Solar panel installation in Caterham
A family-run, MCS certified team designing and fitting high-quality solar systems for homes across Caterham and the surrounding Surrey villages.
Quality you can trust
Why choose solar for your Caterham home?
Caterham is a town of two distinct halves, each with its own architectural character. Caterham Valley, around the railway station and the High Street, is largely Victorian and Edwardian in feel, with period terraces, larger detached homes through Harestone Valley, and modern apartments and townhouses around the Church Walk and Croydon Road developments. Caterham on the Hill, the older hilltop village to the north-west, has a different mix again, with listed buildings along Hill Street and Church Hill, classic interwar housing through Westway and around the de Stafford School area, and the substantial Village at Caterham development built on the former barracks site. Out towards Whyteleafe, Woldingham, and Chaldon you will find more rural detached homes with generous plots and roof space. Each of these property types brings its own roof shape, pitch, and orientation, all of which influence how a solar system should be designed.
Sitting in the North Downs at a relatively elevated position, many Caterham roofs benefit from open skies and limited overshadowing from tall buildings, which can help systems perform well across the year. Our in-house team has been installing solar across Surrey, Kent, and South London since 2017, with over 800 systems completed including a regular flow of work in Caterham, Whyteleafe, Warlingham, and the surrounding villages. Each system is sized around your usage and your goals, with most customers typically saving up to 70% on their energy bills once their system is generating.
- Lower Energy Bills
- Protection From Rising Energy Costs
- Environmentally Friendly
- Energy Independence
- Low Maintenance & Long Lifespan
The Tarven Solar Energy Process
We follow a calm, well-organised process from your first enquiry through to long-term aftercare, with the same in-house team supporting you across every stage. No outside contractors, no rushed surveys, no shortcuts.
Free Consultation
A friendly, no-obligation chat with a renewable energy advisor about your home, your bills, and what you would like solar to achieve for you.
Site Survey & Quote
A surveyor visits your Caterham property to inspect the roof, loft, and electrics, then designs a system shaped around the building and provides a clear quote.
Professional Installation
Our own engineers carry out the install, working safely and tidily, with respect for your home and the standards laid out in The Tarven Way.
System Activation
Once tested and registered, we switch your new system on and walk you through the monitoring app so you know exactly how to track its performance.
Ongoing Support
A 5-year Tarven workmanship warranty pairs with the 30-year British-backed warranty on your Anglo Solar panels, with our team a phone call away whenever you need help.
Over 800+ Solar Installations Completed
Ready to use solar to generate your own energy?
Speak to our team today and discover how easy it is to start generating your own energy.
See our previous work
Estimated Annual saving
Estimated Annual saving
Estimated Annual saving
Estimated Annual saving
Estimated Annual saving
Why choose Tarven Solar Energy?
Tarven is a family-run installer based just over the border in Orpington, with an in-house team of 15+ engineers, surveyors, and advisors who handle every job from start to finish. Since 2017, we have completed more than 800 solar installations and built up over 150 five-star Google reviews, with a strong base of customers across Surrey, Kent, and South London who value getting the job done properly the first time. Because we never bring in subcontractors, the people who quote your project are the same people fitting your system and looking after you afterwards.
Our work is fully accredited, including MCS certification, Renewable Energy Consumer Code (RECC) membership, TrustMark registration, NICEIC approval, IWA deposit and guarantee protection, and Living Wage employer status. Holding all of this together is The Tarven Way, our promise of clear and honest advice, work completed to the highest standard, and reliable aftercare you can count on for years to come.
- Clear and honest advice
- Work completed to the highest standard
- Respect aftercare and long term support
Proud to fit Anglo Solar Panels
For every domestic install we carry out in Caterham, we fit Anglo Solar panels as standard. They come with a 30-year British-backed warranty, which is one of the longest cover periods available on a residential solar panel in the UK and gives genuine reassurance on a long-term home upgrade.
They are well-engineered, efficient, and sit neatly on the wide range of roof shapes you find across Caterham, from period terraces in the Valley to the larger pitches on detached homes around Harestone Valley and out towards Woldingham. Combined with a quality inverter and, where suitable, a battery storage system, you have a setup that quietly works in the background for decades, lowering your bills and reducing the carbon footprint of your home.
- 100% British-owned solar panel company
- Offering a 30-Year British Warranty
- Ethically produced Solar Panels
Frequently Asked Questions
A few of the questions Caterham homeowners ask us most often before going ahead.
Do I need solar to get a battery storage system?
A battery storage system can absolutely be installed on its own. By itself, a battery can be charged overnight on a cheaper off-peak tariff and used to power your home through the day when grid electricity is more expensive, which alone can take a meaningful slice off your bills. The real step up comes when you pair it with solar, since the battery is then topped up using free energy generated by your own panels.
How does solar work?
Daylight reaches the panels on your roof and they generate direct current electricity. That feeds into an inverter, which converts it into the alternating current your home uses for everyday things like lighting, sockets, appliances, EV charging, and hot water heating. Anything you do not use at the time can be diverted into a battery, sent back to the grid, or both.
How long will my solar system last for?
A properly installed solar system should keep working reliably for 25 years or more, often longer. Anglo Solar panels are protected by a 30-year British-backed warranty, with mounting kits typically warranted for around 10 years and inverters and batteries usually offering similar cover.
How soon will I start saving money from solar?
Savings start the moment your system is commissioned. As soon as the panels are generating, your home pulls less from the grid, which feeds directly through to a lower bill. Customers typically save up to 70% on their energy costs once a fully designed system is up and running.
What is a battery storage system?
It is a unit fitted somewhere convenient in your home, often in a garage, utility room, or plant cupboard, that stores electricity for use later. It can be filled by your solar panels during the day or topped up from the grid during cheaper off-peak hours, then drawn on in the evenings when household demand is at its highest.
Do solar panels work in the winter?
Yes, solar panels generate throughout the winter. They respond to daylight rather than direct heat, so they keep producing power on cold and overcast days, just at lower output than in the longer summer days. A well-designed system accounts for that seasonal swing across the full year.
Will solar panels and battery storage work if I have a power cut
Standard grid-tied solar systems disconnect automatically during a power cut for safety reasons, so they cannot feed electricity back into the network while engineers are working on the lines. Some battery storage systems can be configured with a backup function that keeps selected circuits live during an outage, and our advisors can let you know whether that option suits your home.
Do you need planning permission for solar panels?
For most homes in Caterham, planning permission is not required because solar panels usually fall under permitted development. Listed buildings and properties in conservation areas can be exceptions, and given Caterham on the Hill includes a number of listed buildings along Hill Street and Church Hill, plus parts of the surrounding area sit within the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, we always check the rules that apply to your specific property as part of the survey.
How long does a solar panel installation take?
A standard domestic install in Caterham takes around 1 to 2 days on site, covering scaffolding, fitting, electrical work, and commissioning. Larger arrays, more complex roof shapes, or projects that include battery storage and EV charging may take a little longer, and we will agree clear timings with you up front.
How many solar panels will fit on my roof?
That depends on your roof’s size, shape, pitch, and orientation, along with any obstructions such as chimneys, dormers, or skylights. As part of your free site survey, we map out the usable space and design an array that balances the number of panels with how much energy your household actually uses across the year.
Still have a question?
Contact our expert team today and we’ll provide clear, honest advice to guide you every step of the way.
Ready to use solar to generate your own energy?
Speak to our team today and discover how easy it is to start generating your own energy.