Solar PV and battery storage in Margate.

What's included

• Roof survey (structural, orientation, shading, tile type) and Thanet-specific generation estimate using PVGIS data - not the sales-brochure numbers
• MCS-certified installer route so you qualify for Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) payments from your energy supplier and the 0% VAT on domestic solar (running to March 2027)
• Panels: typically 405-440W monocrystalline (Longi, Trina, or JA Solar), mounted on aluminium rails with stainless-steel roof hooks - marine spec on Marine Drive and Palm Bay frontages
• Inverter: hybrid (solar + battery capable) for future-proofing - GivEnergy, Solis, or SolarEdge with optimisers for shaded roofs
• Battery: 5-13kWh usable capacity, LFP chemistry (safer than NMC for domestic), 10-year warranty typical
• DNO notification - G98 for systems 3.68kW single-phase or below (notification only), G99 for systems above 3.68kW single-phase (pre-installation approval required from UK Power Networks)
• Smart Export Guarantee application to your energy supplier - Octopus Outgoing is currently the best export rate for most Margate installs
• Handover pack with MCS certificate, DNO paperwork, EIC, and warranty documents in one folder

What Margate actually generates

PVGIS (the EU's peer-reviewed solar model) puts Thanet at around 950-1,020 kWh per installed kWp per year for a south-facing 30-40 degree roof. That's about 10% higher than the England average because Thanet is one of the sunniest districts in the UK - typically 1,650-1,780 sunshine hours per year vs 1,400 nationally. A 4kW system on a south-facing Palm Bay roof will produce around 3,900-4,000 kWh a year. East/west split roofs come in about 15% lower. North-facing single-slope: I'll usually steer you away.

How the options compare

Solar and battery is quoted per property after a site visit. Panel type, roof pitch, orientation, existing consumer unit, battery size, DNO capacity and any conservation-area or heritage work all move the number, and a real quote reflects the actual system that will be installed. VAT on domestic solar and battery is currently zero-rated to 31 March 2027 under the Energy-Saving Materials scheme; the quote reflects that.

• 4kW PV only, no battery: lowest up-front cost of the three options. You self-consume what you use during daylight and export the rest under SEG. Straightforward install, 20-year system, 25-year panel warranty.
• 4kW PV + 5kWh battery: higher spec, more of your own generation used rather than exported. The battery lets you self-consume evening generation and buy-shift from Octopus Go overnight tariffs, so it earns its keep on both the export and import side.
• Battery-only retrofit (if you already have solar or want to time-shift grid electricity): sized to your existing consumption pattern, best suited to households already on a time-of-use tariff like Octopus Go.

I'll do a proper individual quote based on your actual usage from your last four bills, not a glossy sales-pitch payback figure.

DNO G98 vs G99 - the key threshold

UK Power Networks (the DNO for Margate) split solar/battery notifications at 3.68kW inverter output per phase. Systems at or below that are G98 - install first, notify within 28 days. Systems above are G99 - pre-installation approval required, and UKPN can take 4-11 weeks to respond. Most modern PV installs push past 3.68kW because a 4kW hybrid inverter is common. I submit G99 applications at survey stage so approval usually lands by the time we're ready to install. Rare "constrained network" cases in older Cliftonville mansion blocks may need a service upgrade first.

Thanet coastal considerations

• Salt aerosol on aluminium rail - I spec anodised or powder-coated rail on Marine Drive and Palm Bay frontages, and stainless-steel roof hooks (not zinc-plated) throughout the district as standard
• Cliff-edge wind loading - clifftop properties along Palm Bay and towards Kingsgate need extra fixings under the BS EN 1991-1-4 wind-loading calc; I do this at survey stage
• Listed / Conservation Area - solar on the rear roof plane is generally permitted development in the Margate CA. Front plane needs planning permission and is usually refused on listed buildings. I check TDC's list before quoting.
• Chimney breast and Georgian tile roofs - Old Town Georgian terraces often have Kent peg tiles or slate, and require specific compatible hook types. Not a problem, just needs quoting properly.

Smart Export Guarantee - which supplier

SEG rates vary wildly by supplier. As of 2026 the top rates for domestic customers are Octopus Outgoing Fixed (15p/kWh), followed by E.ON Next Export (12.5p) and Scottish Power (12p). Some suppliers still offer 3-5p flat - not worth switching to for the export tariff alone, but if you're already with Octopus for import their Go tariff + Outgoing Fixed export combination is currently the best deal. I don't take referral fees from any supplier.

Timing

Roof survey: 45 minutes. G99 DNO application: 4-11 weeks parallel to prep. Install: 2 days for standard 4kW PV, 3 days with battery. G98 sign-off: same day. MCS certificate: 2-4 weeks after install. First SEG payment: 6-8 weeks depending on supplier meter registration.

What I don't do on solar jobs

I won't oversize a system to the point the SEG payback is longer than the install age. I won't recommend battery to a household that's on a flat-rate tariff and away 6 hours a day - the payback doesn't stack. And I won't install on a roof that needs a re-slate in 3 years - we do the roof first or wait.