What we do

Services we offer

Solar, batteries, EV chargers and the electrical work that goes with them, all from the same team.

Solar Panel and Battery Installations in Manchester

Save money on your bills and cut CO2 with a solar and battery combo.

Commercial Solar Installations

Slash business electricity costs with commercial solar

EV Charger Installation, Repair and Relocation

Electric vehicle chargers for homes and businesses

EICR & Electrical Safety Inspections

Just £150 plus VAT with same-day certificates and no hard sells.

Home Battery Installations

Store cheap electricity and slash your energy bills year-round.

Electrical Testing in Manchester

Testing, inspecting, and commissioning from an electrician with 20+ years experience.

Commercial Solar for Bolton Businesses

We're working with a family-owned carpet and interior design warehouse in Bolton at the moment. They were spending around £700 a month on electricity, and they own the building, which is what makes the case work. The roof is mostly flat with some pitched, and we've put together two designs: a 50-panel layout on the flat roof alone, or a 115-panel layout across both the flat and pitched roofs, which brings in more excess to sell back to the grid.

Commercial solar tends to outperform domestic for one straightforward reason: businesses are using the electricity during the day when the panels are generating it. There's no need for a battery to bridge to the evening - the energy gets used as it's produced, which means most of what you generate offsets what you'd otherwise be paying for, and the payback is shorter as a result.

Bolton businesses where it tends to work

Bolton has a fair number of retail units, carpet shops, furniture stores and warehouses with large flat or pitched roofs that are currently doing nothing useful. Daytime consumption from refrigeration, lighting and shop equipment lines up well with solar generation. The town's industrial heritage also means there are factories and manufacturing units running heavy machinery on big bills, and food businesses (bakeries, cafes, restaurants) running commercial kitchens through most of the day. Hotels and hospitality businesses sit in the same category.

A Prestwich baker we spoke to recently was spending around £10,000 a month on electricity, and that bill was close to closing him down. Numbers like that, commercial solar can be the difference between a viable business and one that isn't.

Flat roofs and pitched roofs

Flat roofs make our job easier - we mount the panels at the optimal angle regardless of which way the building faces. Pitched roofs work too, particularly on larger buildings with extensive roof area. If there's spare land or grass verges, ground-mounted systems can supplement the rooftop or power EV charging points for staff. We've installed setups where the staff charging runs entirely off the solar.

Our approach

You need to own the building rather than leasing it, and the higher the daytime electricity consumption the better the returns. We're based in Prestwich, and as an MCS-certified installer and Octopus Energy Trusted Partner we handle all the electrical certifications and grid connections that come with the work. If the numbers don't work for your business, we'll tell you.

Ashley Merritt on site alongside a ground-mounted solar array

Who you get

You'll be dealing with Ashley

Renegade Solar is run by Ashley Merritt, an electrician with over 20 years on the tools and more than 10 of those on commercial projects. He does the survey himself, designs the system, oversees the install and picks up the phone afterwards.

That matters more than it sounds. When a salesperson specs a job you get whatever fits the sales sheet. We have been called out to batteries fitted in lofts, which goes against NAPIT guidance, and to quotes worked out from Google Earth that missed the flat roof that made the most sense for the house.

About Renegade Solar

Why us

A small Manchester outfit, not a sales operation

Renegade Solar is run by Ashley Merritt, a qualified electrician. Here is what that changes.

You deal with Ashley

Ashley Merritt runs Renegade Solar, does the survey himself and designs the system. There is no call centre and nobody works on commission.

About Ashley →

An electrician designs it

Over 20 years on the tools, including more than 10 years on commercial work. The roof, the wiring, the consumer unit and the battery sizing are all one job, not four.

Our own team fits it

The installation is carried out by the in-house Renegade Solar team. Specialist scaffolding is the only part we subcontract.

Awkward roofs welcome

Flat roofs, rooflights, dormers, chimneys, parapets, mixed roof sections and ground-mounted arrays. We design around what is actually up there.

See the gallery →

How it works

How a commercial installation runs

Bigger roofs, more paperwork, same person running it.

Site survey

Roof construction and condition, available area, plant and access, the incoming supply and your half-hourly consumption if you have it.
Design and modelling

Array layout, mounting method for the roof type, inverter selection and a generation model built against how the site actually uses electricity through the day.
Proposal and grid application

Costs and projections in writing, with the assumptions stated. Where the system size requires it, we handle the DNO application.
Installation

Scheduled around your operation. Programme depends on roof area, access and scaffolding, and is agreed before we start rather than guessed at.
Commissioning and certification

Tested and certified to the applicable BS 7671 requirements, with the documentation you need for your own records and insurers.
Monitoring and aftercare

Monitoring set up so you can see generation against consumption, and we stay available afterwards.

“I just had solar and batteries installed, they were very helpful with the system design to maximise the panels on my roof and they were able to start quite soon. They worked quickly and it was completed to a high standard. Much cheaper than Octopus while providing more options.”

10/10 · August 2026 · one of 164 verified reviews from Google

Certified, registered and independently checked

Recent work

Jobs we have actually done

Real roofs in Greater Manchester, photographed on the day. Scroll sideways for more.

See the full gallery

10 Aug 2026

I just had solar and batteries installed, they were very helpful with the system design to maximise the panels on my ...

I just had solar and batteries installed, they were very helpful with the system design to maximise the panels on my roof and they were able to start quite soon. They worked quickly and it was completed to a high standard. Much cheaper than Octopus while providing more options.

via Google
10 Jul 2026

How thoughts on renegade solar

How thoughts on renegade solar. We have been very pleased with Ashley and the team. Efficient and well fitted quality product. Great communication and support. We also have had a flat roof and the results are fabulous. Highly recommended.

via Trustpilot
10 Jun 2026

If you want a small company you can trust to give good advice and do a quality job look no further

If you want a small company you can trust to give good advice and do a quality job look no further. We were recommended by a friend and were not disappointed with this small but efficient company. They gave good advice carried out superb work and charged a reasonable price.Our daughter was so impressed they are having the same system installed.

via Trustpilot
10 Jun 2026

Brilliant bespoke service at very fair price

Brilliant bespoke service at very fair price. I contacted several solar fitters, wanting panels put on a flat garage roof rather than the pitched main roof. None were interested. Ashley was happy to look at the best solution and design at a price way less than a pitched roof fitting (no scaffolding needed). And he is an absolute pleasure to deal with. I would not hesitate to recommend him to anyone.

via Trustpilot
10 May 2026

An excellent solar installation

An excellent solar installation. Ashley and his team were professional, on time and provided an excellent service. I couldn’t fault them.

via Trustpilot
10 Apr 2026

My go-to guy for everything solar and electric

My go-to guy for everything solar and electric. Over the last few years Ashley has massive upgraded the electrical setup in our house, with solar panels, two batteries, a car charger, new fuse board, new outdoor sockets, security lights, extractor fan.. I’m sure there’s more. Every job is tackled professionally and with a full and honest explanation of the work involved. On top of all of that, he’s a lovely dude who is a joy to be around. I can’t fault Ashley or any of the wonderful team at Renegade!

via Trustpilot
10 Mar 2026

Fitted 3 batteries and Invertor very professional and friendly

From the start he was extremely friendly, knew what he was talking about and we agreed a price, he came did the job it took longer than he expected but he didn't complain he took his time to finish the job and came back next day to help set it up, I was thoroughly impressed

M45
10 Mar 2026

Ashley and his team installed solar panels, battery and inverter in our house

Ashley and his team installed solar panels, battery and inverter in our house. Everything went well. They were polite, knowledgeable and good at communicating with me. The project was completed in the agreed time and everything is working well. I would happily recommend them.

via Google
10 Mar 2026

New solar & battery unit

Ashley and his team fitted a solar & battery unit to my house. They were all great. Polite, knowledgeable and efficient. All the work was completed in the agreed timescale. I would definitely recommend them.

BL0

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Common questions

The questions we get asked most

Do solar panels actually work in Manchester?

Yes. Panels generate from daylight rather than direct sunshine, so they keep producing on the grey days we get plenty of, and they often run more efficiently in cooler temperatures than in a heatwave. The annual generation projection we give you already accounts for local weather, your roof orientation and any shading.

How long does an installation take?

A standard residential solar panel installation is commonly completed in one to two days. That can stretch if scaffolding is complicated, the roof needs repair first, the consumer unit needs upgrading, the DNO has requirements, or the weather turns.

Do I need planning permission?

Many domestic solar installations are permitted development. Listed buildings, conservation areas, some flat roofs, ground-mounted arrays and unusual positions can need extra checks or consent. We will tell you where your property sits before you commit to anything.

Can I have a battery without solar panels?

Yes. Standalone home battery installations make sense where the roof is shaded, unsuitable, not yours to alter, or you would rather not have panels on it. On a time-of-use tariff the battery charges at the cheaper off-peak rate and runs the house through the expensive periods.

Will a battery keep my house running in a power cut?

Only if the system is specifically designed for it. Backup needs the right equipment and an essential-circuits design agreed up front, so it is something to raise at survey stage rather than assume. Not every battery installation gives you backup.

Who actually turns up to do the work?

Ashley and the in-house Renegade Solar team. Specialist scaffolding is the only part of the installation we subcontract. The person who surveyed your property is the person overseeing the install and the person you ring afterwards.

My roof is a strange shape. Is that a problem?

Usually not. We have fitted arrays around rooflights, chimneys, dormers and roof lanterns, split installations across several flat roof sections, and put arrays on the ground where the roof was not the right answer. It is worth a survey before you write your property off.

Ask us something else

Where we work