Simply Smarter Solar & Renewables Start My Journey
Solar Academy — understand your energy, then make a smarter decision.
INTERACTIVE ENERGY TOOLS

Start with your numbers.

Use these indicative tools to understand the scale of opportunity before we design anything.

YOUR INDICATIVE RESULTEnter your details

Your personalised result will appear here.

—EST. GENERATION
—YEAR 1 VALUE
—SIMPLE PAYBACK
—ENERGY SCORE

Indicative educational estimate only. Actual generation, savings and returns depend on roof, shading, tariffs, usage profile, system design and export.

Have my system properly designed →
☀

Solar Savings

Understand generation, self-use and export.

▣

Battery Sizing

See how consumption and tariffs influence storage.

⌂

Roof Potential

Learn what determines usable roof capacity.

£

25-Year Value

Understand long-term economics and assumptions.

⚡

Smart Tariffs

Learn how cheap-rate charging can complement solar.

🚗

EV + Solar

Plan your home energy system around future EV use.

SIMPLY SMARTER SOLAR & RENEWABLES • SOLAR ACADEMY

From curious to confident.
Your complete solar learning journey.

One structured training suite that takes you from the basics of solar through batteries, tariffs, installation, choosing an installer and getting the best from your system after handover.

Start the journey▶ Watch the Solar Academy tour
54completed Ailsa videos
8learning stages
3interactive calculators
1clear buying journey
● VIRTUAL SOLAR GUIDE
YOUR GUIDE THROUGH THE ACADEMY

Clear explanations. No hard sell.

Short, practical lessons designed to answer the questions homeowners actually ask — in the right order.

54 COMPLETED LESSONS • AILSA PRESENTER • IN-SITE PLAYBACK
START HERE • SOLAR ACADEMY TOUR
▶

A Simply Smarter Way to Buy Solar & Renewables

Home → analysis → system design → vetted installers → like-for-like comparison → installation.

WATCH INTRODUCTION
HOW ENERGY MOVES THROUGH YOUR HOME
☀Sun
→
▦Solar
→
⌁Inverter
→
⌂Home
→
▣Battery
THE BORDERS SOLAR PROMISE

Learn first. Design second. Compare third.

No repeating yourself to five salespeople. Understand the technology, get the right system designed, then compare 3–5 vetted installers against the same brief.

01
STAGE 01

Understand solar

Build the foundations before thinking about products or prices.

Back to journey ↑
01AILSA • ON-CAMERA
▶

How solar PV works

How daylight becomes electricity for your home.

Ailsa presenter videoWatch Ailsa →
02AILSA • ON-CAMERA
▶

kW vs kWh explained

The two measurements every solar customer should understand.

Ailsa presenter videoWatch Ailsa →
03AILSA • ON-CAMERA
▶

Is solar right for my home?

Roof, orientation, shading and electricity use.

Ailsa presenter videoWatch Ailsa →
04AILSA • ON-CAMERA
▶

Does solar work in Scotland?

Why daylight matters more than hot weather.

Ailsa presenter videoWatch Ailsa →
05AILSA • ON-CAMERA
▶

What happens on cloudy days?

How solar, battery and grid work together.

Ailsa presenter videoWatch Ailsa →
02
STAGE 02

Know your roof & panels

Understand what your roof can realistically support and how panel choices affect performance.

Back to journey ↑
06AILSA • ON-CAMERA
▶

How many panels do I need?

Matching roof space, consumption and generation.

Ailsa presenter videoWatch Ailsa →
07AILSA • ON-CAMERA
▶

Roof orientation explained

South, east, west and mixed-roof designs.

Ailsa presenter videoWatch Ailsa →
08AILSA • ON-CAMERA
▶

Shading and solar panels

Trees, chimneys, dormers and partial shade.

Ailsa presenter videoWatch Ailsa →
09AILSA • ON-CAMERA
▶

Choosing solar panels

Efficiency, output, warranties and degradation.

Ailsa presenter videoWatch Ailsa →
10AILSA • ON-CAMERA
▶

Panel degradation over 25 years

What long-term output warranties really mean.

Ailsa presenter videoWatch Ailsa →
11AILSA • ON-CAMERA
▶

Solar panel warranties

Product, performance and workmanship warranties.

Ailsa presenter videoWatch Ailsa →
03
STAGE 03

Understand the system

See how inverters, strings and system architecture fit together.

Back to journey ↑
12AILSA • ON-CAMERA
▶

What does a solar inverter do?

The heart of the solar electrical system.

Ailsa presenter videoWatch Ailsa →
13AILSA • ON-CAMERA
▶

Choosing the right inverter

Sizing, hybrid systems, strings and future plans.

Ailsa presenter videoWatch Ailsa →
14AILSA • ON-CAMERA
▶

Optimisers and microinverters

When module-level electronics may be useful.

Ailsa presenter videoWatch Ailsa →
15AILSA • ON-CAMERA
▶

Understanding solar strings

How panels are grouped electrically.

Ailsa presenter videoWatch Ailsa →
04
STAGE 04

Master battery storage

Learn when a battery makes sense, what size to choose and what backup really means.

Back to journey ↑
16AILSA • ON-CAMERA
▶

Do I need a battery?

When storage adds value and when it may not.

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17AILSA • ON-CAMERA
▶

What size battery do I need?

Sizing storage around real household demand.

Ailsa presenter videoWatch Ailsa →
18AILSA • ON-CAMERA
▶

Usable vs nominal battery capacity

Why the number on the battery is not always usable energy.

Ailsa presenter videoWatch Ailsa →
19AILSA • ON-CAMERA
▶

Battery charge & discharge rates

Why kW can matter as much as kWh.

Ailsa presenter videoWatch Ailsa →
20AILSA • ON-CAMERA
▶

Battery efficiency explained

What happens to energy as it is stored and released.

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21AILSA • ON-CAMERA
▶

Charging batteries overnight

Using low-cost electricity alongside solar.

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22AILSA • ON-CAMERA
▶

Battery backup & EPS

What keeps working during a power cut — and what does not.

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23AILSA • ON-CAMERA
▶

Battery lifespan & warranties

Cycles, throughput, capacity retention and warranty terms.

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24AILSA • ON-CAMERA
▶

What can a home battery run?

A practical look at appliances and energy demand.

Ailsa presenter videoWatch Ailsa →
05
STAGE 05

Make the numbers work

Understand savings, export, smart tariffs and long-term value.

Back to journey ↑
25AILSA • ON-CAMERA
▶

Understanding solar ROI

Savings, export, payback and assumptions.

Ailsa presenter videoWatch Ailsa →
26AILSA • ON-CAMERA
▶

Solar savings explained

Self-consumption, avoided import and export income.

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27AILSA • ON-CAMERA
▶

Smart electricity tariffs

Peak, off-peak and time-of-use pricing.

Ailsa presenter videoWatch Ailsa →
28AILSA • ON-CAMERA
▶

Export tariffs explained

Getting paid for surplus electricity.

Ailsa presenter videoWatch Ailsa →
29AILSA • ON-CAMERA
▶

Solar + battery vs solar only

Comparing two common system approaches.

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30AILSA • ON-CAMERA
▶

25-year solar economics

How long-term savings estimates are built.

Ailsa presenter videoWatch Ailsa →
06
STAGE 06

Know the installation process

Know what good installation looks like from scaffold to commissioning.

Back to journey ↑
31AILSA • ON-CAMERA
▶

What happens during installation?

Scaffold, roof work, electrical work and handover.

Ailsa presenter videoWatch Ailsa →
32AILSA • ON-CAMERA
▶

How panels are fixed to your roof

Mounting systems, weatherproofing and workmanship.

Ailsa presenter videoWatch Ailsa →
33AILSA • ON-CAMERA
▶

Solar cable routes explained

DC and AC cabling and neat installation planning.

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34AILSA • ON-CAMERA
▶

Where should the battery go?

Location, access, environment and practical considerations.

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35AILSA • ON-CAMERA
▶

Commissioning and handover

Testing, documentation, monitoring and customer handover.

Ailsa presenter videoWatch Ailsa →
07
STAGE 07

Buy smarter & stay protected

Understand standards, safety, smart-home integration and how to compare installers.

Back to journey ↑
36AILSA • ON-CAMERA
▶

MCS explained

What MCS means in the UK solar market.

Ailsa presenter videoWatch Ailsa →
37AILSA • ON-CAMERA
▶

DNO, G98 & G99 explained

Why the electricity network needs to know about generation.

Ailsa presenter videoWatch Ailsa →
38AILSA • ON-CAMERA
▶

Solar safety explained

Electrical protection, isolation and safe system design.

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39AILSA • ON-CAMERA
▶

Solar and EV charging

Using home generation to support electric driving.

Ailsa presenter videoWatch Ailsa →
40AILSA • ON-CAMERA
▶

Solar and heat pumps

Planning generation and storage for electrified heating.

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41AILSA • ON-CAMERA
▶

Energy monitoring apps

Understanding generation, consumption, battery and grid flows.

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42AILSA • ON-CAMERA
▶

A day in a smart solar home

Follow energy from sunrise through the night.

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43AILSA • ON-CAMERA
▶

Why system design comes first

Why the system should be defined before prices are compared.

Ailsa presenter videoWatch Ailsa →
44AILSA • ON-CAMERA
▶

How to compare solar quotes

Compare specifications and value, not headline price.

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45AILSA • ON-CAMERA
▶

Questions to ask a solar installer

The important questions before signing anything.

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46AILSA • ON-CAMERA
▶

How we vet installation partners

The checks behind the Borders Solar partner network.

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47AILSA • ON-CAMERA
▶

Your 3–5 like-for-like quotes

How a fair comparison should work.

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48AILSA • ON-CAMERA
▶

Common solar sales myths

Separate useful facts from sales claims.

Ailsa presenter videoWatch Ailsa →
08
STAGE 08

Optimise after installation

Learn how to run the system well through every season.

Back to journey ↑
49AILSA • ON-CAMERA
▶

Getting the most from your system

Apps, tariffs, batteries and everyday optimisation.

Ailsa presenter videoWatch Ailsa →
50AILSA • ON-CAMERA
▶

Your first electricity bill after solar

What changes and what to look for.

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51AILSA • ON-CAMERA
▶

Winter battery strategy

How your energy strategy can change through the seasons.

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52AILSA • ON-CAMERA
▶

Solar maintenance

Cleaning, inspections, monitoring and fault awareness.

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53AILSA • ON-CAMERA
▶

Understanding your solar app

Reading power, energy and historical data.

Ailsa presenter videoWatch Ailsa →
WHEN YOU'RE READY

Turn learning into a property-specific design.

Now you understand the technology, we can design the right system for your home and send one clear specification to 3–5 vetted local installers.

Start my Simply Smarter design →
SOLAR ACADEMY

Everything worth knowing before you buy.

Solar in the Scottish Borders

What Scottish weather really means for PV generation.

Solar + Battery vs Solar Only

Where storage adds value and when it may not.

Understanding Your Electricity Bill

kWh, standing charges, import rates and export rates.

Solar Myths — Busted

Clouds, winter, maintenance, batteries and warranties.

Installation Explained

What happens from survey through commissioning.

How to Compare Installers

Reviews, experience, financial strength, warranties and aftercare.

READY FOR THE NEXT STEP?

Don't guess. Have your home properly designed.

We establish the right system first, then put the same specification to 3–5 vetted local installation partners so you can compare like-for-like.

Discover the Simply Smarter process →