With energy efficiency becoming increasingly important to homeowners, landlords and prospective buyers, improving your property’s Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating can have several benefits.
A better EPC rating can indicate a more energy-efficient home, potentially reduce running costs and make your property more attractive to future buyers or tenants.
One question we often hear is:
“Do solar panels improve your EPC rating?”
The answer is yes. Solar PV can contribute positively to your property’s energy performance, while also helping you generate your own renewable electricity and reduce your reliance on the grid.
In this guide, we’ll explain how EPC ratings work, how solar panels can improve them and why combining solar with other energy-efficiency measures can make your home even more energy efficient.
What Is an EPC Rating?
An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) provides an assessment of how energy efficient a property is.
For homes using the current EPC system, properties are rated from A (most efficient) to G (least efficient). The certificate also provides information about the property’s estimated energy use, carbon emissions and potential improvements.
A higher EPC rating can make a property more attractive because it can indicate:
- Lower potential energy costs
- Better energy efficiency
- Reduced energy waste
- A more environmentally friendly home
- Greater appeal to prospective buyers or tenants
An EPC is generally required when a property is built, sold or rented out, although there are some exemptions.
How Is an EPC Rating Calculated?
An EPC assessment considers a range of factors that affect the energy performance of a property.
These can include:
- The property’s insulation
- Heating and hot water systems
- Windows and glazing
- Lighting
- The property’s construction and thermal performance
- Renewable energy technologies
- The estimated energy consumption of the property
Your EPC will also provide recommendations for improvements that could make your property more energy efficient.
These recommendations can include measures such as loft insulation, upgrading windows, improving heating systems or installing renewable technologies such as solar PV.
How Do Solar Panels Improve an EPC Rating?
Solar panels generate electricity from daylight, allowing your home to produce renewable electricity rather than relying entirely on electricity supplied from the grid.
This can improve the energy performance of a property because solar PV is recognised within EPC assessments as a renewable technology.
The exact impact will depend on the property and the size and specification of the solar PV system. There is no guaranteed increase of a particular number of EPC points or bands because EPC calculations consider the property as a whole.
However, solar panels can contribute towards improving an EPC rating, particularly when they form part of a wider programme of energy-efficiency improvements.
Can Solar Panels Move Your Home Up an EPC Band?
They can, but there is no universal answer.
The impact of solar PV on an EPC depends on factors such as:
- Your property’s existing EPC rating
- The size of the solar PV system
- Your property’s construction
- Your heating system
- Insulation levels
- Windows and glazing
- Hot water and lighting systems
For example, a home with good insulation, efficient heating and relatively low energy demand may see a different EPC improvement from solar than an older property with poor insulation.
This is why it is important not to assume that installing solar will automatically move a property from one specific EPC band to another.
Instead, solar should be considered as one part of your home’s overall energy strategy.
Is Solar Worth Installing to Improve Your EPC?
If your primary reason for installing solar is simply to increase your EPC rating, it is worth considering the bigger picture.
Solar PV can improve your property’s energy performance, but it can also provide direct financial benefits by generating electricity that your household can use.
Rather than buying all your electricity from the grid, you can use your solar generation to power appliances, lighting and other electrical loads within your home.
Any surplus electricity can potentially be exported to the grid, depending on your system and energy tariff.
This means solar can provide benefits beyond your EPC certificate.
For homeowners looking to improve their property’s energy efficiency, solar can therefore be particularly attractive when combined with measures that reduce energy demand.
Combine Solar Panels with Other Energy Improvements
Solar PV works particularly well as part of a wider energy-efficiency strategy.
Depending on your property, other improvements could include:
Loft and Wall Insulation
Improving insulation can reduce heat loss and lower the amount of energy needed to heat your home.
Energy-Efficient Windows
Upgrading older windows can improve thermal performance and reduce heat loss.
Efficient Heating
Replacing an inefficient heating system with a more efficient alternative can improve your home’s overall energy performance.
LED Lighting
LED lighting uses significantly less electricity than traditional incandescent or halogen lighting and can be a simple way to reduce electricity consumption.
Battery Storage
A solar battery can store surplus electricity generated during the day so that it can be used later.
This can increase the amount of your solar electricity that you use yourself and reduce your reliance on electricity from the grid.
Solar and the Future of EPCs
The way EPCs measure energy performance is changing.
The UK Government is reforming domestic EPCs, with new headline metrics planned to provide a more detailed picture of how a property performs.
The latest government roadmap indicates that the reformed domestic EPC framework is expected to launch in the second half of 2027.
The new framework is planned to include four headline metrics:
- Fabric Performance
- Heating System
- Smart Readiness
- Energy Cost
Smart Readiness is particularly relevant to renewable technologies because it is intended to assess a property’s ability to generate energy, optimise consumption and manage energy flexibly.
This means technologies such as solar PV, battery storage and smart energy management are likely to become increasingly relevant when assessing the performance of modern homes.
The exact assessment methodology and implementation details are subject to the ongoing EPC reform process, so homeowners should avoid relying on a specific future EPC score when planning an installation.
Why Solar and Battery Storage Could Become Even More Important
Solar panels generate electricity during daylight hours, but household electricity demand does not always coincide with solar generation.
For example, your solar panels may produce their most electricity around the middle of the day while your household uses more electricity during the morning and evening.
A battery can help bridge that gap.
Excess solar generation can be stored and then used later when your household needs it.
This can help you:
- Increase solar self-consumption
- Reduce electricity imported from the grid
- Make better use of your renewable generation
- Support smart energy management
- Potentially reduce your electricity bills
As EPC assessments place greater emphasis on how homes generate, store and manage energy, these technologies could become increasingly valuable.
What EPC Rating Should You Aim For?
For homeowners using the existing EPC system, C is an important benchmark.
However, the best approach is not simply to chase a particular letter rating.
Improving the underlying energy performance of your property can provide longer-term benefits, including lower energy demand, improved comfort and potentially lower running costs.
For landlords, EPC requirements are particularly important because Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) currently apply to many privately rented properties.
The government has also confirmed plans for higher standards for privately rented homes under the reformed EPC framework, with all in-scope tenancies expected to meet the new standard by 1 October 2030, subject to the final regulations and exemptions.
This makes energy-efficiency improvements increasingly relevant for landlords planning the long-term future of their properties.
How Can I Check My Current EPC?
If you already have an EPC, you can check your current rating and recommendations through the official EPC register.
Your EPC can provide useful information about:
- Your current energy rating
- Your property’s estimated energy performance
- Potential improvement measures
- The potential rating that could be achieved following improvements
This can be a useful starting point before deciding which improvements to make.
However, an EPC is not a substitute for a detailed solar assessment. The suitability and potential performance of a solar PV system will depend on your roof, orientation, shading, electricity consumption and available installation space.
Improve Your Home’s Energy Performance with SolarTherm UK
Solar panels can be an effective way to improve your home’s energy performance while generating your own renewable electricity.
At SolarTherm UK, we design solar PV and battery storage systems around your property, electricity consumption and future energy requirements.
Whether your priority is reducing your electricity bills, improving your property’s energy efficiency or preparing your home for the changing energy landscape, we’ll help you understand what a solar PV system could realistically deliver.
Contact SolarTherm UK today for a free, no obligation quote and design, tailored to your property, usage and future energy needs. No hard sell, just honest, expert advice – and the time you need to make an informed decision.
Your home. Your energy. Your future.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Solar PV is recognised as a renewable technology within EPC assessments and can contribute towards improving a property’s energy performance. The exact improvement depends on the property and the size and specification of the system.
There is no fixed number of EPC points or bands that solar panels will add. The impact depends on factors including your existing EPC, insulation, heating system, property construction and solar PV system size.
They can contribute to moving a property into a higher EPC band, but this is not guaranteed. The overall EPC calculation considers multiple aspects of the property, so other improvements may also be required.
Battery storage can support better energy management and increase the amount of solar electricity used within your home. Its relevance is expected to increase as the UK’s EPC framework moves towards greater emphasis on smart energy management.
Yes. The Government is reforming domestic EPCs. The latest government roadmap indicates that the new framework is expected to launch in the second half of 2027 and will introduce metrics covering Fabric Performance, Heating System, Smart Readiness and Energy Cost.
Solar can be worthwhile because it can contribute to improved energy performance while also generating electricity for your home. However, it should ideally be considered alongside other improvements such as insulation and efficient heating.
