Do solar panels help run a heat pump?
Short answer
Yes for hot water and spring and autumn heating, but less than people expect in winter, when heat pumps use most electricity and panels produce least. Solar plus a battery and a heat-pump or time-of-use tariff gives the best result. The Energy Saving Trust found combined setups could cut bills by around 800 pounds a year.
Last checked 24 September 2026 · 1 source
In more detail
- PVGIS: December yield ~27% of June for a London south roof; January-February ~30-40%.
- Scheduling the hot-water cycle into midday solar is the simplest win.
- EST modelling (search summary): heat pump + solar + battery + smart tariff ~GBP 800/yr savings; best >GBP 1,000.
The facts, dated
- 01PVGIS London south 30: December yield is ~27% of June — 34/125 kWh/kWp
market_data · England · checked 24 September 2026 · PVGIS (EU Joint Research Centre)
What we saw in the field
[QA review 2026-09-24] C2-6 ADDS (battery enlarged for a future heat pump). H-4 ADDS (~12 kWh/day before heat pump). | Earlier notes: Customer 2 enlarged the battery partly for a future heat pump; the homeowner's use (~12 kWh/day) was measured before the heat pump.
Sources
- PVGIS (EU Joint Research Centre) — re.jrc.ec.europa.eu/api/v5_3/PVcalc
Last checked: 24 September 2026