Solar across three roof faces on a slate cottage in Little Kimble

An older semi-detached cottage with a slate roof and no single face big enough. The array was split three ways.

Black solar panels split across two pitches of a slate cottage roof in Little Kimble

Quick facts

System size: 7.44 kWp
Panels: 16 × DMEGC DM465G12RT-G48HBB, 465 W
Mounting: On-roof, Fastensol FTH04 slate hook
Inverter: Fox ESS KH7, 7 kW hybrid
Battery: Fox ESS EP12 in the garage — 11.52 kWh nominal, 10.4 kWh usable
Backup: No whole-home backup
EV charger: None
Roof: Slate, south-west at 30°, three strings of 3, 7 and 6 panels
Grid connection: G99, approved June 2026
Installed: August 2026
MCS estimated generation: 5,499 kWh a year

Why they got in touch

A homeowner in Little Kimble wanted a lower electricity bill. They had also done their homework: before committing, they checked our MCS status, having heard about friends whose £15,000 install “turned into the job from hell”.

What we recommended and why

Slate is less forgiving than concrete tile — the fixings are different and there is less room for error — and this roof had no single face big enough for the system the house needed. So the array was split three ways, into strings of three, seven and six panels at different orientations, using slate-specific roof hooks.

Splitting an array like this spreads generation across the day rather than concentrating it at one peak, which suits a house that is occupied. The Fox KH7 and EP12 were chosen on cost-effectiveness and warranty.

The install

The garage took the inverter and battery, keeping both out of the house. G99 approval came through in June ahead of the August install.

The result

7.44 kWp spread across three faces of a slate roof. The MCS certificate puts estimated generation at 5,499 kWh a year.

“Thank you to you and the team for a good professional engagement, you have been a pleasure to work with and we look forward to starting to reap the benefits of our solar.”
Homeowner, Little Kimble