Renewable energy installers in Hampshire: a homeowner’s guide

Housing and roof considerations

Southampton and Portsmouth both have extensive Victorian and early 20th-century terraced housing, often with smaller rear roofs that need careful panel layout, alongside denser flats in central areas where installs may not be straightforward. Further out, towns like Winchester, Basingstoke and Fareham have a wider mix of semi-detached and detached housing with more roof options.

Planning and protected landscapes to check

Parts of Hampshire fall within the South Downs National Park, and the New Forest National Park covers a large area in the south-west of the county, each with its own planning authority. Winchester's historic centre has conservation area status. If your home sits within any of these, check with the relevant planning authority about what is allowed before assuming standard permitted development rules apply.

Practical logistics

Portsmouth's dense, often terraced housing can mean limited off-street parking for both installer vehicles and EV chargers, which is worth discussing early. Coastal exposure along the Solent is another factor for fixings and equipment choice in towns like Gosport, Portsmouth and Southampton.

• Check New Forest or South Downs National Park status if relevant to your address
• Ask about EV charger options if you do not have off-street parking in Portsmouth or Southampton
• Confirm coastal fixing specifications for homes near the Solent

What to ask installers

Ask whether an installer has experience with dense urban terraces in Southampton or Portsmouth as well as rural New Forest properties, since the practicalities differ considerably.