30 Most Common PCC Questions About Church Solar

Why these thirty

Across over fifty UK parish solar projects since 2015, the same questions recur in almost every PCC meeting. This article collects the thirty most common, with concise answers and links to fuller detail where it exists.

Cost (Questions 1-6)

1. How much does parish solar cost? Typical 15 kW parish church install £18,000-£24,000 turnkey, £6,000-£10,000 net after grants. Full cost guide.

2. What’s the cheapest possible install? Around £10,000 for an 8 kW system on a non-listed building with simple electrical work. Below that, fixed costs dominate.

3. Does VAT apply? Yes (20%) but listed buildings reclaim it via the Listed Places of Worship VAT scheme.

4. What ongoing costs should we budget? Annual £300-£500. Inverter replacement at year 12-15: £1,500-£4,500.

5. Is there an interactive cost calculator? Yes — our cost calculator gives a 30-second estimate.

6. What’s the payback period? 6-9 years with grants for hall-included installs; 11-14 for Sunday-only church-only.

Faculty and Permitting (Questions 7-12)

7. Do we need faculty? Only for consecrated CofE buildings. Not Methodist, Catholic, free-church, or Quaker. Faculty guide.

8. How long does faculty take? 10-18 weeks for Grade II non-controversial; 18-26 for Grade II*; 24-40 for Grade I.

9. What’s a Statement of Significance? Heritage analysis (800-1,500 words) of the building and affected fabric. We draft it.

10. Do we need Listed Building Consent? Yes for any listed building (Grade I, II*, II) regardless of denomination.

11. Is Permitted Development enough? For unlisted non-CofE modern buildings, usually yes. Check for Article 4 in conservation areas.

12. Can the DAC refuse the application? Rare for properly-drafted applications. We have 100% approval rate since 2018.

Listed Buildings (Questions 13-17)

13. Can listed churches have solar? Yes — all listing grades have approved installations in 2026. Detailed answer.

14. What about Grade I? Yes but harder — typically on ancillary buildings rather than principal roof.

15. Will the panels be visible? Black-on-black panels on chancel south slope are usually nearly invisible from principal viewpoints.

16. What does Historic England say? Generally supportive — see their published guidance on solar electric panels for historic buildings.

17. Are reversible fixings expensive? Modest premium (5-15% above standard fixings). Justified for any listed building.

Grants and Funding (Questions 18-22)

18. What grants exist? Buildings for Mission, diocesan capital, LPW VAT, Methodist Net Zero, Catholic diocesan, Allchurches Trust. Complete guide.

19. How much grant funding can we get? Typically 50-100% of capex for awarded projects. Some parishes have zero net cost.

20. Who writes the grant applications? We do, as part of our standard project work — not billed separately. Grant writing service.

21. What’s the Buildings for Mission win rate? Roughly 30% nationally; 60%+ for the applications we write.

22. Are grants competitive? Yes — diocesan rounds typically quarterly with limited funding. Apply for the next round, not the next quarter.

Technical (Questions 23-27)

23. How many panels does a typical parish need? 15-30 panels for parish church scale (8-17 kW). Detailed answer.

24. Do panels work in winter? Yes — but generation is 30-60% of summer levels in UK climate.

25. Will the roof support them? Most UK church roofs can support solar without strengthening. Structural survey confirms.

26. What about snow? Rarely significant in UK. Panels shed snow within 24-72 hours.

27. How long do panels last? 25-year manufacturer warranties; physical life 30-40+ years. Inverters need replacement at year 12-15.

Mission and PCC (Questions 28-30)

28. How do we make the mission case? Genesis 2:15 (stewardship), CofE 2030 net zero, Eco Church credit, witness to community. PCC handbook.

29. What if the congregation objects? Honest engagement. 28-day faculty public notice provides formal objection route. Most objections resolve through conversation.

30. Can you brief our PCC? Yes — we attend PCC meetings (phone or in person) at no charge to brief members directly.

What we didn’t cover

These are the thirty most common questions, but every parish has its own. For questions not covered here, see our full FAQ library, glossary, or PCC handbook. For specific parish questions, request a free desk feasibility and we’ll address your situation directly.