This one was all about shading. The property in Wandsworth is a semi-detached with neighbouring buildings causing partial shade at different times of the day. The roof orientation was not ideal either. A standard string inverter system would have meant that any shaded panel dragged down the output of every other panel in the string — and on this roof, that would have been a significant hit.
So we recommended Enphase microinverters. One per panel. Each panel converts its own electricity to AC independently, which means if one panel catches shade from the building next door at 2pm, the other eleven do not care. They keep generating at full capacity.
| Component | Specification |
|---|---|
| Solar Panels | 12 x Canadian Solar 430W (5.16 kWp total) |
| Inverters | 12 x Enphase microinverters (one per panel) |
| Electrical | New 4-way 18th edition metal clad main switch |
| Protection | RCBO for RCD protection, SPD device |
| Metering | Bi-directional generation meter |
| Certifications | MCS, Part P, EIC certificate, G99/G100 DNO approval |
Installing solar in London comes with a different set of problems to a detached house in the countryside. Terraced and semi-detached properties mean neighbours, shadows, and roofs that are not always pointing the right way. That does not mean solar is not viable — it means the system design has to be smarter.
A 5.16 kWp system on a shaded London roof with microinverters will outperform a 5.16 kWp system on the same roof with a string inverter. That is not opinion, it is physics. The technology exists specifically for situations like this, and this installation is a good example of it in practice.
A high-performance 5.16 kWp solar array using microinverter technology to overcome shading challenges — delivering maximum generation in an urban environment where a standard setup would have underperformed.
