Residential Solar PV & Battery Storage: Your Step-by-Step Checklist
Use this checklist to confidently plan your switch to solar and battery storage. Tick off each step as you go!
1. Review Your Energy Usage
Gather last 12 months of electricity bills
Note your average daily and yearly usage (kWh)
Identify when you use most electricity (day/night)
2. Assess Your Property
Check roof orientation (south/east/west) and available space
Look for shading (trees, chimneys, buildings) if you have shading you will need optimizers.
Consider garages or outbuildings for extra panel space
3. Define Your Goals
Lower bills and maximise self-use?
Want backup power during outages? (Full home or essentials only?)
Interested in selling excess energy back to the grid (SEG scheme)?
4. Understand the Key Tech
DNO (Distribution Network Operator):
Confirm your installer will handle DNO approval for grid connection/export.Inverter Size:
Discuss inverter size with your installer—should match your solar array and usage. Too small = wasted potential, too large = extra permissions.Battery Size & Backup:
For full home backup: Larger battery (e.g., Tesla Powerwall or multiple units) + backup gateway/ATS required.
Full home backup can be done with an ATS switch like Tesla has and will work with other batteries.
For essentials only: Standard battery with EPS (powers basic circuits) fridge freezer and wifi and this is not automatic.
5. Book a Professional Survey
Arrange a site survey with an MCS-accredited installer
Get a 3D design or bespoke proposal
Request a detailed quote (breakdown of panels, inverter, battery, install, warranties, get bird guard.
If you don’t want to have several sales guys coming around and confusing you we have a bespoke paid service where we do a full site assessment and design and share it with you. Our advice is impartial. You can then share this with potential installation companies to get prices.
6. Choose Quality Equipment
Select Tier 1 solar panels with long warranties.
Choose a battery system (mid-market, premium, or budget) that fits your needs
Ensure smart monitoring is included for tracking performance
7. Check Certifications & Accreditations
Confirm installer is MCS, NAPIT, TrustMark, and RECC accredited.
8. Explore Financing Options
Ask about asset finance, through Kanda with 0% options.
9. Understand the Process
Confirm estimated installation timescale (usually 1–2 days for homes) I would estimate two days if you want it done properly.
Check if planning permission is needed (usually not required)
Review warranty and aftercare support this is often forgotten.
10. Ready to Proceed?
Book your install date
Set up monitoring app (if included)
Keep your installer’s contact details handy for support.
