How do home solar panels work?

Thinking about switching to home solar panels? You’re not alone. With energy bills on the rise and climate targets closer, more UK homeowners are turning to solar energy to save money and reduce their carbon footprint.

At Utilita Home, powered by the UK’s leading smart Pay As You Go energy supplier Utilita Energy, we’re helping households make the switch to smart, renewable technology – supporting the UK’s 2050 Net Zero target while helping households cut costs.

Home solar panels are brightening up the UK.

This Summer, the UK broke its all-time solar generation record, hitting 14 Gigawatt’s (GW) at 12:30 on 8 July – thanks largely to the volume of home solar panels installed over winter.

The momentum isn’t slowing, in fact, according to Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, 2025 has already seen an increase of 8.1% (1.4GW) of total solar capacity across the UK – with roughly 1.8 million households generating their own energy from home solar panels.

How do home solar panels work?

Putting it simply, they turn sunlight into electricity.

Home solar panels use Photovoltaic (PV) cells which are designed to absorb sunlight.

Sunlight knocks loose electrons inside the cells, creating a flow of electricity known as Direct Current (DC).

Your household appliances run on an Alternating Current (AC), so an inverter steps in to convert DC into usable AC electricity to power your home.

Any excess energy you don’t use can either be exported back to the grid or stored in a solar battery to maximise your solar savings by allowing you to use it when you need it most.

On average, a UK home solar panel system includes 8-13 panels, covering up to 70-90% of your annual energy usage – however this can depend on your roof space, orientation, and energy consumption.

Start your home solar panel journey with Utilita Home…

Ready to talk solar? So are we.

Investing in home solar panels is a smart choice for any homeowner looking to cut their energy bills by up to £1,335* a year, embrace the power of renewable energy, and reduce reliance on the . Plus, with flexible finance options and expert advice every step of the way, we’re here for you.

Fill out a few quick details about your home to find out how much you could save with our Solar Calculator or Request a Call-back and we’ll be in touch within 30 minutes (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm) to help get you one step closer to solar savings!

*Your estimated combined savings are based on the recommended number of Longi Solar PV 485w panels included in your package and an electricity export rate of 15p per kWh. For a medium electricity usage home in the UK (using roughly 3500 kWh per year) you can save up to £894 per year by installing a 16-panel system with our 5.32kWh battery storage. You can also earn up to a further £441 per year by exporting excess energy back to the grid at an electricity export rate of 15p per kWh. The calculations follow MCS standard procedure and assume a self-consumption rate of 54% for systems with battery storage and 22% for those without. The current unit rate is based on the energy price set by Ofgem at 25.73p/kWh. Actual savings may vary depending on the specific equipment chosen and your precise annual energy consumption. Savings may also vary dependent on your property location and any obstacles which could cause your roof to be in shade, reducing the solar generation as a result.

**Carbon saving calculated based on avoided emissions across scopes 2 and 3. Based on an average household electricity consumption and solar system size. Calculated using the 2023 government emission factors.