Installing Solar Panels on Listed Buildings

Regardless of the home you own – listed or otherwise – you will still want to cut your energy bills and cut your carbon emissions. Listed building homeowners may worry that this is impossible, but as of 2024, Historic England guidance confirms that solar installations can be acceptable in many cases. As a result, many listed building owners in the UK have installed solar.

This guide will look at the aspects you need to consider when planning solar panels for your listed building home, including:

When consent is needed
What the conservation officers will look for
Design choices that can improve your chances of approval
Costs and timescales involved
Alternatives if roof panels aren’t possible

Though it isn’t always possible for all listed buildings, with the right and sympathetic approach, installing solar panels is achievable.

Can You Put Solar Panels on a Listed Building?

Yes, it is generally possible to install solar panels on your listed home. In 2024, Historic England published guidance expressly supporting elements such as solar arrays that, in some cases, help with climate mitigation. It states (p. 30), “Installation of panels will generally be acceptable if hidden from view.” However, it also states that, in some cases, it can be in view if it doesn’t harm the ‘special interest’ of the building, notably for more modern buildings.

With few exceptions, however, you almost always need to get Listed Building Consent (LBC). LBC applies to Grade I, Grade II* and Grade II properties as well as buildings within its curtilage, including, for e.g., garages, stables and sheds. Failure to do so can be a criminal offence and lead to fines, prosecution and the forced removal of such additions to the property.

Listed Building Consent, as with planning permission, is assessed by your local authority. It differs in that the planning authority’s conservation team handles LBC.

The process of applying for LBC takes around eight weeks, excluding pre-application approval and any revisions or further consultations. The process itself is usually free of charge, but there may be additional outlay for obtaining pre-application advice and supporting documents such as heritage statements and drawings.

As a first step, it is always advisable to get pre-application advice on the matter, which should lead to a smoother LBC process with higher chances of success. Before taking such steps, it may help to read Historic England’s current guidance (p. 30 onwards) on installing solar panels. The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF paragraph 164) provides broader policy support for low-carbon measures.

What Conservation Officers Look For

Though many listed buildings have received consent to install solar panels, this isn’t without quite stringent demands. As a first step, you will need to produce a heritage statement that explains how the design will preserve the building’s character and relevance. The statement will cover the following:

Visibility from the public realm — panels on rear or side roof slopes hidden from the street are far more likely to be approved.
Reversibility — fixings should be specified so the roof can be returned to its original state with minimal evidence of the installation. This may preclude in-roof/integrated systems, as the building’s fabric may have to be altered.
Sympathetic appearance — all-black panels, hidden frames, bus-bar-free cells and matched flashings reduce visual impact. This might make in-roof/integrated systems a consideration!
Proportionality — array size kept in scale with the roof slope, with neat alignment to ridges, eaves and existing features.

Your particular route to having solar panels installed will be unique to your home. As noted in the comments regarding integrated/in-roof systems, while in-roof systems can reduce visual impact, they may be less acceptable where historic fabric would be lost. This is why pre-application advice is key.

Design Choices That Increase Your Chances of Approval

There is a range of discreet solar system options you can select to improve your chances of getting Listed Building Consent. These include:

All-black mono-PERC or mono-shingled panels with black frames and black backsheets for a low-contrast finish
In-roof (integrated) mounting systems that sit flush with the tiles or slates rather than proud rooftop rails
Solar slates and solar tiles are the most discreet appearance, particularly on Grade II* and prominent Grade II properties.
Limit the array size to a single, neatly aligned block on a single slope rather than spreading panels across multiple elevations.

You can discuss this with your local authority ahead of submitting the consent application. Once you have selected the best options for your home, document the visual impact with photo-montages from key public viewpoints to support the formal consent application.

Roof Types: What Works and What Doesn’t

In addition to the hurdles of installing solar on a listed building, the building’s fabric may impose constraints that you need to work with. These include

Slate and clay-tile roofs — workable with specialist hooks and careful flashing – see our guide on installing solar on these structures.
Stone slate and handmade clay peg tiles — more delicate; in-roof systems may be considered in some cases, though the conservation officer will carefully assess the loss of historic material.
Lead and zinc roofs — possible with bespoke standing-seam clamps that avoid penetration.
Thatched roofs — Historic England routinely refuses solar on thatch. In these cases, you should explore ground-mounted alternatives.
Older or fragile roof structures — almost always require a structural assessment to confirm the timbers can take the additional load. This might require reinforcement from beneath, or if refused, you should consider a ground-mounted system.

Ground-mounted systems may also be limited – the curtilage of the listed building is usually covered in its listed status. We will discuss these in the next section.

Alternatives When Rooftop Solar Isn’t Possible

The conservation officer may advise you during pre-application discussions that you would not be granted consent for rooftop solar. There are still options to consider:

Ground-mounted arrays in the garden or paddock — Historic England explicitly favours these where they are less prominent than the main building.
Solar on outbuildings such as barns, garages, cart sheds, or stables — often easier to obtain consent than the principal house.
Solar carports for off-street parking that also serve as EV charging infrastructure.

During the consent application process, you can also consider installing a battery storage system. If you have it installed in accordance with building regulations, this may not require listed building consent if installed internally without affecting the historic fabric). With this, you can sign up for certain energy tariffs that offer hourly pricing changes, and use the battery to minimise your energy bills.

Costs, Payback and Property Value

A typical 4kW domestic system installed in 2026 can cost in the region of £7,000-£10,000. Heritage installations, due to the paperwork, planning, and additional care required during installation, can cost 10-25% more.

There are programmes like Solar Together where groups of homeowners can come together to arrange multiple home installations in a reverse auction among selected bidders. This can result in significantly lower installation costs, but you will still have to attain Listed Building Consent individually.

Once you have had solar installed, energy savings will pay for it within 9-14 years. You will make savings from:

The solar array generating electricity during the day
If you change your energy use habits, from using heavy electrical systems like washing machines and EV charging during the day
The Smart Energy Guarantee (SEG), where you can sell energy for as much as 15p/kWh to the grid
With a battery installed and a smart tariff, using home-generated electricity at peak times
Until at least 2027, there is 0% VAT on solar and battery installations.

Research has also shown that energy-efficient measures can increase your home’s value by 2-3%, on a £300,000 listed building, which could be £9,000, covering much of the installation costs.

How The Solar Co Approaches Listed Buildings in the South East

The Solar Co specialises in installing solar panels on listed buildings. After you’ve invited us to meet you, we will conduct an initial feasibility call at no cost to you to discuss the listing grade, location, roof type, and identify any conservation sensitivities.

Once you have contracted us, the next step will be an on-site survey, during which we will examine the building in more detail. We will assess the roof’s condition and structural soundness, and complete a visual impact review. We will also look at other locations beyond the building itself to assess more consent-friendly approaches to installing a solar array.

You will start the pre-application discussions with the local authority, and we will produce conservation-friendly system designs, photo-montages and a draft heritage statement to support the LBC application. We will also liaise with your conservation officer or appointed heritage consultant.

Once you have consent, our MCS-accredited teams will install the system. The team is experienced in slate, peg and lead roof details, and can work on sites in Kent, Sussex and Surrey.

FAQs

Do I need planning permission as well as listed building consent for solar panels?

In many cases, yes. Listed building consent is always required for works affecting a listed property, and planning permission may also be needed depending on the installation. Your installer or planning consultant will usually advise and handle both together.

How long does listed building consent take, and what does it cost?

A standard application typically takes around 8 weeks, though complex cases can take longer. There is usually no fee for listed building consent itself, but you may incur costs for drawings, heritage statements, or professional advice.

Can I install solar panels on a Grade I or Grade II* listed building?

Possibly, but it is more challenging. These buildings have stricter protections, so approval depends on minimising visual and structural impact. Panels are more likely to be approved on less visible areas or outbuildings rather than the main roof.

What happens if I install solar panels on a listed building without consent?

This is a criminal offence. You may be required to remove the panels and restore the building to its original condition, potentially at significant cost. It can also create serious issues when selling the property.

Are solar tiles a better choice than panels on a listed property?

Not always. Solar tiles can reduce visual impact, which may help in some cases, but they involve replacing roof material, which can raise heritage concerns. Whether they’re suitable depends on the building’s significance and the specific proposal.

Listed buildings – a longer road to solar panels

Just because you live in a listed building doesn’t mean that solar is out of the question. With sympathetic design, a strong heritage case and the right installer, many UK homeowners are successfully reducing bills and carbon while protecting the character of their homes.

Book a free, no-obligation heritage feasibility consultation with The Solar Co’s South East specialists, who will assess the property, advise on likely consent outcomes and design a sympathetic system tailored to the building. The sooner you begin the solar consent process, the sooner you can start saving on energy.

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