The Kitchen Table Conversations
☕ Real Conversations About Solar
For more than fifteen years, I sat at kitchen tables across the UK talking to homeowners about solar.
I loved it.
No two conversations were ever the same.
Very few of them started with:
“Which solar panel should I buy?”
They usually started with something much simpler.
“Can I ask you something before we even go outside?”
A few years ago, that chapter of my life came to an unexpected end.
A severe bout of bilateral pneumonia led to multi-organ failure and a two-week coma. My family were told to prepare for the worst. Thankfully, I recovered, but it changed how I worked.
My children had a simple message:
“Dad, you’ve done enough miles.”
So I came off the road.
I no longer spend my days driving from house to house, but I still enjoy exactly the same conversations.
The difference is that today they’re written down here, so thousands of homeowners can benefit from the same straightforward answers that I used to give over a cup of tea at someone’s kitchen table.
No jargon.
No sales pitch.
Just honest conversations to help you decide whether solar is right for you, and if it is, what kind of system genuinely makes sense.
Why We Created This
Most solar websites explain products.
We’ve chosen to explain the questions.
Because the right answer often starts long before anyone measures your roof.
If one of these conversations sounds like something you’ve been wondering yourself…
You’re in exactly the right place.
Browse the conversations
Kitchen Table Conversation 001
“Someone told me I’ll soon be able to buy solar from Lidl for about £399. Is that really comparable to putting solar on my roof?”
It’s a great question.
In fact, if I were still travelling around the UK visiting homeowners, I wouldn’t be surprised if this became one of the most common questions over the next few months.
The short answer?
Sometimes it’s a good idea.
Most of the time, it isn’t the same thing at all.
Here’s why.
Imagine someone saying…
“I’ve seen a bicycle for sale. Is that comparable to buying a family car?”
Well…
Both will get you from A to B.
Both have wheels.
Both solve a transport problem.
But they’re built to do completely different jobs.
That’s exactly how I see these new plug-in solar systems.
From 27 August 2026, you’ll be able to buy certain plug-in solar systems from retailers including Lidl, B&Q, Currys and others.
For the right person…
they could be a perfectly sensible purchase.
If you rent a flat…
If you don’t have your own roof…
If you simply want to offset a little of your daytime electricity…
then a small plug-in panel could make sense.
But…
if you’re trying to reduce your electricity bills over the next twenty years…
run a battery…
charge an electric car…
or make a serious investment in your home…
you’re comparing two completely different things.
One is a small appliance.
The other is a properly engineered energy system.
A rooftop solar installation isn’t simply about fitting panels.
It’s about understanding:
• how much electricity your household actually uses
• when you use it
• whether a battery would genuinely benefit you
• your roof’s orientation and shading
• future electricity prices
• and how all of those pieces work together.
That’s why we always start with questions before we start measuring roofs.
Because the right system isn’t determined by how many panels fit.
It’s determined by what you’re trying to achieve.
So if someone asks me…
“Ronnie… should I buy the Lidl one?”
My answer would be…
“Maybe.”
Let’s first understand what problem you’re actually trying to solve.
Because once we know that…
the right answer usually becomes obvious.
Over the years, I’ve found that people rarely regret asking one more question before they spend thousands of pounds. They do sometimes regret not asking it.
☕ One More Thing…
Most homeowners don’t have just one question.
Over the years I’ve found that once one question is answered…
another usually follows.
That’s exactly why we created the Solar Decision Library.
It’s a growing collection of straightforward explanations designed to help homeowners make confident solar decisions before anyone climbs onto the roof.
→ Continue the conversation in the Solar Decision Library