EDF announced on 21 February 2024 that it has acquired Contact Solar, a Chorley-based installer of domestic solar panels and battery storage1. The purchase follows EDF's acquisition of heat pump installer CB Heating in 20231.
EDF said the deal moves it closer to offering "whole house" net zero packages combining solar, battery, EV charge points and heat pumps1. Contact Solar, founded over a decade ago, installs domestic solar, commercial solar and battery storage, and its network of local installers will work with EDF on residential work as well as projects for local authorities, housing associations and developers1. EDF said it will also explore upskilling engineers already working on home energy solutions to install solar panels1.
"We know more and more people want to save cash and carbon and by acquiring a company like Contact Solar we can help them by providing better value and a truly great end-to-end solar panel install service, utilising a company whose expertise, knowledge and service is exceptional."
EDF published figures for a worked example of a home with ten 405W panels and a 5.32kWh battery, in the South West, on an unshaded south-facing roof sloped at 35 degrees, with annual electricity demand of 2700kWh and a unit rate of 28.62p per kWh (its average Direct Debit Standard Variable Rate as at 1 January 2024)1. Standing charges are excluded1.
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| Predicted annual solar generation | 3740kWh |
| Generation used in the home | 2019kWh |
| Electricity imported from the grid | 681kWh |
| Annual import cost without solar | £773 |
| Annual import cost with solar and battery | £195 |
| Reduction | around 74% |
| Exported generation | 1721kWh |
| Annual SEG payment at 5.6p/kWh | £96 |
| Annual carbon emissions | 559kg CO2e down to 141kg CO2e |
EDF states the estimate is based on the standard MCS procedure, is guidance only for the first year of generation and should not be considered a guarantee of performance1. It also cites LCP Delta's Residential Solar PV market report for a prediction that solar take-up will increase by 75% between now and 20301. The announcement does not state the purchase price, the terms of the deal or how Contact Solar's existing customers and warranties will be handled; none of these has been reported1.
Why it matters for households
The practical effect is consolidation on the installation side. A large supplier now owns an installer that already sells solar and battery systems, and EDF's stated aim is to combine solar, battery, EV charging and heat pumps into single offers1. For a household weighing up solar panels and battery storage, that points to fewer, larger routes to market rather than a change in the technology itself.
The savings figure EDF published is narrow. It assumes a south-west location, an unshaded south-facing roof at 35 degrees, a household home all day, and a specific system size, and it excludes standing charges1. Output varies with orientation, shading and roof pitch, so the 74% figure is not a general rate. The same example shows 1721kWh of the 3740kWh generated being exported at 5.6p per kWh, well below the 28.62p import rate, which is why using generation in the home rather than exporting it drives most of the saving1.
What happens next
EDF says Contact Solar's installers will deliver residential installs alongside work for local authorities, housing associations and developers, and that it will explore upskilling existing engineers to fit solar panels1. No timetable has been given for either1. Households can compare the supplier's wider tariffs and service and the installer market as the two businesses are brought together.