In-Roof (Integrated) Solar Panels in Leicestershire

What in-roof (integrated) solar actually is

With a standard solar install, panels sit on rails a few inches above your tiles. In-roof solar is different: the panels sit in the roofline, replacing the tiles across that section of roof entirely. We fit a GSE-type integrated system — weathertight plastic trays that lock together and flash into the surrounding tiles, with the panels dropping into the trays so they finish almost flush with the roof surface.

Two things follow from that. First, the look: no rails, no gap, no shadow line under the panels — just a clean glass rectangle set into the roof, which is why in-roof is the go-to choice on new builds and quality renovations. Second, there are no brackets hooked under your tiles and no penetrations through them, because the tray system itself is the weatherproofing layer, draining down onto the tiles below just as the roof covering would.

Because the panels replace tiles rather than sitting over them, the natural time to fit in-roof solar is when the roof is already being worked on — which is exactly why we run our roofing and solar teams as one crew.

In-roof vs on-roof: looks, yield and cost, honestly compared

We fit both, so we've no reason to oversell either. Here's the straight comparison we give at every survey:

• Looks: in-roof wins, no contest. Panels sit flush in the roofline instead of standing proud on rails. If kerb appeal matters to you — or to your street — this is the tidiest solar gets.
• Yield: on-roof edges it. Panels on rails have airflow behind them, which keeps them cooler, and cooler panels generate slightly more. In-roof typically gives up a few per cent annually. Across the East Midlands we work on roughly 950–1,050 kWh per kWp installed, so on a 4kW system the difference is real but modest — not the deciding factor for most homes.
• Cost: fitted on its own, in-roof usually costs a little more because of the tray system and the tile work around it. Fitted during a re-roof, the economics flip — you're not buying tiles for that section, the scaffold is already up, and our roofers are already on the job.

Our honest rule of thumb: re-roofing anyway, or building new? Choose in-roof. Happy roof with years left in it? On-roof usually makes more sense.

Re-roofing? That's the perfect moment — and we do the roofing ourselves

Most solar companies can't help you here, because they don't do roofs. We do — with our own employed team, not partner firms. The re-roofing and the solar install are planned as one job, run by one crew, under one point of responsibility for keeping your home watertight.

Doing both together saves you money in ways that doing them a year apart never can. The big one is scaffolding: a re-roof and a solar install each need a full scaffold, and sharing one across both jobs typically saves £500–£1,000+ depending on the size and shape of the property. Then there are the tiles you don't buy for the section the panels occupy, the single set of setup costs instead of two, and no risk of a solar installer later disturbing a roof someone else has just finished.

There's a practical bonus too: with the roof stripped back, our team can see the battens, felt and timbers properly and sort anything that needs attention before the panels go in. Your in-roof array then gets fitted into a roof we know is sound, because we're the ones who made it sound.

Planning, conservation areas and why the flush look helps

For most Leicestershire homes, solar panels fall under permitted development — no planning application needed, provided the installation meets the standard conditions, such as not projecting excessively above the roof plane. In-roof systems sail through that test by design, since they sit flush rather than standing proud.

Where in-roof really earns its keep is in the sensitive spots: conservation areas in places like Market Harborough, Ashby-de-la-Zouch or the older villages around Leicester, and streets where an Article 4 direction applies. Planning officers and neighbours alike tend to be far more comfortable with a flush, low-profile array than with panels on rails, and the visual argument for approval is much easier to make. We'd never promise an outcome — listed buildings always need consent, and conservation-area rules vary by district — but we've found the integrated look consistently smooths the conversation.

We check all of this before you commit. Our survey flags whether your property sits in a conservation area or carries any restrictions, and we'll tell you plainly whether you can proceed under permitted development or need to speak to your local planning authority first.

One team for roof and solar — surveyed by drone, fitted by us

Energy Concerns is owner-led and family-run. Todd Stephens owns the business and still oversees jobs across Leicestershire himself, and we've deliberately kept everything in-house: our roofers, our electricians, our solar installers. Zero subcontractors means the person flashing your GSE trays into the tiles and the person wiring your inverter answer to the same standards — ours. We're MCS certified, RECC members, NAPIT registered and TrustMark approved, so the workmanship, the paperwork and your consumer protection all stand up.

It starts with the survey. We use drone photography to assess your roof — condition of the tiles, ridge and flashings, precise measurements, shading from chimneys and trees — without anyone climbing a ladder or erecting scaffold just to have a look. It's safer, it's quicker, and it means our quote is based on what your roof actually looks like up close, not an estimate from the pavement.

Then one crew delivers the whole job. If a batten needs replacing or the felt is tired, the people who found it fix it — no waiting on a third party, no gap between trades where problems hide.

What in-roof solar costs in Leicestershire — and what it pays back

Every roof is different, so we quote from a survey rather than a price list. But here are the honest numbers we work to:

• System cost: a typical 4kW installation runs around £6,000–£8,000. Standalone in-roof sits toward the top of that; in-roof during a re-roof claws much of the difference back through shared scaffold and saved tiles.
• VAT: the solar and battery installation is 0% VAT until 31 March 2027. One thing we'll always be straight about: general re-roofing work doesn't qualify — it's standard-rated at 20%. We itemise the two elements clearly on every quote so you can see exactly what the zero rate applies to.
• Generation: expect roughly 950–1,050 kWh per kWp each year in the East Midlands — so a 4kW in-roof array produces meaningful power even allowing for the few per cent it gives up to an on-roof equivalent.
• Export income: because we're MCS certified, you qualify for Smart Export Guarantee payments on the electricity you don't use.
• Payback: typically around 6–9 years, depending on your usage, tariff and roof orientation.

Send us your details through our quote form and we'll give you figures for your actual roof, not a generic estimate.

Solar roof tiles, flat roofs and other routes — our honest take

Two questions come up at nearly every in-roof survey, so let's answer them properly.

“What about solar roof tiles, like the Tesla Solar Roof?” They're a genuinely clever idea and they look superb — but in the UK, right now, they're hard to recommend on value. Availability is limited here, and the cost per kWp of generation is far higher than an in-roof panel system. If your goal is solar that disappears into the roofline, GSE-type in-roof panels get you most of the way there visually at a fraction of the cost per unit of energy. That's not a dig at any brand; it's just where the numbers land today, and if they change, our advice will too.

“My roof is flat — am I out of the running?” Not at all. Flat roofs take either a ballasted system, weighed down with no penetrations through your roof covering at all, or an A-frame arrangement, with panels angled at around 10–15 degrees to catch the light and shed rain. Wind loading and the weight your roof can carry are assessed as part of our survey, so you'll know exactly what your structure supports before anything is ordered.

Where we work: Leicester, Leicestershire and about 30 miles around

We're based in LE9, out on the south-west side of the county, and the vast majority of our work sits within about 30 miles of Leicester. That's a deliberate choice: it keeps our own team — never a subcontracted crew — on every roof, and it means we're close enough to come back quickly if you ever need us.

Day to day you'll find our vans across Leicester itself and right around the county: Hinckley, Earl Shilton and Barwell on our doorstep; Wigston, Oadby and Blaby to the south of the city; Loughborough, Syston and Melton Mowbray to the north and east; Market Harborough and Lutterworth down towards the county edge; Coalville, Ashby-de-la-Zouch and the National Forest villages to the north-west. We also cross the border regularly into places like Nuneaton, Atherstone and Swadlincote when the miles make sense.

If you're re-roofing anywhere in that patch — or just weighing up whether in-roof solar suits your home — fill in our quote form and tell us a little about your roof. We'll start with a drone survey, give you honest numbers for in-roof versus on-roof, and you'll deal with one local team from first look to final sign-off.