SOLARhome

SOLARhome, solar PV and battery storage for homeowners in eastern England

SOLARhome is the trading style of Affordable Energy Ltd, a domestic renewable energy installer focused on solar photovoltaic panels and energy storage systems. The company presents itself as a specialist in the residential market and states that it works only with a limited range of premium products chosen for the balance of value, performance and quality. Its stated aim is to help homeowners move to green electricity while reducing exposure to energy price rises.

The firm reports two decades of experience in the solar sector and describes its installation teams as fully qualified. Its service is aimed at private houses rather than commercial or agricultural projects.

Coverage across East Anglia and the South East

SOLARhome installs throughout Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Hertfordshire and the north of Kent. The company summarises this territory as East Anglia, the Home Counties and South East England. Its head office is in Colchester, within the Essex part of that area.

Solarwatt glass-glass panels and storage

A central element of the offer is the partnership with Solarwatt, described as a Tier 1 German manufacturer of solar panels. SOLARhome states it is a Premium Partner of the brand and that this exclusive local arrangement allows it to supply glass-on-glass panels for domestic installations. Alongside the panels, the company installs energy storage systems and top-branded inverters.

The product range is presented as deliberately narrow: innovative premium equipment rather than a broad catalogue of budget options.

What a typical installation includes

The company lists the components of a solar panel installation as follows:

• Home energy survey and personalised quotation
• Full technical survey and electrical health check
• Technical feasibility and bespoke system design
• HIES and EPVS compliant quotation and contract
• All access equipment as required
• MCS certified products and installation
• Solarwatt glass-glass PV panels with a 30-year product warranty and a 30-year performance warranty
• Top-branded inverter with a 10-year warranty
• Five-year FullCoverage system insurance
• Insurance-backed workmanship warranty
• All-inclusive price including 0% VAT

Payback calculations validated by EPVS

Savings and performance estimates are submitted to the Energy Performance Validation Scheme (EPVS), an independent consumer protection body that certifies the calculation methods used by installers. According to the company, this gives customers an EPVS certificate registering the installation and an additional layer of verification beyond the installer's own figures. SOLARhome notes that joining EPVS is demanding for an installer and frames its membership as a quality-assurance commitment.

Accreditations and consumer protection

The company states that it is approved by MCS, HIES, EPVS and TrustMark. Through HIES membership it offers free deposit and stage payment protection insurance, covering payments made should the installation company fail before work is completed. It also provides an Insurance Backed Guarantee, a policy that covers the original guarantee if the installer ceases to trade. TrustMark registration is presented as evidence of vetting and ongoing monitoring in technical competence, customer service and trading practices, with guarantees and a disputes resolution process required of registered businesses.

On the financial side, SOLARhome is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN841157) and acts as a credit broker rather than a lender, offering facilities from a panel of lenders. Finance options are discussed as part of the free home energy survey.

Head office and company details

The head office is at Enterprise House, Commerce Way, Colchester, Essex CO2 8HH. The registered office of Affordable Energy Ltd is given as Unit F, Commerce Way, Whitehall, Colchester, CO2 8HH, with company registration number 06537439.