New Build Solar Panels: What Buyers Should Check Before Completion

Solar panels are increasingly visible on new developments, but buyers should understand the system fitted to their own property rather than simply noting that panels are present.

What should you ask?

• How many panels are fitted?

• What is the system's rated capacity?

• Where is the inverter?

• Is battery storage included?

• Who owns the equipment?

• What warranty comes with it?

• How can you monitor generation?

Check ownership

Ask your conveyancer to confirm who owns the panels and whether any rights, leases or communal arrangements affect the property.

Get the paperwork

At handover, ask for the operating instructions, warranty details, monitoring information and any commissioning documents supplied with the system.

Remember the wider warranty

Solar equipment can have its own warranty alongside the structural warranty for the home. Our new build warranty providers guide explains the wider warranty landscape.

Compare the exact specification

Do not assume the show home has the same solar setup as your plot. Our show home comparison guide explains why exact specifications matter.

The bottom line

Understand what is installed, who owns it, how it is monitored and what documentation you receive before completion.