If you’re getting solar panels installed onto the roof of your house/premises, the installers will need to construct scaffolding around the building before they can progress the install.

This will take the most time out of all the steps – usually about a day – but will mean the installers can have safe and secure access to the roof.

Ever wondered how solar panels on a roof stay put? It all comes down to the anchor points.

The installer will have to lift some of the roof tiles to fix the anchors to the rafters in the loft. This will give the solar panel mounts a stable foundation, and will make sure they don’t get damaged in stormy weather.

Once the roof anchors have been fixed to the property, the installer will attach the solar panel mounting system to them. The framework will run both vertically and horizontally across the roof, and will support the base of the solar panels.

The solar panel mounting system makes sure the panels stay in place – whilst also helping to position the panels at an optimal angle on a roof, which will lead to more sunlight exposure.

Once the mounting system is set up, it’s time for the moment we’ve all been waiting for – getting the solar panels onto the roof.

The installer will start by placing the solar panels onto the mounting system – without fully securing them just yet. Once they’re happy with the angle of the panels, the installer will then tighten up all the bolts and nuts across the system to secure them in place.

Most panels come pre-wired from the manufacturer, which means they just need to be connected to the inverter.

It’s worth bearing in mind that smaller solar panel systems connect a single series of wires to the inverter, while larger systems connect several parallel wires.

An inverter is one of the most important pieces of equipment in a solar energy system, as it converts the direct current (DC) electricity, which the solar panel generates, into alternating current (AC) electricity.

The inverter is usually installed near the breaker panel, which is the main distribution point for electrical circuits in your home, and could be placed either indoors or outdoors.

Overall, installing the inverter should take between 4-6 hours, depending on the size of the system.

Although this step sounds easy, it’s better to get a trained professional installer to carry out this part, as things can easily go wrong. But if you do decide to do this part by yourself, make sure to shut off the household’s electricity supply beforehand.

The inverter should then be connected to the consumer unit – a type of distribution board – to be able to generate electricity.

The installer will also connect a generation meter to the system at this point, which will monitor the amount of electricity the solar panels actually produce. You can also use your computer or another device to check your solar system’s performance, to make it a bit easier.

Once the installer – or you, if you’ve been brave enough to try this – has finished all of these steps, the last thing to do is make sure it’s all working properly.

This is just a case of switching the power back on and monitoring each part of the system to make sure things are ticking along correctly.

Some people also decide to pair their solar panels with a solar battery, which will store any excess energy that can be used on cloudy days or during the night time.

If you have a solar battery in your solar system, you’ll also need to connect the inverter to the battery. This step should be taken just after step six, when you set up the inverter itself.