national average so a 5★/3 doesn't beat a 4.8★/200. Distance is the tie-break. Sponsored installers (clearly flagged with a 'Sponsored' badge) float to the top of the list; the same Bayesian ranking applies between them, and they pay double credits per accepted lead in exchange for the placement. We never fabricate ratings.

What's a typical solar PV install cost in 2026?

Typical UK 2026 prices: £4,000-£8,000 for a 3.5-5 kW system without battery, £6,500-£10,500 with a 5 kWh battery, £9,000-£14,000 for a fully-loaded system with 10 kWh+ battery and EV-ready inverter. Three factors drive most of the spread: roof complexity (single-aspect roof is cheapest), inverter location (loft is cheapest), and scaffolding access. Solar PV installs qualify for 0% VAT through to March 2027.

What happens to my contact details?

Nothing automatic. You enter your contact details during the property check; we use them to send your report to you. The installer you picked DOES see your details once you book a meeting with them — explicit opt-in. We never spam installers with your details, never auto-share, never sell your data. Full privacy policy at /privacy.

How do you make money if you're free for homeowners?

Installers pay a small per-lead fee when a homeowner books a meeting with them. Roughly £20-£50 per booked meeting depending on the technology. This is a fraction of what installers spend on traditional lead-gen channels (Google Ads, Checkatrade subscriptions, lead-broker fees), and they get fully-qualified leads with property data + Google Solar API roof analysis, so the economics work for them.

MCS-certified solar panel installers in the UK

Looking for installers near a specific postcode?

Run our free 5-minute property check. We’ll match you with installers covering your exact postcode + assess your roof using Google’s Solar API to estimate system size and payback.

Start the free property check

About the directory

Propertoasty’s solar PV installer directory is built from the official MCS-certified register (mcscertified.com), updated monthly. We filter to installers approved for solar PV (cap_solar_pv = true). MCS certification is the gate for Smart Export Guarantee eligibility — without it, your electricity supplier can’t register your system for the export tariff.

Each installer card shows: MCS certificate number, years in business (where Companies House data is available), Google verified reviews (when a Google Business listing exists), and a Checkatrade verification link-out (when present). Sponsored installers are clearly flagged with a “Sponsored” badge. We don’t fabricate ratings — if Google has no data for an installer, we simply don’t show a stars row.

Browse by area

Pick a town below to see MCS-certified solar panel installers covering that area. For postcode-level matching, use the free property check.

Not your town? Run the free property checkand we’ll match you with installers covering your exact postcode.

What makes a good solar PV installer

Beyond MCS certification, four signals are worth weighing when comparing solar installers:

MCS + RECC. MCS certification covers technical quality; the Renewable Energy Consumer Code (RECC) covers consumer protection. The best installers hold both.
Years in business. Solar tech is more mature than heat pumps; 5+ years of install history is a strong signal that the firm honours its 25-year panel + 10-year inverter warranties.
In-house electrical team. Solar installs require qualified electrical work; firms that subcontract the electrical side can run into G98/G99 DNO sign-off delays. In-house electricians shorten the timeline.
Battery storage capability. If you might add a battery later, picking an installer who fits both (cap_battery_storage = true) means a single system design rather than two contractors.

The customer journey explained

When you click “Request a quote” on any installer card:

We take you into a 5-minute property check — your address, roof analysis via Google’s Solar API, a quick question about your electricity consumption.
We generate a free personalised report — usable roof area, suggested system size, expected kWh/year output, payback period, SEG tariff comparison.
If the report says you’re a fit, we offer to share your report + contact details with the installer you picked, and you book a meeting with them directly. We never share before that opt-in.

For technology context

This page focuses on finding an installer. For deeper context on solar PV (panel choice, SEG tariffs, system sizing), see:

All guides — homeowner walkthroughs
Solar with battery vs solar alone comparison
Solar PV vs solar thermal