A 7.05 kWp in-roof solar PV system on a detached cottage in Broxted, near Great Dunmow in Essex. 15 Aiko Neostar 3S 470W all-black panels mounted flush within the clay tile roof using the GSE roof-integrated system, with SolarEdge panel-level optimisers for tree shading.
A detached cottage in Broxted, near Great Dunmow in Essex, with an in-roof solar PV system delivered during a roof refurbishment. Here is what we delivered.
| Property Type | Detached cottage (period property under roof refurbishment) |
| Location | Broxted, near Great Dunmow, Essex |
| Completion Date | December 2025 |
| System Size | 7.05 kWp |
| Panels | 15 × Aiko Neostar 3S 470W All Black ABC N-Type Mono |
| Inverter | 1 × SolarEdge SE6000H Home Wave (6 kW single-phase) |
| Power Optimisers | 15 × SolarEdge, one per module |
| Mounting System | GSE roof-integrated, clay tile compatible |
| Orientation | South-East (-37° from South), 43° pitch |
| Shade Factor | 0.81 |
| Annual Generation | 5,271 kWh |
| Grid Connection | Single-phase, G98 DNO notification |
| Certification | MCS certified |
Robbie approached EV-ON for the design and installation of a solar PV system on his detached cottage in Broxted, near Great Dunmow in Essex. A section of the cottage was being refurbished, with a traditional roofer stripping and re-laying the clay tiles on the main south-east facing roof, and a new skylight being fitted above the array zone. Our remit ran from design and shade analysis through supply, installation, commissioning, MCS certification and grid connection approval.
A standard on-roof installation would have left aluminium rails and brackets proud of the clay tiles, which was not the look the owner wanted on a period detached cottage. The brief was to keep the panels visually quiet, flush with the tile plane, with no visible mounting or exposed fixings. That meant a roof-integrated mounting system rather than a rail-mounted one, and it meant coordinating the install with the roofer while the tiles were off.
The array sat inside a roof section being refurbished, with a new skylight going in above it. That meant we shared the roof with a traditional roofer stripping and re-laying the clay tiles, and with the skylight installer who needed clearance above the array for fitting and flashing. Any slip on coordination would have held up the tiling programme or compromised the skylight fit.
The roof faces south east, with mature trees along the eastern and southern boundaries of the property. On a standard solar setup the panels are wired in a chain, so shade falling across one panel pulls every other panel down with it. Tree shade moves across a roof all day. We needed a design that could take that in its stride without losing output across the whole array, and that justified the money going into a flush, roof integrated finish.
We used the GSE roof integrated system with 15 all black Aiko panels. The GSE trays sit directly on the roof battens, the panels drop into the trays level with the tiles, and the clay tiles are cut and dressed around the array. The finish is an unbroken run of black panels set within the tile roof, with no rails, brackets or fixings visible from ground level. The Aiko panels are among the most efficient on the market, which is what let us fit 7.05 kWp into the roof area available. GSE is also one of the few in roof systems properly rated for UK clay and concrete tiles. Its waterproofing detail was designed around the way British tiles overlap, rather than adapted from a European tile profile and hoped for the best.
We worked the programme around the roofer and the skylight installer rather than around our own default sequence. The GSE trays went down as the roofer re-tiled that section of the roof, so the clay tiles were cut to the tray edge on first lay rather than being lifted and replaced later. We left the upper clearance above the array that the skylight installer needed for fitting and flashing, and the array layout was designed around that clearance from the outset. One programme, three trades, one pass across the roof.
We fitted a SolarEdge inverter with a power optimiser on each of the 15 panels. Every panel then works on its own instead of being tied to the weakest one in the chain. When a tree throws shade across one panel, only that panel drops. The rest carry on. The monitoring portal also gives the homeowner a view of each panel individually, so a fault or a bit of dirt on one panel is obvious long before it starts eating into the total.
Pages Cottage now has a 7.05 kWp in-roof solar PV system on the main south-east facing roof, projected to generate 5,271 kWh per year. The system was commissioned in December 2025, certified under MCS, and approved by the local network operator.
Projected annual CO₂ offset is 1,091 kilograms. Of the 5,271 kWh generated each year, the model predicts 2,936 kWh will be used directly inside the property and 2,335 kWh exported to the grid via the Smart Export Guarantee. On a 24.5p per kWh flat import tariff and a 15p per kWh export tariff, the first-year benefit comes to £1,191, giving a payback period of approximately six years on the £7,146 system cost.
The in-roof finish is what the owner wanted. The all-black Aiko panels sit flush within the clay tile roof, no aluminium rails or brackets are visible, and the traditional character of the cottage is preserved. The skylight above the array was fitted cleanly on the same programme without any rework. The roofer finished the tile run around the GSE trays in a single pass.
For more on in-roof solar panels and why roof-integrated installations are becoming the standard on period properties, roof refurbishments and new builds across Essex and the wider UK, see our residential solar page.
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