Installing a Sigenergy Solar & Battery System — Slate Roof Full Install

Full Installation Walkthrough

This video is the most complete, unedited walkthrough we have published of a full solar and battery installation from start to finish — and it centres on one of our favourite platforms: Sigenergy, installed on a traditional slate roof.

Slate roofs present some of the most satisfying installation challenges in domestic solar work. The tiles themselves are beautiful and, in most cases, still in excellent condition on properties where they were originally laid fifty or more years ago. However, they require a different approach to concrete interlocking tiles: each slate is individually hung and lapped, which means our roof hooks must be carefully positioned to work with the existing batten structure, and any tiles disturbed during the process must be removed and replaced without cracking or chipping. Our team have extensive experience with traditional slate, and this video shows the care and precision that goes into every fixing point.

The installation begins with the scaffold going up — a critical first step that we never rush or compromise on. Full perimeter edge protection and working platforms are essential not only for legal compliance but for the quality of the work itself: an installer who is confident and stable on the roof can concentrate entirely on getting every detail right, rather than managing their own balance.

From the scaffold, the team carried out a detailed inspection of the slates, checking for any cracked, slipping or missing tiles before the main installation work began. Where we found any tiles in substandard condition, we replaced them as part of the installation preparation. A solar installation is designed to last twenty-five years or more; the roof beneath it needs to be in good shape before we bolt anything to it.

The Sigenergy platform was specified for this project because the homeowner had a clear priority: full home backup. Unlike partial backup systems that protect only a handful of circuits, the Sigenergy ATS (automatic transfer switch) disconnects the property from the grid and takes over the entire house supply within milliseconds of detecting a grid failure. The changeover is imperceptible to most appliances and completely seamless — even sensitive electronics, NAS drives and smart home hubs continue operating without interruption.

The mounting rail installation on the slate roof took longer than an equivalent job on concrete tiles, but the end result was worth it: every rail was perfectly level, every tile re-bedded correctly, and every roof hook sealed with the manufacturer-specified flashing compound. Getting the rails right is the foundation of everything else — panels mounted on poorly aligned rails never look as tidy, and any flex in the structure can put stress on the panel frames over time.

Panel installation on the perfectly-levelled rails was satisfying and efficient. The DC cabling was routed through tile vents into the loft space, where it was run in protective trunking to the roof edge and down an internal route to avoid any external conduit on the front elevation. We never compromise on cable aesthetics; a tidy installation that looks good from the street is something we take genuine pride in.

The Sigenergy hybrid inverter and battery unit were installed in the garage, wall-mounted on a prepared backboard with neat cable management. The system was wired into the existing consumer unit with the addition of a new dedicated solar and backup circuit. All wiring was carried out in accordance with BS 7671 wiring regulations, and a full suite of electrical tests was completed including insulation resistance, earth continuity, PSCC and AFC tests before commissioning.

Commissioning the Sigenergy system took approximately two hours. We configured the backup circuits, set the charge and discharge schedule around the homeowner's time-of-use tariff, verified the ATS operation by simulating a grid outage, and walked the homeowner through the Sigenergy app in detail. The app provides real-time monitoring of solar generation, battery state of charge, home consumption and grid import and export, along with historical data that lets the homeowner track their savings over time.

The MCS certification, electrical installation certificate, Smart Export Guarantee registration and G99 DNO notification were all handled by ALPS Electrical as part of the standard service. The homeowner left installation day with a complete documentation pack and a fully operational system generating clean electricity and providing genuine energy resilience.

This video demonstrates every single stage of that process and is essential viewing for anyone considering a Sigenergy installation or wanting to understand what a professional solar installation on a traditional slate roof actually involves.