Bungalows are, on paper, some of the best homes in the country for solar. The roof is big compared with the number of rooms underneath it, there are no upper floors to get in the way, and the people living there are often at home during the day. But a low roof also brings a few quirks that a two-storey house doesn’t have. Here is an honest look at both sides, based on the bungalows we fit across Dorset, Hampshire and Wiltshire.
Why bungalows often suit solar well
A house spreads its floor area over two storeys, so the roof only covers half of it. A bungalow puts everything on one level, so the roof is usually far larger in proportion to the home. That means there is normally plenty of room for a system sized to your electricity use, rather than squeezed onto whatever space is left. If you want to see how much space typical systems need, our guide to how much roof space you need for solar panels covers it.
Daytime use matters too. Many bungalow owners are retired, work from home or are simply in more often, so more of the electricity the panels generate gets used in the house rather than exported. Self-consumption is what drives the savings, so that is a real advantage.
Access is the other upside. A single-storey roof is lower, which can make scaffolding simpler and the installation more straightforward. It does not change the quality of work we do, but it can make the job smoother for you.
What can work against you
Low roofs are more exposed to shade. Garden trees, tall hedges, a neighbour’s two-storey extension or a chimney stack that would be well clear of a house roof can all cast shadows over a bungalow roof for part of the day. Shading is the single biggest thing we check at survey stage, because it affects both where panels go and which equipment suits the roof. If your roof is partly shaded, read our guide to solar on shaded and north-facing roofs; optimisers and a sensible layout can recover a lot of what shade would otherwise cost.
Roof shape is the next thing. Many bungalows have hipped roofs, which split the available area into several smaller faces pointing in different directions. That is usually still workable, with panels on the best two or three faces, but it can mean a layout that looks different from the neat single block you might picture. East and west facing panels still generate well and can actually suit households that use electricity morning and evening.
Dormer bungalows, chalet bungalows and those with loft conversions are a little different again. Dormers take up roof area, and a converted loft can affect where cables and equipment can run, so these properties need a proper look rather than a guess from satellite images.
Older bungalows: check the roof covering
A lot of bungalows were built in the mid-twentieth century, and some older roofs use materials that need care. Fibre cement sheets or tiles from certain decades can contain asbestos, which must never be drilled or disturbed casually. A competent installer will identify this at survey and tell you honestly if it changes the plan. Separately, if the roof is near the end of its life, it can make sense to sort that first; we explain how to judge this in does my roof need replacing before solar panels?
If your bungalow has a flat or low-pitched section, such as an extension or garage, those areas can often be used too. See solar panels on a flat roof for how that works.
Where does the equipment go?
In a house, the inverter and battery often live in the loft or on a landing wall. Many bungalows have a shallow loft or no usable loft at all, so we plan the kit location carefully. Garages, utility rooms and outside walls are the usual alternatives. Most modern batteries are designed for exactly these spaces, and we route cabling neatly so it doesn’t turn into a mess of trunking across your hallway. If you are weighing up storage, our battery storage page explains the options, and our guide on whether home batteries are safe covers the placement rules.
Do you need planning permission?
For most bungalows, no. Roof panels are normally permitted development provided they sit close to the roof surface and don’t rise above the highest point of the roof. The main exceptions are listed buildings and some conservation areas. We go through the rules in do I need planning permission for solar panels?
How big should the system be?
Because bungalow roofs are generous, the temptation is to fill them. We would usually advise against that. A system sized to your actual usage, now and in the near future if you are planning an electric car or heat pump, gives better value than the biggest array that fits. Our free system size estimator gives you a sensible starting range in a couple of minutes, and the suitability checker gives an honest read on how well your roof is likely to suit solar before anyone visits.
When a bungalow might not be a good fit
We will tell you straight if solar isn’t worth it. A bungalow hemmed in by tall trees on its south side, a roof that needs replacing soon, or a very low electricity use can all weaken the case. Sometimes the right answer is to wait, trim a tree, or fix the roof first. A proper survey is how you find out, and we would rather you hear that from us than discover it after installation.
Why use a local, MCS-certified installer
DES Renewable Energy is MCS certified, and every installation is carried out by our own employed teams, not subcontractors. We are based in Wimborne, so surveys, installation and aftercare all come from nearby, and we know the local roof types, from Purbeck stone slate to 1960s concrete tile estates.
Talk to a local installer
Thinking about solar for your bungalow? Request a free, no-obligation quote and we will survey the roof, check for shading and give you an honest recommendation. We cover Dorset, Hampshire and Wiltshire and surrounding areas.