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Solar City · West Midlands
Solar panel installers in Birmingham & Solihull
Design your system in minutes on live satellite imagery - from Solar City, a family-run MCS installer based in Tyseley, Birmingham, installing across Solihull and the West Midlands every week.
Chris Hammond has worked in solar since 2002. D J Hammond Electrical Contractors Ltd carried out its first solar installs in 2005, and the Solar City brand launched in 2010. Verify: MCS NIC-1542 · RECC 00040355 · Companies House 05338112 · Read our 5★ Google reviews.
Why homeowners choose Solar City
A family-run Solihull MCS installer; you deal with the people who design and fit the system.
Installing solar since 2005
Chris Hammond has worked in solar since 2002. D J Hammond Electrical Contractors Ltd carried out its first solar installs in 2005, and the Solar City brand launched in 2010. We survive on reputation, not aggressive marketing.
Local reliability
A Solihull business you can trust to be here tomorrow.
Explore residential solar panel installation, home battery storage, home EV chargers, commercial solar car ports and commercial solar in Birmingham. Try our free instant solar design tool, browse West Midlands solar case studies and verified customer reviews, or read local guides on solar panel installers in Birmingham, solar panel installers in Solihull, MCS certified solar installer across the West Midlands, how much solar panels cost in Birmingham, UK planning permission for solar panels and Fox ESS batteries and hybrid inverters.
How it works
Four clear steps from instant design to handover.
Indicative design
Open our instant design tool, pin your home on satellite imagery, and see a ballpark size and cash price; clearly labelled as indicative.
Desktop design
We then size a practical system from aerial imagery and your usage, and send a clear quotation.
On-site survey
If you want to proceed, we visit to check the roof, electrics and access before anything is ordered.
Install & handover
Our own team installs, commissions and hands over - with MCS paperwork handled properly.
Practical systems that look right on your roof
Our popular 4 to 4.7 kWp systems (8 to 10 panels) typically cost around £4,600 to £5,100 (for example, 10 panels / 4.65 kWp is £5,085 in our design tool). We'll discuss your requirements and provide a practical solution - including in-roof options for a seamless finish.
- Design to completion under one roof
- Residential, new-build, repair and maintenance
- MCS-accredited with TrustMark and RECC membership
Batteries and EV chargers
Solar is only part of the picture for many Midlands homes. If you want to store daytime generation or charge an electric car at home, we can design that in from the start - or leave a sensible path for later.
Home battery storage
Keep more of your own generation for evenings and dull spells. We will be honest about when a battery earns its keep for your usage - not every home needs one on day one.
EV charging at home
Drive electric and want to plug in on the drive? Tell us when you get a quote. We can plan solar and charging together so the electrics make sense for your house.
Commercial & workplace
Solar car ports
If the roof is full, listed, or not yours to use, parking is often the next place to put solar. We can quote a modular solar car port for workplaces, councils and commercial sites, with EV charging designed in where you need it.
The canopy structure is UK-designed and manufactured. Solar City designs and installs the solar and electrical side, as we do on roofs.
Instant Design is for rooftop solar; a car port still needs Contact for a concept/budget.
What's included
Straight answers about what you get when you work with Solar City - based on how we already operate, not marketing fluff.
| Item | What you get |
|---|---|
| Free desktop design & quote | Included - start with the instant design tool, no obligation. |
| On-site survey | Carried out before installation so the design matches your property. |
| MCS certification | Installs completed under our MCS accreditation. |
| Consumer protection | TrustMark and RECC membership for recognised industry standards. |
| Maintenance & repair | Ongoing care available for systems we install and for existing arrays. |
Proof of scale · Public sector & domestic delivery
348 solar PV systems installed on Birmingham City Council's LAD3 scheme
Working with Dodd Group, Solar City installed all 348 solar PV systems on Birmingham City Council's LAD3 scheme in Balsall Heath, Acocks Green and Tyseley (2022 to 2023), the largest LAD3 project in the country.
Delivered between September 2022 and November 2023 alongside principal contractor Dodd Group and programme manager Acivico, the scheme totalled 896 kWp installed (Acivico LAD3 case study) across low-income homes in Balsall Heath, Acocks Green and Tyseley.
Read the Birmingham LAD3 case study (348 homes) · Source: Acivico (896 kWp installed) ↗
Google reviews
Rated 5.0 out of 5 from 80 Google reviews (as of 18 October 2026). Real homeowner reviews from our Google Business Profile, not invented testimonials.
★★★★★
Rated 5.0 out of 5 from 80 Google reviews (as of 18 October 2026) · all 5★
"Great service very nice and helpful staff, highly recommend."Lee · October 2026 · West Midlands
"Dave, Chris and his team are brilliant, we have a partially thatched Cottage, with electrics in the cellar, so it was a difficult installation. Solar City sympathetically fitted 12 panels all in one day - it looks amazing and works really well, we could not..."Mike W. · October 2026 · West Midlands
"Fantastic experience all around. Arrived on time. Left everywhere clean and tidy. Made sure I was fully informed."Julie M. · October 2026 · Chelmsley Wood, Birmingham
"Fabulous. Kept informed. Looks good. Saving us a small fortune."Steve F. · September 2026 · West Midlands
"Install team worked very efficiently and extremely respectful of my property, leaving it fully functional, clean and tidy. Took time to fully explain the app and answer any questions."Gary H. · September 2026 · West Midlands
"Quality work, staff very eager to listen and chat to you. They explained everything really well and were timely. Great value for money and after sales top notch. Would highly recommend them."Martin H. · September 2026 · Tamworth
"Turned up and got the job done, respectful in and out of the house, lovely chaps."Lochlan H. · September 2026 · West Midlands
"Dave and his team were phenomenal, left house nice and tidy."Dawn S. · September 2026 · Chelmsley Wood, Birmingham
Recent installs
2.79 kWp solar and Fox battery on Norman Avenue, Nuneaton (CV11)
Rehana in Nuneaton (CV11) has embraced solar energy with a 2.79 kW system featuring six Aiko Energy solar panels and a Fox ESS inverter and...
4.65 kWp in-roof solar and Fox EP12 battery on Cambridge Avenue, Solihull (B91)
Andy, a local homeowner, chose Solar City for his solar installation on Cambridge Avenue, opting for a 4.65 kW system featuring 10 Aiko Ener...
2.79 kWp solar and Fox battery on Mallard Avenue, Nuneaton (CV10)
Hilda from Mallard Avenue has embraced renewable energy with a 2.79 kW solar system installed by Solar City. This system, featuring six Aiko...
4.19 kWp solar and Fox battery on Dunster Road, Chelmsley Wood, Birmingham (B37)
Dawn, a local homeowner, opted for a 4.185 kW solar system at her residence on Dunster Road. This installation features nine Aiko Energy sol...
4.19 kWp solar and Fox battery on Colesbourne Road, Olton, Solihull (B92)
John, a local homeowner, chose Solar City for his solar installation at his residence on Colesbourne Road. The system comprises a 4.19 kWp s...
3.72 kWp solar and Fox battery on Coventry Road, Nuneaton (CV10)
Wendy, a homeowner from Coventry Road, recently had a 3.72 kW solar system installed by Solar City. The system includes eight Aiko Energy so...
About Solar City
Solar City is a family-run MCS installer based in Tyseley, Birmingham. You speak to people who design and install the systems. Start with our instant design tool, then request a free desktop design and quotation.
- Deal directly with experienced installers
- MCS-accredited with TrustMark and RECC membership
- Complete service across the Midlands and surrounding areas
National network of trusted independent installers
Proud members of Solar Nation
Solar City are proud members of Solar Nation (www.solar-power.co.uk). Solar Nation is a group of independent solar companies who all strive to be the best resource possible, with a shared focus on building trust with customers and understanding the customer relationship process from first enquiry through to long-term aftercare.
We keep our own installation area within 40 miles of Solihull and Birmingham so we can look after our customers properly. If you have come to our website and you are out of our range, please have a look on Solar Nation for a good company in your area who will give you the right service at a fair price.
Common questions
Straight answers for West Midlands homeowners considering solar.
Are you MCS certified and what is your MCS number?
Yes. Solar City is an MCS certified solar installer under certification number NIC-1542, and is also TrustMark registered and a Renewable Energy Consumer Code (RECC) member.
How much does a typical solar panel system cost?
A typical residential solar panel system in Birmingham and Solihull costs around £4,600 to £5,100 for about 4 to 4.7 kWp (8 to 10 panels; for example, 10 panels / 4.65 kWp is £5,085), with indicative solar-only cash bands from £3,800 to £6,950 depending on roof size. In the Solar City design tool, solar-only systems run around £3,800-£4,250 for about 3 kWp (6-7 panels), £4,600-£5,100 for about 4 to 4.7 kWp (8-10 panels), around £6,000 for about 6 kWp (13 panels), and £6,500-£6,950 for about 7 to 7.4 kWp (15-16 panels). Every figure is indicative, from the Solar City design tool at solarcityuk.co.uk/design; scaffolding is extra (around £400-£500 per side) and an on-site survey confirms your final design and price.
Is a solar battery worth it, and what does it add to the price?
A home battery is worth it for households with significant evening electricity usage, an electric vehicle or a time-of-use tariff, though not every home needs one on day one. In our instant design tool, upgrading from a standard string inverter to a Fox ESS hybrid inverter adds £405, a Fox EP6 battery (~5.2 kWh usable) adds £945, and a Fox EP12 battery (~10.4 kWh usable) adds £2,160. Every figure is indicative, from the Solar City design tool at solarcityuk.co.uk/design; scaffolding is extra (around £400-£500 per side) and an on-site survey confirms your final design and price.
Which solar panel, inverter and battery brands do you install?
We install Fox ESS, Aiko, EcoFlow, Sigenergy, Trina and LONGi equipment. Across our West Midlands residential and commercial installations, we pair high-efficiency solar panels such as Aiko, Trina and LONGi with inverters and battery storage from Fox ESS, Sigenergy and EcoFlow.
Which areas do you cover?
We cover homes and businesses within 40 miles of Solihull from our base in Tyseley, Birmingham (B11 2BA), including Birmingham, Solihull, Coventry, Wolverhampton, Walsall, Dudley, Sutton Coldfield, Redditch, Warwick, Leamington Spa, Stratford-upon-Avon, Tamworth, Nuneaton, Worcester, Kidderminster, Lichfield, Bromsgrove and Rugby.
Who are the best solar installers near Birmingham and Solihull?
The safest way to compare solar installers near Birmingham and Solihull is to check independent credentials and trading history rather than paid directory rankings. Verify active MCS certification (ours is NIC-1542), RECC membership (00040355) and TrustMark registration, check how long the company has traded (we have been installing solar since 2005 and set up Solar City in 2010 under D J HAMMOND ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS LTD, company number 05338112), confirm they use their own in-house installers with no salespeople, and read verified homeowner reviews.
Do I need planning permission for solar panels?
Most UK houses do not need planning permission for roof-mounted solar panels because they fall under Permitted Development (Schedule 2, Part 14, Class A), provided panels do not project more than 200mm from the roof slope or rise above the highest part of the roof excluding the chimney. Listed buildings, scheduled monuments, Article 4 direction areas and wall-mounted arrays facing a highway in a conservation area do require formal consent, which we check during your desktop design and survey.
Do you install commercial solar for businesses and workplaces?
Yes. We design and install commercial rooftop solar PV, modular solar car ports and workplace EV charging for offices, warehouses, schools, councils and industrial estates across Birmingham, Solihull and the West Midlands, including DNO G99 grid applications.
Do you repair or maintain solar systems you did not install?
Yes. Our in-house solar electricians carry out fault finding, inverter replacements, health checks and ongoing maintenance on existing solar arrays across Birmingham, Solihull and within 40 miles, including systems originally installed by other companies.
How long does a typical residential solar installation take?
Most domestic solar panel installations are completed in one to two working days once scaffolding is up and materials are on site. We confirm the exact programme, roof access and electrical commissioning plan after your on-site survey.
What is the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG)?
The Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) is a UK scheme where licensed electricity suppliers pay homeowners for surplus solar electricity exported back to the National Grid. To qualify for SEG export tariffs, you need a smart meter and an MCS certificate from an accredited installer such as Solar City (NIC-1542), which we issue as part of your handover pack.
Do solar panels work on cloudy days in the Midlands?
Yes. Panels generate from daylight, not just direct sun. Output is lower on dull days, but a well-designed West Midlands system still produces useful energy across the year; we size around your actual usage, not a sunny-day fantasy.
What is the difference between a desktop design and an on-site survey?
Online you can get an indicative size and ballpark price from a few property questions; that is not AI roof detection or an MCS design. Our desktop design then uses aerial imagery and your details for a proper proposal. The on-site survey confirms roof condition, structure, electrics and access before we finalise and install.