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This is my first time on this website and I would be grateful for any information on the installation of roof solar panels on a barn conversion with Class Q permission. I am considering purchasing this single storey barn in Northamptonshire with Class Q permission and I was hoping to have an ASHP and solar panels on the roof. My searches of this forum so far have revealed two statements that the solar panels are not permitted development on Class Q buildings and one statement that ASHP, solar panels and wind turbine are the only permitted development on Class Q. A separate planning application has also been stated as an alternative option.

This week I need to decide on solar panels. I will be installing about 20 on the roof, and maybe a few on the garage too. This afternoon I got to see a JA Solar deep blue 4 series panel. This is, I think, typical of the "all black" panels, with wires visible on the face: Its a fine 435 Watt N-Typw panel but its not really "all black". AFAIK most black panels use this same technology except for Maxeon/Sunpower who recently released a new black panel with a glass face and no visible wires. Which looks great (although I haven't seen it in the flesh of course) but is three times the price https://www.renugen.co.uk/sunpower-maxeon-3-420-blk/ Aiko sell something similar for less https://shop4electrical.co.uk/panels/12211-aiko-a-mah54mb-mono-glass-n-type-abc-black-hole-series-photovoltaic-solar-panel-450w but look like they are being sued for patent infringement https://mediaroom.maxeon.com/2023-11-15-Maxeon-Solar-Technologies-Files-Patent-Action-Against-Aiko-in-Germany I like the look of the Aiko panels but are they worth the extra dosh or should I save my money and stick with more tested technology like the JA solar? Will anyone ever see them on the roof apart from me anyway? What other panels should I consider?

I am thinking about using a pressure washer to let me work at a reasonable height. One of the applications is to clean my solar panels, which are now quite "lichened" after a few years - partly because some are modestly tree-compromised. This will require me to work from a flat roof over the garage, where the roof plane begins. The top of the array of panels is about 5.5m vertically high above the garage roof. I have a reasonably high end Nilfisk Excellent E160.1 model, which has a 10m hose so may well be suitable even sitting on the ground to avoid taking weight up even a short ladder to the flat roof, and can be fed either from a hose, or a barrel (ie wheelie bin) of water. An alternative is to look at a portable item. I am a Makita setup, and they have a good portable item which costs £400 (!) without batteries. The alternative portable would be something cheap and cheerful. I'm after experience as to what other people have done. Thanks for any comment. Ferdinand

Hi all, Just to introduce myself. We are just about to finalise our renovation/extension project in the West End of Glasgow. Detached bungalow which we have pushed out the back 6m and also added another storey to it. The last two years, to be quite frank, have been pretty hellish, not only in terms of financial outlay (budgets - lol, aye ok) but, personal energy investment. I don't think we really realised how big an undertaking it was until one day, standing with my brother in law and we had no roof and it was just basically a shell. My brother in law looked around and went "fk me" and then it kind of hit me, square in the face or what we have taken on! We would have been quicker and cheaper, flattening the house and doing a fresh build but we weren't allowed to do that (a story for another day). Anyway, external wall insulation has just been completed and we are about to to start the roughcasting externally. Because we look at the building everyday we don't kind of realise how impressive it is and its totally out of context with the neighbours single storey 85m2 detached bungalows(we have 18 objection letters from the neighbours and even neighbours as far as 1.5 miles away, councillors, mp's the lot) as ours rises 6.2m at the back (the neighbour calls the wall facing him The Berlin Wall!). I work in the insulation industry but to be honest, I have learned so much more about insulation, insulation u values, lambda values - the works. We have made mistakes yes but fixed them. At the end of the day, we have built a house in which we are only temporary custodians but this house will stand proudly (Berlin Wall-esque) for a long long time and with excellent insulation and air tightness values, solar panel power generation and we are really proud of what we have achieved. Incidentally - never again!

I can get up to 18 panels on the south facing roof of my self-build and I'm looking to finalise my solar pv system specification and pricing. Below is the first quote I've received for supply of a 6kW system in response to my outline specification (i.e. up to 18 panels, all black, in-roof mounted): Would appreciate advice on the suitability of the specification and the items included. Anything in here that I should definitely not use? Does the pricing look reasonable? Where else should I be looking to buy the solar pv system from? TIA

To those who commented on our GRP, this is not an update. The next installment to that will hopefully be at the end of next week when the crap roof will be off and a proper company coming in to sort after we insisted on an insurance backed guarantee. I shall update then, watch this space! Flat roof aside..... All our new extension had insulation laid and our existing flooring excavated for insulation too. We had the UFH pipes laid and there was A LOT. And then screed laid which is suprisingly even and flat using TG Cemfloor – a liquid self-levelling screed. Needless to say they did a better job of this than the roof. And part of the in roof solar frames have also gone up. Our builders found these up the loft when taking down the old ceilings. Unfortunately empty! Someone had a good party ?

The energy company (I use First Energy because they are large but with non-awful customer service) have just reduced my monthly payment for gas / elec to £65 from £80 of their own accord (which probably means a smaller reduction than is actually needed). That means that within a year it has shrunk from £120 to £65, or £660 per year. The only change we have made is to install a stonking 10kWP solar array in January, which is East/West and still rather shaded, and to switch suppliers - which reduced the payment from £120 to £80. Don't underestimate the power of switching and competition. The house is a refurbed 4 bed chalet bungalow at just under 2000sqft with 2 people, which is generally good but we aren't obsessive. I am sure that others have done as well or better, and we still can, and I wanted to record the numbers. Solar energy generated is going to be about 5500kWh (=another £600 in subsidy) for the year, which hints at how shaded our installation was and still is. Ferdinand