Solar installers in M20: Didsbury, Withington and Old Moat

Local context

Roofs in M20

• Semis in Burnage, East Didsbury and Withington. Interwar and post-war semis, often hipped, are the simplest roofs here. East and west slopes work well too.
• Old Moat. Much of Old Moat is a 1920s council-built estate of plain pitched roofs. If you own your house, it is as simple as any semi; if you rent, the landlord decides.
• Victorian and Edwardian houses in West Didsbury and Withington. Steep slate roofs with chimneys. Panels usually fit on the main rear slope, and a rear dormer often gives a tidy flat spot too.
• Conservation streets. Parts of Didsbury, such as the Didsbury St James and Ballbrook areas, are conservation areas. Panels on an ordinary house there are usually allowed without planning permission, but a slope facing the road or a listed building needs a word with the council first. See the planning permission guide.
• Flats in converted houses. The roof usually belongs to the freeholder, so start with solar for flats and leaseholders.

What a roof here can generate

Manchester gets a little less sun than the UK average: around 901 kWh a year for each kWp at the centre of M20, against around 950 nationally. A kWp is the size of a system, about two and a half panels. Real metered Manchester-area systems made around 610–750 kWh per kWp in 2024, towards the low end of the UK. A typical system here is around 2.7 kWp.

In plain terms, a 4 kWp system, about ten panels, on a reasonable M20 roof makes around 2,800–3,400 kWh a year. A big tree can pull you below that range. The Manchester solar output page has the metered figures; the roof check estimates your own roof.

What it costs in M20, and the payback

A 4 kWp system typically costs around £5,600–£8,600 before a battery, and brings roughly £320–£640 a year back in lower bills and the power you sell. A battery adds around £3,000–£6,000. Taller Victorian houses need more scaffold, so ask for it itemised: that is where a quote becomes a price. Payback is typically 12–18 years, a little longer than in sunnier areas because Manchester's output is lower. It depends on how much power you use while the sun is up, what you are paid for the power you send to the grid (the Smart Export Guarantee), and whether you add storage. The savings calculator gives a payback range for your own address.

The installers covering M20

Fifteen installers are listed covering M20, all MCS-certified, the standard an installer needs before you can be paid for exported power. None is registered inside M20 as far as we can tell. Sureserve Group Ltd is registered in Sharston, just to the south; the rest give Manchester, Salford, Stretford or Radcliffe. All fifteen cover most of the city rather than just this corner. Eight also list battery storage and four heat pumps.

Request quotes from your Solarable Report and at most three installers see the request. Or contact installers directly, on your terms. Either way, book a survey before you sign. See also the Manchester page and the Greater Manchester county page.

What could go wrong

Brackets hook under the tiles or slates and screw into the rafters. A competent installer keeps that watertight; ask what the workmanship warranty covers and for how long. Panels usually carry 20–25 year warranties and lose output slowly; the inverter, the box that converts their power, is often replaced once in that time. If the firm folds, manufacturer warranties still stand, so get them in writing (warranties explained). On a terrace the scaffold may touch next door's wall, so have a word with your neighbour first. Under big trees, ask what shade the survey measured. And when you sell, panels generally help or make no difference: see solar and house value.