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August 29, 2024

Can you put solar panels on a slate roof?

Do you have a slate roof and are worried about whether you can have solar panels on them or not? The quick answer is yes you can, but read on to find out more…

Slate roofs are one of the most beautiful and expensive roofing materials on the market. They are costly but give a fantastic aesthetic to your home.

Installing solar panels onto a slate roof is undertaken in the same way as on any roof. However, there are a couple of differences that make installing on a slate roof more difficult. This means not all solar panels installers have the necessary skills to install onto a slate roof. In fact, a lot of companies will charge more to do so because of the additional time and skills required to install solar panels onto a slate roof.

The good news is that the expert installers at Novus Energy are experienced at installing on all types of roof. This includes slate and Yorkshire stone roofs, and we will never charge more to install onto these types of roof.

Installing solar panels on a slate roof

There are a few steps involved in installing solar panels onto a slate roof, they are:

We will mark out with chalk where your solar panels will sit on the roof.
The nail holding the slate tile in place will be removed without damaging the tile or batten. This then allows us to fix the roof anchor to the roof batten.
We will then install a waterproof flashing over the anchor. Which sits around the roof bracket and keeps your roof 100% water tight. By doing this we ensure your installation is MCS 012 compliant.
We will then neatly cut the slate tile to sit around the roof flashing and anchor for a neat finish.
The rails that hold the solar panels will then be installed onto the secure anchors.
Your new solar panels are then installed onto the rails.
Finally a lead multi-cable solar flashing is installed to protect the cables and keep them water tight.

Does installing solar panels on a slate roof cost more?

Due to the fact that installing onto a slate roof is a more skilled process compared to other roof types most installers will charge around £50 to £150 more to install on a specialised roof such as slate or Yorkshire stone.

At Novus Energy we are experienced installers on both slate roofs and Yorkshire stone roofs. We will never charge more to install on these types of roofs.