DIY retailer has teamed up with clean energy firm Egg to offer bespoke design and installation of rooftop solar systems for homeowners
UK homeowners interested in installing roof solar panels could now get them from visiting their local B&Q store, after the DIY giant announced it is offering the technology for the first time.
The retailer said it is working with clean energy solutions provider Egg on a new initiative, which will see the partners provide homeowners with design and installation services that re tailored to the individual needs of different properties.
The new solar panel offering forms part of B&Q's new Energy Saving Service, which advises customers on how they can improve the energy efficiency of their homes following an assessment.
B&Q said that as part of the new service, customers can book an appointment with one of their advisors to go through a range of available data from their property, including its age, construction, Energy Performance Certificate rating, and current energy usage.
From this information the retailer said it can provide homeowners with a personalised action plan detailing how they can reduce their energy usage, which now includes the option of installing of solar panels.
Customers interested in having solar panels installed will then work with Egg on a bespoke plan, which will include the design, installation, and delivery of the roof-panels.
Egg said it can also provide homes with battery storage for homeowners which want to utilise solar energy outside of daylight hours.
Julie Agnew, Egg's chief executive officer, hailed the partnership as a "significant and exciting" move that will help customers create homes which are more sustainable and cost efficient. She added that through its partnership with B&Q, Egg hopes to "remove the complexity around solar panels and make solar energy a viable solution for homeowners".
Chris Bargate, strategy director at B&Q, added that by offering customers free and personalised guidance through its Energy Saving Service it hopes to enable its customers to power their homes more sustainably.
Egg said its solar solutions start from £7,740 for an eight-panel system which comes with a 15-year product warranty and a 25-year performance warranty. The company added that in the summer of 2022, it saw enquiries for solar panels increase by as much as 830 per cent year-on-year during hot weather and forecasts of rising energy costs.
The new offer comes as demand for solar panels across the market is booming, with recent figures from the Microgeneration Certification Scheme revealing that small scale renewables installations rose 65 per cent last year to their highest level since 2015.
