Solar Panels in
Swindon

Solar panel installers for Swindon homes

We design and install solar panels, home batteries and EV chargers across the Borough of Swindon: SN1 to SN5, SN25 and SN26, plus villages such as Wroughton, Wanborough, Chiseldon and Blunsdon. Our base in Broughton Gifford is about 21 miles south-west of Swindon town centre, so a Swindon survey is a booked visit with Matt Butler's team, who also do the design, the installation, the grid paperwork and the MCS registration. You can read one Swindon job in full: a 5.4kW solar, battery and EV charger installation on a Swindon new build.

Five local facts that change a Swindon solar quote

1. Your grid operator is SSEN, not National Grid

Swindon is on the Southern Electric Power Distribution network run by SSEN (Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks). Bath, Bristol and most of Somerset are National Grid Electricity Distribution, so the paperwork differs depending on which side of that line you live. A system whose inverters total up to 16A per phase (3.68kW on a normal single-phase house) connects under Engineering Recommendation G98, and we notify SSEN within 28 days of switch-on. Bigger systems, or solar plus a separate battery inverter that takes the total over that limit, need a G99 application to SSEN before installation unless an export limit is agreed. That can add several weeks, so we tell you at survey which route your design needs. SSEN is also spending around £100m upgrading the network that serves more than 140,000 customers in and around Swindon, and says the work is meant to free up capacity for heat pumps, EV charging, solar and battery storage. Already have panels? Our solar panel maintenance service covers Swindon systems, including those fitted by other installers.

2. Planning goes to Swindon Borough Council, and there are 27 conservation areas

Swindon is its own unitary authority, so planning questions go to Swindon Borough Council, not Wiltshire Council. The council lists 27 conservation areas across the borough. Four are in Old Town alone (Old Town, Devizes Road, Prospect Place and Town Gardens). There is also the Swindon Railway conservation area, which merged the old Railway Village and Railway Works areas and whose appraisal was adopted in April 2021, plus Rodbourne Cheney, two Stratton St Margaret areas and village areas including Wroughton, Chiseldon, Highworth and Wanborough. Roof panels on most houses are still permitted development. Inside a conservation area, though, panels can't go on a wall that faces a highway, and a listed building needs listed building consent.

3. The Railway Village has an Article 4 Direction

The GWR Railway Village has been covered by an Article 4 Direction since 1980. It removes certain permitted development rights, so many external changes to those cottages need planning permission first. Bishopstone has an Article 4 Direction too. If you live in either, we check what the Direction covers for your roof before we quote, and we tell you if a planning application is needed.

4. Expected yield: about 1,020 kWh per kWp

The EU's PVGIS model (SARAH3 satellite data, 14% system losses) puts an unshaded, south-facing 35° roof in central Swindon at about 1,020 kWh a year for every kWp installed. A typical 4kWp array would make roughly 4,080 kWh a year. East/west roofs, which are common on estates where houses face every direction, make less. That's why the estimator on this page uses a more cautious 980 kWh/kWp, and your quote uses your actual roof.

5. The council's 2030 target covers its own estate

In January 2020 Swindon Borough Council voted unanimously to make its own estate and activities carbon neutral by 2030. That target is about the council's own buildings, vehicles and land. It isn't a grant for householders, so for the national schemes you might qualify for, see our solar grants guide.

The Swindon homes we install on

Modern estates in West Swindon (Freshbrook, Toothill, Nine Elms), North Swindon (Abbey Meads, Priory Vale) and Wichelstowe mostly have concrete interlocking tiles and simple roof shapes. They are normally permitted development and quick to scaffold. New builds can carry estate covenants on panel colour, so we check the deeds.

Old Town Victorian and Edwardian houses often sit inside one of the four Old Town conservation areas, so a roof slope or wall facing the road needs care. Rear slopes are usually straightforward.

Railway Village cottages come with the Article 4 Direction and many listed buildings, so we start with planning, not panels.

Post-war estates such as Penhill, Walcot and Park South usually have good, simple roofs. On some 1960s roofs we confirm the structure before we quote.

Villages such as Wroughton, Chiseldon, Wanborough and Highworth have their own conservation areas, and older stone cottages may need a roof check first.

Costs, batteries and EV charging in Swindon

We itemise every quote: panels, inverter, battery, scaffolding and labour, with 0% VAT on residential solar until March 2027. See our Wiltshire solar costs guide for current price bands and our 2026 battery cost guide for storage. If you drive an EV, adding a battery and a solar-aware charger is often where the bigger savings are. Our EV charger installation page explains the options.

Areas of Swindon we cover

We cover SN1–SN5, SN25 and SN26, including all of Swindon's residential areas and nearby villages such as Wroughton, Wanborough, Chiseldon and Blunsdon. Nearby, we also install in Royal Wootton Bassett (about 5 miles west), Highworth (about 6 miles north-east), Shrivenham, Calne (about 13 miles south-west) and Chippenham (about 16 miles west).

Already have panels? We also service, clean, bird-proof and repair existing systems in Swindon. See solar panel maintenance. Still at the research stage? Our Swindon solar guide covers planning, new builds and what to expect.

Sources (checked 18 October 2026)

• SSEN, “£100m Swindon network upgrade”, 13 January 2026: ssen.co.uk
• Energy Networks Association, Engineering Recommendations G98 and G99: energynetworks.org
• Swindon Borough Council, conservation areas and Article 4 Directions: swindon.gov.uk/conservationareas
• Swindon Railway Village Article 4 Direction (1980): swindon.gov.uk
• European Commission JRC, PVGIS 5.3 (SARAH3), 51.56N 1.78W, 35° south, 14% loss: re.jrc.ec.europa.eu
• Swindon Borough Council carbon-neutral 2030 motion, reported 30 January 2020: governmentbusiness.co.uk