The right questions to ask any UK church solar installer
Whether you're considering us, a generalist commercial PV installer who has occasionally done church work, or the cheapest local firm with no church experience, ask these twelve questions. Reputable installers will give clear, evidenced answers to all of them.
12 criteria for choosing a UK church solar installer
| Heritage specialist (us) MCS-certified, faculty-experienced, EASA-aligned | Generalist commercial PV Warehouse / office solar with occasional church work | Cheapest local quote Domestic-scale firm, no specialism | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Faculty application written (CofE) | |||
| 15+ CofE dioceses worked | |||
| Statement of Significance drafting | |||
| Buildings for Mission grant writing | |||
| Listed Places of Worship VAT scheme handling | |||
| Historic England engagement | |||
| Diocesan architect rapport | Sometimes | ||
| Black-on-black heritage panels | Sometimes | Sometimes | |
| MCS commercial certification | |||
| Insurance-backed 10-yr workmanship warranty | Sometimes | ||
| Fixed-price proposal (no variations) | Sometimes | ||
| Reference from same-diocese parish | Sometimes |
Why specialism matters for parish solar
The most common scenario we see: a PCC has taken a quote from a generalist commercial PV installer, often at a lower headline price than ours. The installer has done warehouse work, school work, perhaps a Methodist church. They haven't done CofE faculty. They submit a solar proposal to the DAC; the DAC sends it back for redrafting. Two more rounds. The project stretches eight months longer than expected. The PCC's confidence is shaken. The capex creeps up because of variations. The project finally completes 14 months later than planned, at 25% more than originally quoted.
The honest framing: paying a 5–15% premium for a specialist installer who has written forty faculty applications is, for most parishes, the highest-return single decision in the whole project. The premium is a fraction of what a redrafted faculty cycle costs in time, money, and PCC goodwill.
How to compare quotes properly
When comparing solar installer quotes for your parish, look beyond the headline £/kW number:
- Faculty writing included? If not, that's a £2,000–£5,000 separate cost from a heritage consultant — add it to the quote.
- Grant application writing included? If not, expect to pay £1,500–£3,500 for a grants consultant or do it yourself.
- DAC engagement included? Critical for avoiding redraft cycles.
- Heritage panel premium included? Cheaper quotes sometimes specify standard blue-cell panels which DACs reject.
- Reversible fixings specified? Required for listed buildings.
- Workmanship warranty period? 10 years insurance-backed is the heritage-sector standard.
- Project management approach? Single point of contact for the PCC?
- References available? Especially from same-diocese parishes.
What we won't do
Three things we don't do that you should expect from any reputable specialist:
- We don't recommend solar where it doesn't make sense — turning down work we shouldn't take is more honest than dressing up bad economics
- We don't issue variations without your written approval — fixed-price proposal means fixed-price
- We don't take a percentage of grant awards — grant writing is included in our standard project fee