Solar · Battery · EV — Surrey
Solar Panel Installation in Horley
Solar panels, battery storage and EV chargers for homes in and around Horley — designed from your actual usage, installed by an MCS-certified team, and explained in plain English before you commit to anything.
Horley has spent the last two decades doing something few Surrey towns manage: growing, deliberately and at scale. The parish counted 22,076 residents at the 2011 census and 27,431 by Census 2021 — roughly 24% growth in a decade — as the Horley Master Plan delivered whole new neighbourhoods north of the centre: Westvale Park on the north-west side and The Acres beside Langshott. Directly south sits London Gatwick, which is investing over £250 million to make its own operations net zero by 2030 and has purchased 100% renewable electricity since 2013. Between a fast-growing town and a decarbonising airport, rooftop solar in RH6 looks less like a novelty and more like the obvious next step.
This page is for homes in and around Horley, and it starts from the same premise as every page we publish: solar works across the UK, and no town needs the case overselling. The local figure worth having is from the Met Office climate station at Charlwood, about two miles west of town by Gatwick, which averaged 1,628 hours of sunshine a year over 1991–2020 — comfortably above the UK average of around 1,400 hours. Whether panels stack up for your house comes down to the roof itself, how much electricity you use and when, and whether battery storage belongs in the design. If the honest answer for your home is no, that is the answer you will get.
Solar on Horley's housing
The 2011 census parish summary — 9,057 households — gives Horley a distinctive shape. Semi-detached homes lead at 34.3% (3,111 households), ahead of detached at 27.2%, flats at 22.2% and terraced at 16.1%, and 41.7% of homes have three bedrooms: the classic profile for a 10–12 panel roof array, with a simple pitched roof and usually a workable south-, east- or west-facing slope across the older suburban streets of Meath Green, Court Lodge and Langshott. Ownership points the same way. 72.1% of households own their home — 6,534 of them, including shared ownership — against 16.1% private rented and 11.0% social rented, so in Horley the person weighing up the investment is usually also the person who can say yes to it.
What separates Horley from its neighbours is the sheer quantity of modern stock. Westvale Park, the 1,510-home neighbourhood on the town's north-west side built by a consortium of Crest Nicholson, Persimmon, Taylor Wimpey and A2Dominion, had 1,130 homes completed and occupied by May 2022; its primary academy has been open since September 2020 and the neighbourhood-centre shops are being built for planned completion in 2026. The Acres added 710 homes next to Langshott between 2010 and 2016, built by Barratt Developments and David Wilson Homes with a further section by Bovis Homes — part of the Master Plan's roughly 2,600 new homes in total. Roofs of that vintage were built to current energy standards, which changes the conversation: the fabric is already reasonably efficient, so the gains come from generating and storing your own power rather than from insulation first.
The checks that matter sit on the older streets. Horley has three conservation areas — Church Road, Massetts Road with its Edwardian villas, and Meath Green, designated in 2022 — and the council's November 2024 conservation-area review recommended a fourth at Horley Row, a medieval settlement with buildings spanning the 15th to 19th centuries. Reigate & Banstead has served Article 4 directions on most of its conservation areas controlling external changes to houses, so on these streets panel siting and a permitted-development check come before any quote, not after.
What Reigate and Banstead Borough Council is doing
Reigate & Banstead Borough Council is working to a 2030 net-zero target for carbon emissions from its own operations, and its Environmental Sustainability Strategy, published in 2024, commits the council to installing solar PV on the roofs of suitable council buildings and to supporting residents and businesses in cutting their own emissions. The route most Horley households have used is Solar Together — the Surrey-wide group-buying scheme run by Surrey County Council with iChoosr, which the borough promotes. It has run three times, has benefited hundreds of homes across the borough, and includes a battery-only offer for owners of existing solar systems. The 2025 round has closed; the next rounds are expected in 2026 under the scheme's new name, Switch Together — and a group-scheme offer and an independent quote are always worth comparing side by side.
The borough has also shown it will consent solar at serious scale. Duxhurst Solar Farm at Sidlow, in the countryside between Reigate and Horley, was approved by the council in December 2023 (ref 22/02783/F): a 26.37MWp scheme — sold by Luminous Energy to Enviromena in 2026 — forecast to generate over 26,500MWh of clean electricity a year, enough to power the equivalent of more than 9,800 UK homes, with construction expected to start during 2026. A council that approves 26 megawatts in its own countryside is unlikely to blink at twelve panels on a semi in Court Lodge.
What solar costs on a Horley home
The honest national anchor is the Energy Saving Trust's: a typical domestic system is around 4.5 kWp — roughly around 12 panels over 20 to 30m² of roof — and costs around £7,600 installed. On their payback table, with export payments and fuel prices as of July 2026, London homes sit at about 9 years. Semi-detached homes are Horley's most common type at 34.3%, and 41.7% of homes have three bedrooms — the classic 10–12 panel roof, which is almost exactly the 4.5 kWp system the Energy Saving Trust prices.
Two things move that number for everyone. Residential installations carry 0% VAT until 31 March 2027, reverting to 5% from 1 April 2027. And export payments under the Smart Export Guarantee are set by each supplier and must be above zero — they change on short notice, which is why we never print one. A quote should itemise the panels, inverter, mounting, scaffolding, labour, commissioning, warranties and the DNO notification, so you can see what the total is made of — ours does, and it comes from a survey of your actual roof and usage, not from a table.
Sources: Energy Saving Trust — Solar panels: costs, savings and benefits explained (updated 27 August 2026) · HMRC — VAT on energy-saving materials and heating equipment (VAT Notice 708/6) · Ofgem — Smart Export Guarantee.
When we'd tell you not to fit solar in Horley
A persistently shaded roof, a slope that faces mostly north, a listed building where consent will not carry the fixings, or a home whose daytime usage is so low that almost everything would be exported at a supplier-set rate — in those cases we will say so at the survey rather than sell you a system that under-delivers. Fabric-first improvements sometimes beat panels as the first spend, and we would rather tell you that than not.
Whoever you use, check the registers yourself: HCE is NAPIT member 73495 and an HIES Consumer Code member (HCE/A/1392), with MCS certification for solar PV via NAPIT — the certification an MCS-certified install needs for Smart Export Guarantee payments.
What a Horley roof actually generates
Rather than quote a generic yield, we ran the European Commission's PVGIS 5.3 (European Commission Joint Research Centre) for Horley itself. A 4 kWp array at 35° facing due south, with 14% system losses, is estimated at about 4,021 kWh a year — around 1,005 kWh per kWp — with a year-to-year variation of roughly ±154 kWh (PVGIS-SARAH3, 2005–2023). East- or west-facing slopes generate less, and shading changes the answer more than the town does; that is exactly what the survey measures.
Method: PVGIS 5.3 (European Commission Joint Research Centre), 4 kWp, 35° tilt, due south, 14% system losses, building-mounted, run 2026-09-08.
Local facts, sourced
Horley in numbers
Every figure below comes from a named public source — the same standard we hold our savings estimates to.
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Horley is one of Surrey's fastest-growing towns: the parish population rose from 22,076 at the 2011 census to 27,431 at Census 2021 — roughly 24% growth in a decade, driven by the town's planned expansion sectors north of the centre under the Horley Master Plan.
Source: ONS Census 2021 via City Population (Horley parish, E04009577); Master Plan context per Reigate & Banstead BC, 'What has been delivered in Horley'
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Semi-detached homes are Horley's most common house type at 34.3% (3,111 households), ahead of detached at 27.2%, flats at 22.2% and terraced at 16.1% — and 41.7% of homes have three bedrooms, the classic profile for a 10–12 panel roof array (2011 census parish summary; 9,057 households).
Source: Surrey-i 2011 Census parish summary: Horley (ONS) — Reigate and Banstead parishes
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72.1% of Horley households own their home (6,534 households, including shared ownership), with 16.1% private rented and 11.0% social rented — a high owner-occupier base able to make the call on rooftop solar (2011 census parish summary).
Source: Surrey-i 2011 Census parish summary: Horley (ONS) — Reigate and Banstead parishes
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Westvale Park, the 1,510-home new neighbourhood on Horley's north-west side (built by a consortium of Crest Nicholson, Persimmon, Taylor Wimpey and A2Dominion), had 1,130 homes completed and occupied by May 2022, with Westvale Park Primary Academy open since September 2020, all thirteen council-run play areas open, and the neighbourhood-centre shops being built by Taylor Wimpey for planned completion in 2026 — a large stock of modern roofs built to current energy standards.
Source: Reigate & Banstead BC — About Westvale Park; What has been delivered in Horley: Housing
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The Horley Master Plan set out to deliver around 2,600 new homes in total: 1,510 at Westvale Park, 710 at The Acres (the north-east sector next to Langshott, built by Barratt Developments and David Wilson Homes with a further section by Bovis Homes between 2010 and 2016) and roughly 300 more on smaller sites since 2005 — with 25% of the homes built so far being affordable, in line with the plan's 25% target.
Source: Reigate & Banstead BC — What has been delivered in Horley: Housing
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Horley has three conservation areas — Church Road, Massetts Road (characterised by Edwardian villas) and Meath Green (designated 2022) — with a fourth at Horley Row (a medieval settlement with 15th–19th century buildings) recommended for designation at the council's November 2024 conservation-area review; Reigate & Banstead has served Article 4 directions on most of its conservation areas controlling external changes to houses, so panel siting and permitted-development checks matter on these streets.
Source: Reigate & Banstead BC — About conservation areas; The Gazette notice 4091151 (Meath Green Conservation Area designation, 2022); RBBC Planning Committee report, 20 Nov 2024
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The Duxhurst Solar Farm at Sidlow, in the countryside between Reigate and Horley, was approved by Reigate & Banstead council in December 2023 (ref 22/02783/F); the 26.37MWp scheme — sold by Luminous Energy to Enviromena in 2026 — is forecast to generate over 26,500MWh of clean electricity a year, enough to power the equivalent of more than 9,800 UK homes, with construction expected to start during 2026.
Source: Luminous Energy — Duxhurst Solar Farm; Enviromena acquisition coverage (TLT LLP / theenergyst.com, 2026)
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London Gatwick, directly south of Horley, is investing over £250 million to make the airport net zero for its own (Scope 1 and 2) operations by 2030 — ten years ahead of its previous target — including investment in on-site renewable generation such as solar power; the airport has purchased 100% renewable electricity since 2013.
Source: London Gatwick media centre — net zero announcement; Gatwick Decade of Change sustainability reporting
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Met Office 1991–2020 long-term averages for Charlwood — the climate station about two miles west of Horley by Gatwick — record 1,628 hours of sunshine a year, comfortably above the UK average of around 1,400 hours, with 833.7mm annual rainfall.
Source: Met Office — Charlwood location-specific long-term averages, 1991–2020
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Horley's electricity network is run by UK Power Networks, the distribution network operator for London, the South East and the East of England — so grid-connection notifications for new solar and battery installs in RH6 (G98/G99) go through UKPN rather than the household's energy supplier.
Source: UK Power Networks — operating areas
Data last reviewed: July 2026
Where we work around Horley
We quote for homes in and around Horley, including Meath Green, Langshott, Court Lodge, The Acres, Westvale Park, Hookwood and Povey Cross, across the RH6 postcode district. Every quote starts with a free survey of your actual roof and usage — if solar wouldn't pay its way on your home, we'll say so plainly. Try the numbers first on our savings calculator, or read how we approach installations across Surrey.
Horley solar questions
Do I need planning permission for solar panels in Horley?
For most Horley homes, no — roof-mounted solar on a house is normally permitted development in England, within the standard limits on projection and height. The care is needed in the town's three conservation areas — Church Road, Massetts Road and Meath Green (designated 2022) — plus Horley Row, which the council's November 2024 review recommended as a fourth. In conservation areas, panels on a wall fronting a highway are not permitted, and Reigate & Banstead has served Article 4 directions on most of its conservation areas controlling external changes to houses, which can tighten things further street by street. Listed buildings always need consent. The right order is designation check first, quote second — and that check is part of how any quote for a conservation-area address should start.
Who handles the grid connection for a solar install in Horley?
UK Power Networks. Horley sits in UKPN's licence area — it runs the distribution network for London, the South East and the East of England — so the G98 notification for a typical domestic system, or a G99 application for a larger one, goes to UKPN rather than to your energy supplier. That is the opposite side of Surrey's network split from towns like Guildford's western fringe, where SSEN takes over. Your installer submits the paperwork as a routine part of the job; it is worth asking any quote to confirm it is included, but it is not something you need to arrange yourself.
Can I add solar panels to a new-build at Westvale Park or The Acres?
Structurally, homes of this vintage are usually straightforward: Westvale Park (1,510 homes, 1,130 occupied by May 2022) and The Acres (710 homes, built 2010–2016) were constructed to current building standards, and the same permitted-development rules apply as anywhere else in Horley. Two checks are worth doing before you commit. First, look at your title deeds or ask your management company — some new estates have covenants requiring consent for external alterations, and it is far cheaper to find out before a survey than after. Second, if you own a flat rather than a house, the roof typically belongs to the freeholder, so their agreement comes first. Neither is usually a dealbreaker; both are better known early.
Is there a council-backed solar scheme for Horley households?
Yes — Solar Together, the Surrey-wide group-buying scheme run by Surrey County Council with iChoosr, which Reigate & Banstead promotes to its residents. It has run three times and benefited hundreds of homes across the borough, and it includes a battery-only offer for people who already have panels. The 2025 round has closed, with the next rounds expected in 2026 under the scheme's new name, Switch Together. Group buying can produce a fair price, but it is still one offer from one auction — comparing it against an independent quote or two costs nothing and settles the question properly.
What payback can I expect from solar panels in Horley?
We will not quote you a payback period from a web page, because honest numbers depend on your roof, your electricity usage, your tariff and whether a battery lets you use more of what you generate. What the local data supports is this: the Met Office station at Charlwood, two miles west of Horley, averages 1,628 sunshine hours a year (1991–2020) — above the UK's roughly 1,400-hour average — and the town's most common home is a three-bed semi, which typically takes a 10–12 panel array. That combination is a solid starting point, not a promise. A proper survey turns it into real figures for your house, and if those figures do not justify the install, you will hear that from us plainly.
How much do solar panels cost to install in Horley?
Nationally, the Energy Saving Trust puts a typical 4.5 kWp domestic system at around £7,600 installed (updated 27 August 2026), with residential installs at 0% VAT until 31 March 2027 and 5% from 1 April 2027. Semi-detached homes are Horley's most common type at 34.3%, and 41.7% of homes have three bedrooms — the classic 10–12 panel roof, which is almost exactly the 4.5 kWp system the Energy Saving Trust prices. A quote should itemise the panels, inverter, mounting, scaffolding, labour, commissioning, warranties and the DNO notification, so you can see what the number is made of.
What would a typical solar array actually generate on a Horley roof?
Rather than a generic yield, here is the PVGIS 5.3 estimate for Horley: a 4 kWp system at 35° facing south with 14% losses comes out at roughly 4,021 kWh a year, or about 1,005 kWh per kWp, give or take ±154 kWh between years (SARAH3 data, 2005–2023). Orientation and shading move that number far more than your postcode does, which is what a survey settles.
Nearby
We also cover solar panels in Crawley, solar installation Redhill and Reigate solar and battery installers.
Also for Horley homes
Solar is usually the first step, not the last. If you are charging a car at home, we can talk you through EV charging at home; if you are comparing battery brands, we can talk you through the Sigenergy SigenStor range; if you are set on a particular battery, we can talk you through the Tesla Powerwall 3; and if you are wondering whether a battery would pay its way, we can talk you through adding a battery to solar. Every one of them starts the same way — a free survey of your actual roof, usage and property, and a straight answer about whether it is worth doing.