When we bought our strange renovation project (a 1700s stone cottage with a dated 1970s extension) we had firm energy-efficiency goals that we wanted to achieve. The first port of call was insulating the walls, solving the damp issues and to make the home less wasteful. The second was to replace our 30-year-old oil boiler with a renewable solution. And the third was to install solar panels on our flat roof to further reduce our energy bills. I’ve written about solar panels for almost a decade now, so I’m fairly well versed in their benefits, costs and installation requirements, which is why my partner and I were so keen on them for our home. Being in a Conservation Area, I knew we'd need planning permission for solar panels, which I'd assumed would be relatively straightforward. However, when I spoke with the architect organising the technical drawings for our house and our structural engineer they both suggested we wait a few years for pretty common reasons.
