Solar · Thanet
Solar panels in Birchington and Westgate-on-Sea
The bungalows Birchington is known for, the seaside villas of Westgate, and the exposed roofs along Minnis Bay.
Birchington has one of the highest proportions of bungalows anywhere in the country, and the design work here is nearly always the same question: which two faces of a hipped roof are worth panelling, and how many panels each one honestly holds. It is a smaller job than a big house and a very sensible one.
Westgate-on-Sea is different again. Large late Victorian and Edwardian villas with tall roofs and multiple slopes, much of it in a conservation area. Plenty of roof, plenty of generation, and a design that should respect the building rather than fight it.
Planning
Westgate-on-Sea is largely a conservation area. Roof panels are normally still permitted, with conditions on position, and anything listed needs consent. We check before quoting.
The roofs round here
Birchington bungalows
Hipped concrete tile roofs, low and easy to scaffold. Two smaller arrays on the best faces is the usual design.
Westgate villas
Tall Victorian roofs, often slate, several aspects. Room for a good sized system; conservation area conditions apply.
Minnis Bay
Exposed coastal roofs. Wind loading and salt air both shape the mounting specification.
Newer estates
Modern concrete tile roofs with modern boards. The quickest installs there are.
Roofs like yours
Jobs on the kind of roof Birchington and Westgate has
How a job runs
Four stages, in order
Assessment
Roof pitch, orientation, shading, structure and the state of the existing electrical installation. All four matter, and the last one is the one that catches people out.
Design and quote
A layout for your roof with the panel and inverter specified, the expected generation stated with the assumptions behind it, and a fixed price.
Installation
Scaffold, mounting, panels, then the electrical work. Most domestic installs are done inside a few days.
Certification and handover
Testing, commissioning, MCS certificate, and a walk through of the monitoring and the shutdown procedure before we leave.
Questions from Birchington and Westgate
Asked here more than elsewhere
Is a bungalow roof strong enough for panels?
Almost always. Panels and rails add a modest load spread across the rafters. The survey looks at the timbers and the condition of the roof, and says so if there is a concern.
Will the panels be visible from the road in Westgate?
It depends which slope they go on, and that is part of the design. In a conservation area a slope away from the road is usually preferred where it makes sense for generation.
Do you cover the villages around Birchington?
Yes. Acol, Minster, Monkton, St Nicholas at Wade and out towards Herne Bay are all a normal run.
Nearby
Solar in the towns around Birchington and Westgate
Get a price
Solar in Birchington,
priced for your roof
A postcode and a rough idea of the job is enough. You get a straight answer from the people who would do the work, not a sales call.