Solar and battery storage for homes in Glasgow's East End

Tenements, cottage flats and post-war streets

Dennistoun and Bridgeton have long rows of sandstone tenements with slate roofs. Further east, Carntyne, Riddrie and parts of Shettleston have four-in-a-block cottage flats and interwar and post-war council-built houses, many now privately owned, often with concrete tile roofs. Newer housing has also gone up around Parkhead, Dalmarnock and the Clyde Gateway area, typically with simple, uniform roofs that can suit a neat array.

Multi-storey blocks and flats with flat roofs are a different case, and generally depend on the building owner or housing association rather than individual residents. If you rent from a housing association, speak to them first.

Planning and shared ownership

Dennistoun has a conservation area, and other parts of the East End include listed buildings, so planning permission or listed building consent may be required there. For most houses outside those areas, solar is usually permitted development in Scotland. In four-in-a-block flats and tenements, check the title deeds: the roof may be shared, and the other owners or your factor will usually need to agree. Glasgow City Council can confirm the planning position.

Open skies, batteries and heating

Much of the East End is relatively open and low-lying, with fewer large trees overhanging roofs than the villa suburbs. Panels respond to daylight rather than heat, so overcast days still produce power. Tenement backcourts can still be hemmed in by neighbouring buildings, so lower rear slopes are checked carefully. A battery lets you use more of your generation in the evening, when most households need it. Houses with a garden or side path can often take a Vaillant air source heat pump, and our MCS-certified partner checks space, noise and heat loss.