Solar Panels For Your Shed In The UK

Wondering if you can put solar energy panels on your shed? We've rounded up our best tips from our expert professional solar installers to let you know if it might be worth getting solar panels on your shed.

You could save shedloads by adding a PV system to your home!

Why would you want to add solar panels to your shed roof in the UK?

If you have a large shed or garage, you could potentially put a solar photovoltaic cells system on your shed roof that powers your house. Talk to a solar specialist to see if that option could work for your household. (You would need an electricity supply connected to the shed and the house in this case.)

Can you power a shed with solar panels?

Yes! You could add a few panels to your shed so that all the energy you use in your shed is free.

If you can't add solar panels to your roof for reasons such as shade on your house roof, or your house doesn't face the right way but your shed does, you might want to look at adding a solar system to a shed in your garden rather than your house. You might also be lucky enough to have a large shed that you use as a living space, or use a lot of tools, appliances, and a small space heater in your shed. They all could be powered by solar.

What do I need to check to get solar panels on your shed roof?

Firstly, it's important to check that you have enough space on your roof to fit enough panels to generate an adequate amount of energy. If you're just looking to power tools in your shed, you might only need a few panels. If you're looking to power your whole house, you will need to fit at least 6 panels to generate a decent amount of energy. Talk to a solar panel specialist at Smart Energy to see which brand of panels might be most efficient for you. 

You'll also need to check that your shed or garage is in good condition and that the space will be able to hold panels on the roof. You'll need to check that the shed has support or load-bearing ability, otherwise, you would risk the panels being too heavy for your roof, and possibly falling in.

How many solar panels will I need on my shed roof?

The number of solar panels you will need will depend on your energy needs and your roof space. When looking at getting a solar energy solution for your energy bills, we always recommend looking at a recent energy bill that will tell you your average energy usage. If your energy usage is only small in your shed or garage space, you should only need a few panels to cover the size, so don't worry about putting a whole complete system on your shed, a small solar panel system could work for you!

What else will I need to make sure solar panels work on my shed?

As well as the solar PV on the top of the roof, you'll need sufficient space to store an inverter in the shed to be able to convert the free DC solar energy into AC electricity for your home or shed to use. You might also want to add a battery to store the energy your panels create, but adding a battery is always optional. With advances in both inverters and batteries, they have both become more efficient and smaller, as well as a lot more pleasant to look at, meaning storing them in your shed is a fairly simple process.

You'll also want to check that your shed faces the right way. Solar panels will get maximum efficiency if they face South. If your shed doesn't face South, you might still find solar panels generate energy for you, just not at the maximum level of output that you would get if they faced South. Talk to your solar specialist if your shed doesn't face South and they will advise you if it is still worth investing in solar.

If you don’t have a shed, should you buy a shed to add solar panels to it?

If you don't have a shed already, and your house is unsuitable for solar, you have the unique opportunity to choose a space beforehand that would be perfect for solar. If you have the space, you could design or choose a shed with the perfect space and orientation for solar panels, maximising your energy output, and making your solar journey easier than ever. 

The only drawback to this is that you might not have enough space for your dream shed, and also it will be an extra cost to buy a shed and a solar system.

Planning permission

You don't need planning permission to put solar panels on your shed.

Another reason you might put panels on a shed would be if you can't put them on your house if you can't get permission to put them on your house. Getting solar panels on a shed would be a good idea if you have a listed building or a building of heritage. This is because, you can't add solar to a historical building, but you could put solar energy panels on a new shed!