How Solar Panels and Boilers Team Up for Cosy Homes: A Green Central Guide

Get Ready for a Sunny, Warm Home!

The UK is going green, and with new rules kicking gas boilers out of new homes in 2025, it’s the perfect time to learn how solar panels and boilers can work together to keep your home toasty and eco-friendly.

At Green Central, we love installing solar panels and boilers, and we’re excited to share how these two can team up to make your home super cosy while saving you money!

How Solar Panels Help Boilers Heat Homes

Solar panels are like little sun-powered heroes for your boiler. There are two types that can heat your home. First, solar photovoltaic (PV) panels turn sunlight into electricity. This electricity can run an electric boiler, heating water for your radiators or showers.

Second, solar thermal panels use the sun to warm up a special liquid that heats water in a tank. Your boiler then uses this warm water, so it doesn’t have to work as hard. Both ways use the sun’s free energy, which means less money spent on gas or electricity bills.

A small set of solar panels can power a boiler for a cozy home, and in summer, they can heat most of your hot water!

Boilers: The Heart of Your Heating

Boilers are the champs that heat water for your home’s radiators, taps, or underfloor heating. When boilers team up with solar panels, they use less energy from the grid. Electric boilers are awesome with solar PV panels because they run on the electricity your panels make, turning almost all of it into heat.

System or regular boilers are great with solar thermal panels, using pre-warmed water from a tank and only adding a little extra heat if needed. Combi boilers can be a bit picky, as some don’t like pre-warmed water, but they can still use solar electricity with the right setup.

A hot water tank is often the secret sauce, storing solar-heated water so you can use it anytime, day or night.

Storing the Sun’s Energy

Here’s a small challenge: solar panels make the most energy during the day, but you might want heat in the morning or evening.

In winter, when days are short, this can be tricky. No worries, though! For solar PV systems, batteries save extra electricity made during the day, so your boiler can use it at night.

For solar thermal systems, hot water tanks keep warm water ready for when the sun’s not out. These tricks make sure your home stays warm all year round, no matter the weather.

Why This Combo Rocks

When solar panels and boilers join forces, you save money on energy bills by using the sun’s free power instead of gas or electricity.

A small solar setup could save you hundreds of pounds a year! Plus, you’re helping the planet by cutting down on greenhouse gases from home heating.

Even on cloudy days, today’s solar panels keep working, so your home stays warm and happy all year.

A Few Things to Watch Out For

Pairing solar panels with boilers isn’t always super easy. Some boilers, like combi boilers, can be fussy about working with solar thermal systems, so electric or system boilers might be better.

You’ll also need a bit of roof space—about 5 square meters facing the right direction—to catch enough sunlight.

Getting it all set up right takes some know-how, but Green Central is here to help.

We check out your home and suggest the best setup, like pairing solar PV with an electric boiler or adding a hot water tank for solar thermal systems.

Awesome Government Help in 2025

The UK is making it easier to go solar in 2025 with some cool deals. There’s no VAT on solar panels or batteries until March 2027, which can save you thousands on a small system with storage.

You can also get up to £7,500 to help pay for heat pumps, which work great with solar panels. Plus, you can earn cash by selling extra solar electricity back to the grid. These perks make now a fantastic time to try solar heating!

Other Ways to Stay Green

If a solar-powered boiler isn’t quite right for you, there are other ways to heat your home efficiently. Heat pumps can use solar electricity to pull heat from the air or ground, and tons of UK homes are already using them.

Or, upgrading to a super-efficient boiler can save you money even without solar panels.

FAQs

How many solar panels do I need for a boiler?

About 10-12 panels for a typical home, depending on how much energy you use.

Can solar panels keep my heating on all day?

Yup, with a battery or hot water tank to store energy for nighttime or cloudy times.

Do solar panels work in winter?

Totally! They make less energy on short, cloudy days, but they still keep going.

What boilers are best with solar?

Electric boilers for solar PV or system/regular boilers for solar thermal work like a charm.

Can I use solar panels with underfloor heating?

Yes, solar PV can power electric underfloor heating, or solar thermal can provide hot water for wet underfloor systems, making your floors toasty!

Let’s Heat Your Home the Sunny Way!

Solar panels and boilers are a winning team for a warm, eco-friendly home. With the 2025 gas boiler ban for new homes coming up, this combo is a smart way to save money and help the planet.

Whether you go for solar PV with an electric boiler or solar thermal with a system boiler, Green Central is here to make it happen. Pop over to Green Central to find out how these systems can keep your home cosy and green!