Solar panels
Turn a roof into the cheapest power station your employees will ever own.
Rooftop photovoltaic panels generate electricity from daylight, not heat, so they work all year round in the UK. Members of the scheme get tier-1 panels at member pricing, designed around their actual roof and fitted by accredited installers.
- Member discount
- Up to 15%
- Typical install
- 1–2 days
How solar panels work, in plain English
No jargon and no assumed knowledge. This is the explanation to share with your people when they ask what they are actually buying.
- 1
Panels react to light
The panels turn daylight into electricity. They do not need warmth or direct sun, so they still produce on a grey British afternoon, just less than on a bright one.
- 2
One box makes it usable
Panels produce a type of electricity the home cannot use directly. A single box on the wall converts it into normal household electricity and feeds it into the fuse board.
- 3
Your own power is used before the grid's
Everything switched on in the home pulls from the roof first. Only what the roof cannot cover is bought from the grid, so the meter slows down whenever the sun is up.
- 4
Spare power is stored or sold
On a sunny day the roof makes more than the home needs. That surplus charges a battery if there is one, and anything left is sold back to the grid.
What's included
A tier-1 panel array sized to the property's roof pitch, orientation and shading, not a one-size package.
A hybrid-ready inverter so battery storage can be added later without replacing hardware.
Full design, DNO notification, MCS certification and handover managed by the installer.
Performance monitoring through an app, so households can see generation in real time.
What it changes in an employee's home
Bills fall from day one
Every unit generated on the roof is a unit not bought at grid prices. For a typical home that is a meaningful, permanent reduction rather than a one-off rebate.
Protection from price shocks
Self-generated power is insulated from wholesale volatility, which is exactly the pressure employees feel hardest.
Real carbon reduction at home
Home energy is one of the largest slices of a household footprint. Generation on-site cuts it directly and visibly.
Is your home suitable?
Most UK houses with their own roof can take solar. The survey confirms it before anything is quoted, and there is no charge for finding out.
Usually a good fit
- You own the property, or you have the owner's written consent.
- A roof facing anywhere from east through south to west. South is best, east and west still work well.
- A roof in reasonable condition, with no major repair due in the next few years.
- Little heavy shade from tall trees, chimneys or neighbouring buildings for most of the day.
Needs a closer look
- Flats and rented homes without roof rights. Plug-in solar is the route here instead.
- Listed buildings and some conservation areas, where consent is needed first.
- Roofs that are heavily shaded all day, where the numbers rarely stack up. Our installers will say so.
Cost and payback
Indicative figures for a typical UK three-bedroom home. Every employee sees exact numbers on their own live online quote.
- Typical upfront cost
- From £4,500 before the member discount
- Member discount
- Up to 15% off
- Typical annual saving
- £400 to £700 a year
- Rough payback
- Around 7 to 10 years
- Install time
- 1 to 2 days on site
- Product warranty
- 25 years on the panels
Savings depend on the roof, the household's usage and whether a battery is fitted. Adding storage usually shortens the payback because less power is exported cheaply.
Free for employers. Nothing to fund, nothing for payroll to run
One short agreement opens solar panels to your whole workforce. We handle every employee question, quote and install from there. See how it works for employers.
Bring solar panels to your team.
Tell us a little about your organisation and we'll come back with the employee-facing detail, or book a demo and we'll walk you through the walled garden.
New to the scheme? Read how it works for employers.
Delivered by Net Zero Benefits, alongside The Electric Car Scheme, the UK's largest independent salary sacrifice provider.
Other categories
See the scheme end to end in 20 minutes.
A live walkthrough with the team who built it.
- The employee experience, from sign up to install.
- Exactly what the discounts look like across each product.
- What you would need to launch it: no payroll changes, no budget.
- Your questions, answered by a person who knows the answer.
Not ready for a call? and we'll send the employer pack.
Solar panels questions your people will ask
If something here is not covered, ask it on the demo and we will answer it straight.
Do solar panels work in the UK?
Yes. They run on daylight rather than heat, so they generate all year round. Output is naturally higher in summer than in December, but a typical UK array still covers a meaningful share of a household's annual electricity.
Do they work on a cloudy day?
Yes, at reduced output. Bright overcast conditions still produce a useful amount, which is why UK homes with solar see savings through spring and autumn as well as summer.
Will the panels damage my roof?
No. They are fixed to the rafters with brackets designed for the roof type, and the installer is certified and insured for the work. The survey flags any repair that should happen before installation.
What happens to power I do not use?
It charges a battery if there is one, and anything left over is exported to the grid and paid for. Export rates vary by supplier, so it is worth comparing before signing up.
Do I need planning permission?
Usually not. Most domestic roof solar counts as permitted development. Listed buildings and some conservation areas are the exception, and the installer checks this before quoting.
Does solar need maintenance?
Very little. There are no moving parts. Rain keeps the panels reasonably clean and the app flags anything unusual, so most households do nothing at all for years. Some of our installers also include service and maintenance packages as part of their product offer.
Can I add a battery later?
Yes. Every array in the scheme is fitted with a battery-ready inverter, so storage can be added later without replacing the hardware you already paid for.