Solar, Battery & Heat Pump Installers in Edinburgh

Edinburgh's architecture is distinctive: the New Town's Georgian terraces and the Victorian stone villas of Morningside, Merchiston and the Grange define much of the inner city, while traditional tenements line Leith, Marchmont and Bruntsfield. These are solid-stone-wall, slate-roofed buildings, often with single-glazed sash windows in original condition. Outer suburbs such as Currie and Balerno add post-war semis and modern estates.

Solid stone walls store heat well but are poor insulators, which shapes the order of works: insulation and glazing usually come before a heat pump, and roof-mounted solar is often the least invasive renewable to add first. Tenement flats in Leith and Marchmont share the same common-ownership roof considerations as Glasgow, requiring agreement among owners before installation.

Edinburgh contains one of the largest conservation-area footprints of any UK city and spans a UNESCO World Heritage Site covering both the Old and New Towns. Rooftop solar that is visible from the street within these zones typically requires planning permission and can be refused on heritage grounds. The practical workaround is to use a rear-facing roof slope, an in-roof (integrated) system that sits flush with the slate, or a flat-roof array set behind a parapet.

Outside the conservation areas — in areas like Liberton, Gilmerton and the newer builds around South Queensferry — permitted development rights generally apply, making solar more straightforward. A knowledgeable installer will flag the planning position during the first survey. See solar installation details.

Edinburgh lies at around 55.9°N, similar to Glasgow, giving short winter days of roughly seven hours of daylight in mid-December. Solar generation is typically concentrated in the brighter months, so a battery is commonly paired with panels to carry daytime output into the evening. Edinburgh's east-coast position means it can be clearer and drier than the west in certain weather patterns, though overall yield is comparable to the central belt average.

The low winter sun also increases shading risk from Edinburgh's ridgelines, spires and neighbouring tenements. A survey that models December sun angles gives the most honest expectation of winter performance.

Battery storage typically suits Edinburgh homes because the seasonal generation swing is sharp and evening demand is high. A battery lets a household store midday solar for use after dark, and on time-of-use tariffs it can charge on cheaper overnight electricity. For tenement flats, a battery is usually sited within the individual flat rather than in a shared roof space, so ownership is simpler than a shared solar array.

Sizing is based on your actual consumption and solar array, not a generic figure. Learn about battery storage options.