One installer, three parts of a system

A customer in M43 had Ashley install a complete energy setup: panels on the roof, a ground-mounted array in the garden, and batteries by the driveway. All three components, one installer, all done together. Here's what they said:

"Ashley did an excellent job installing the solar panels on my roof, the batteries next to my driveway, and the ground-mounted solar setup in my garden. As someone who likes everything to be perfect, I can say he did it exactly how I would have done it (if I had the experience). I highly recommend him to anyone interested in installing solar panels and battery storage."

Ground-mount jobs tend to be multi-component setups like this one - roof panels for what fits up there, garden panels for additional generation, batteries somewhere convenient. The tricky part isn't any one piece on its own; it's getting all of them to work together cleanly, and that's where having one person handle the whole thing pays off.

On another mixed installation, we combined a roof array and ground-mounted solar with 16kWh of battery storage. The battery and associated equipment went outside to preserve space inside the property. Outdoor siting depends on the equipment rating, manufacturer clearances, cable route and position, so it is considered as part of the complete system rather than treated as a separate job after the panels have been designed.

Who runs the work

Renegade Solar is run by Ashley Merritt. He's MCS-certified (NAP-66870) and has over fifteen years' experience as an electrician, including more than ten years on commercial projects. He surveys and designs the system, remains involved in the electrical installation and commissioning, and looks after it afterwards. The installation is completed by the in-house team, with only specialist scaffolding subcontracted.

That electrician-led approach matters on a ground-mounted solar installation because the buried cable route, outdoor protection, battery position and connection back to the property all have to be designed as one system.

For ground-mount jobs that's especially worth having: garden installs need to fit the property aesthetically, the cabling has to come back into the consumer unit cleanly, and if there are batteries and EV charging in the mix too, all of it needs integrating. The M43 customer above is one example of how that plays out when one person plans the whole thing.

When ground-mount makes sense

• Garden space is available and a south-facing pitch isn't possible from the roof
• Listed buildings or conservation areas where roof installation isn't permitted or isn't aesthetically acceptable
• Roof condition or age means panels aren't viable without significant work
• Trees, neighbouring buildings or roof orientation make the rooftop underperform
• More generation is needed than the roof can support, with ground-mount supplementing rooftop panels (the M43 setup is a good example)
• Commercial sites with spare land, grass verges, or yard space set back from the building

Commercial ground-mount

Ground-mounted systems are a strong option on commercial sites with spare land, grass verges, or outdoor space. We've installed ground-mounted systems connected to outdoor fuse boards for EV charging, allowing more staff charging demand to be met from on-site generation. We've also done supplementary arrays that increase total generation beyond what the roof alone can provide, and off-grid setups for agricultural buildings, mobile catering pitches and remote offices - see the off-grid solar page for that side of things.

Domestic ground-mount

For homeowners, the use case is usually one of three things: the roof isn't viable (listed building, conservation issue, structural concern, shading), more generation is needed than the roof can support, or the customer simply prefers panels they don't see from the front of the house. Ashley designs domestic ground-mount installs to suit the garden - frame heights, clearances, planting around the array - so the system fits the property rather than dominating it.

The technical bits

Ground-mount frames are anchored either by ground screws or concrete footings depending on soil conditions and array size, and all cabling runs back to the consumer unit (or a separate fuse board for outdoor work) using armoured cable rated for outdoor installation. Ashley fits DMEGC and Trina Vertex panels - both N-type modules that hold up well in our northern climate and come with long warranties. Battery integration is straightforward, and he typically pairs with Solax or AlphaESS systems where battery storage is part of the design.

Planning permission

Permitted Development for domestic ground-mounted solar in England has tight limits - in particular a maximum panel area of around 9 sq m, a maximum height of 4m, and a 5m boundary distance. Most domestic arrays bigger than a few panels exceed those limits, so they'll need a planning application. Conservation areas and listed buildings have additional restrictions. Ashley will talk you through what your specific install will need, and handles building control notifications and DNO (grid connection) applications as part of every project.

Credentials

• MCS-certified installer (NAP-66870), so eligible installations can apply for Smart Export Guarantee payments
• TrustMark Registered
• NAPIT Registered (66870)
• Octopus Energy Trusted Partner
• 9.96/10 on Checkatrade from 161+ verified reviews
• 5-year minimum warranty on all equipment, panels warranted up to 30 years
• 2 years routine maintenance included on every installation

Coverage

Based in Prestwich, we install ground-mounted solar across Greater Manchester and the wider North West.

Get in touch for a free survey and a no-pressure conversation about whether ground-mount is right for your property.