System Positioning
There are various ways of installing PV to a building, PV arrays can be built into walls, roofs,
installed on top of roof tiles or slates, mounted on a frame on the ground, a flat roof or wall. The most
common type of domestic installation is mounted on top of tiles or slates on a pitched roof. South
facing is best as there is the most light in that direction. PV does not require the suns heat though,
so it can be installed anywhere between south east and south west without any loss in performance.
Shading can cause the performance of a system to drop quite a bit if a part of a system was to get shading for a large part of the day. It is best to make sure that there is no shading from trees, large chimneys, etc. PV works best if the whole array is exposed to the same light conditions. If a roof is partially shaded, then the system can be designed so that the part with the shading will not affect the part without shading. There is often a solution!
PV roofs do not usually require planning permission unless the building is listed or in a conservation area. However, you could call your council to check on local policy.