Where Your £8,000 Goes

Where does the money go when you buy solar panels?

We broke down a typical 4kW (10-panel) UK solar installation at £8,000: PANELS: £2,400 (30%) — 10 × LONGi Hi-MO 6 400W at £240 each. Trade price from UK distributors. INVERTER: £1,200 (15%) — GivEnergy 5kW hybrid inverter. Trade price including mounting bracket. MOUNTING SYSTEM: £600 (8%) — aluminium rails, tile hooks, clamps, cable clips. Typically Renusol or K2 systems. ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS: £400 (5%) — DC isolator, AC isolator, consumer unit way, MC4 connectors, DC/AC cabling, earth bonding. SCAFFOLDING: £500 (6%) — standard single-elevation scaffold hire for 5-7 days. LABOUR: £2,000 (25%) — 2 installers × 1.5 days on roof + 0.5 day electrical. Includes site survey, design, DNO notification, MCS paperwork. PROFIT MARGIN: £900 (11%) — installer profit after all direct costs. This is a healthy but not excessive margin — competitive pressure keeps it in check. Note: prices reflect Q1 2026 trade costs from major UK solar distributors (Segen, Midsummer Energy, Wind & Sun). Retail pricing to installers varies ±10%. Sources: UK solar distributor catalogues, MCS installer surveys, scaffolding industry pricing, Solar Energy UK.