Solar panel installer
Fit, connect and look after solar PV systems on homes and businesses - a hands-on, outdoor role at the heart of the move to clean energy.
- Salary£25,000 – £47,000
- Hours40 to 45 hours a week, usually between 8am and 6pm, with flexible working possible
- Working for yourselfSelf-employment is possible
What the job is like
Solar panel installers (also called PV installers or solar PV technicians) survey roofs, fix mounting rails, lift panels into place and help connect everything to a building's electrics and battery storage. Most days are spent on customers' roofs or on building sites, so you'll be working at height and outdoors in most weather.
It's a good fit if you like practical problem-solving, being active and seeing a finished job at the end of the day. Many people come in through electrical training, and qualified electricians and roofers can add solar skills with a short course. The National Careers Service lists it as a green job.
What you'll do
- Carry out a site survey before an installation
- Plan where panels and fixings go, working from design drawings
- Fix the mounting system to the roof and make sure every fixing is sealed against water
- Lift and install the panels using hand and power tools
- Work with electricians to connect wiring to the inverter, charging unit and battery storage
- Test the system to check it is generating correctly
- Show customers how to use and monitor their energy system
- Carry out servicing and track down faults on existing systems
Where you'll work
- Outdoors
- Working at height
- In customers' homes
- Construction sites
- In a team
Skills and hobbies that help
Weighted by how much they matter in this job, from the official job profile's skills and tasks. Tap one to see other careers that use it.
Key skills
Used a lot
- Problem-solving
- Maths and measuring
- Technical know-how
- Attention to detail
- Physical fitness
- Teamwork
- Spatial awareness
Handy to have
Hobbies that give you a head start
How to become a solar panel installer
Apprenticeship
The Building Services Engineering Level 2 foundation apprenticeship (ages 16 to 21, some 22 to 24), or Installation and maintenance electrician (Level 3, typically around 54 months).
College
Courses in electrical installation, electronic and electrical engineering or the 18th Edition wiring regulations, or the T Level in Building Services Engineering for Construction. You may also need a short solar PV installation course.
Direct application
Possible if you already have electrical installation and maintenance experience and qualifications.
Other ways in
Start as an installation labourer and train on the job. Qualified electricians can take short solar PV training to fit and connect panels; qualified roofers can train to fit panels but still need an electrician to connect them.
Qualifications, licences and cards
- CSCS card (or equivalent) to train and work on construction sites
- An electrical qualification is usually needed to work as an installer
- Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) recognition shows you work to industry standards - it can also cover solar thermal, battery storage and heat pumps
- A driving licence is needed for some jobs
Where it can lead
- Train further to carry out the electrical side of installations
- Project manager overseeing several installation sites
- Design engineer improving system efficiency
- Large-scale systems such as solar farms, or other parts of the renewable energy sector
Good to know
- Much of the work is on roofs, so you need to be comfortable at height.
- You will need to wear safety clothing and use safety equipment.
- The National Careers Service identifies this as a green job.
Courses and training
-
Short course
Apprenticeship units – Skills for Careers (Department for Education)
Short courses of 30 to 140 hours for employed people aged 19 and over in England, arranged by your employer. Units include EV charging point and solar PV installation, electrical and mechanical fitting, and mechanised welding.
-
Apprenticeship search
Find an apprenticeship – GOV.UK
The official GOV.UK service for searching and applying for apprenticeship vacancies in England.
-
Course search
Find a course – National Careers Service
The National Careers Service search for college and training provider courses in England, including Skills Bootcamps.
Official information
Sources
We checked these pages in September 2026. Rules, pay and courses change, so always confirm with the official source.
- National Careers Service: Solar panel installer job profile nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/job-profiles/solar-panel-installer
- Installation and maintenance electrician (Level 3, ST0152) skillsengland.education.gov.uk/apprenticeships/st0152-v1-2
- MCS: becoming a certified installer mcscertified.com/installers/becoming-certified/