Solar panels in Newtown

Powys, the council area that includes Newtown, had 133,169 residents at the 2021 Census. Solar Cymru is an independent Wales solar guide that refers enquiries. We do not fit panels. Your enquiry goes to MCS-certified installers through us.

Newtown sits in mid Wales, where one grid question stays open. This page explains how to settle it, then covers yield, planning, farms and quotes.

Check your network operator first

Two companies run the electricity networks in Wales. National Grid Electricity Distribution covers the south, and SP Energy Networks covers the north. Mid Wales sits near the border between them. We cannot confirm from a primary source which one serves Newtown, so we do not guess.

Use the Energy Networks Association operator finder with your postcode. Then tell your installer the answer, because the application goes to that company. The installer cannot send a G99 application until you know the operator, so settle this first. On a single phase, systems with an inverter up to 3.68 kW follow G98. The installer then notifies the operator within 28 days. Larger systems follow G99 and need agreement first. Our article on G98 and G99 explained covers both routes in plain terms.

Yield for a Powys roof

PVGIS gives about 950 kWh a year for each kWp on a south-facing roof at 35 degrees. That means a 4 kWp system makes around 3,800 kWh a year. However, roofs that face east or west make about 15 to 20% less. A north roof makes only 53 to 59% of south output, so the Energy Saving Trust does not recommend it.

Slope matters less than direction, because a shallow roof or a steep one costs only a little, according to a PVGIS run for Cardiff. Ask each installer for a written shade factor, because trees and nearby buildings can shade a roof. Our solar yield guide explains the shade factor that each MCS estimate must state.

Planning in Powys

Powys County Council handles planning for most of the county. Part of Powys lies inside Bannau Brycheiniog National Park, and the National Park Authority plans that land. The Welsh domestic rules do not name national parks, yet the authority gives advice, so ask first if your property may sit inside the park.

Cadw’s data records 55 conservation areas in Powys. It lists two for Newtown: Newtown - Centre, and Newtown. Panels on a house roof often fall within permitted development. A wall that fronts a highway is different: in a conservation area it needs planning permission. Our planning permission guide covers listed buildings, flat roofs and Article 4 directions.

If your roof is slate, fixings need care because MCS rules say brackets must not load slates unless a certified design spreads the weight. Read about fitting panels to slate roofs before you accept a quote.

Farm and business roofs

Farms and small businesses follow different rules from homes. Non-domestic buildings have no kilowatt cap. Specifically, conditions include a 3 km limit from airports and a 200 mm limit on a pitched roof. On a flat roof, panels may rise no more than 1 metre.

Ground arrays above 9 square metres need planning permission, and Welsh policy protects the best farmland. For example, Farming Connect offers renewable energy advice, and the Development Bank of Wales runs a Green Business Loan Scheme. Our article on solar panels for Welsh farms sets out these routes.

What it costs and what helps

Prices for a typical 4.5 kWp home system sit at roughly £6,500 to £8,800. Until 31 March 2027, home installations carry no VAT, and 5% is due after that. A household with solar typically saves around £450 to £500 or more a year.

While Warm Homes Nest helps eligible low-income households, Green Homes Wales lends to owner-occupiers. Our funding guide lists the rules.

Getting quotes in Newtown

Start with a single form. Solar Cymru refers your enquiry to MCS-certified installers, and their written designs let you compare. Our solar panel installation page explains the process. Our guide to choosing an installer shows what to check.

Ask each firm to list survey and travel costs in writing. You can also compare the pages for solar installers around Aberystwyth, panels near Wrexham and quotes in Mold.