# Solar Panels and Battery, Cricklewood NW2 | Case Study > Solar panels and a Fox ESS battery on a new-build flat roof in Cricklewood NW2: frames held down by weight, the battery outdoors, no holes in the roof. *Climate Shield London — https://climateshieldlondon.co.uk/projects/solar-battery-cricklewood-nw2/. Verbatim from the page; this is the same content, not a summary.* --- ![The array on ballasted frames, with the access strip left along the parapet.](https://climateshieldlondon.co.uk/assets/img/case/cricklewood-nw2-01-960.webp) # Solar panels and a battery on a new-build roof in Cricklewood A new flat roof with a waterproofing warranty, a roof terrace, and a battery with no cupboard to go in. How we fitted all of it in NW2 without a single fixing through the roof. [Price my solar](https://climateshieldlondon.co.uk/prices/#solar) [WhatsApp us](https://wa.me/447875564437?text=Hi%20Climate%20Shield%2C%20I%20have%20seen%20your%20Cricklewood%20solar%20and%20battery%20job%20and%20would%20like%20a%20survey.) - Our own job, photographed on the day - Free survey and a fixed written price - MCS certified, NICEIC approved electrics ## Book a free survey Three taps and your number. Free, and nothing to sign. ## Accredited, and fitting the brands you know ![NICEIC approved contractor](https://climateshieldlondon.co.uk/projects/assets/img/accreditations/niceic-mark.webp) ![Gas Safe Register](https://climateshieldlondon.co.uk/projects/assets/img/accreditations/gas-safe-mark.webp) ![MCS certified](https://climateshieldlondon.co.uk/projects/assets/img/accreditations/mcs-mark.webp) ![RECC, Renewable Energy Consumer Code](https://climateshieldlondon.co.uk/projects/assets/img/accreditations/recc-mark.webp) ![TrustMark, Government Endorsed Quality](https://climateshieldlondon.co.uk/projects/assets/img/accreditations/trustmark-mark.webp) ![Vaillant](https://climateshieldlondon.co.uk/projects/assets/img/brands/vaillant.573f9864.webp) ![Clivet](https://climateshieldlondon.co.uk/projects/assets/img/brands/clivet.15efbad2.webp) ![Samsung](https://climateshieldlondon.co.uk/projects/assets/img/brands/samsung.3b6b3325.webp) ![Daikin](https://climateshieldlondon.co.uk/projects/assets/img/brands/daikin.ce47c11f.webp) ![Mitsubishi Electric](https://climateshieldlondon.co.uk/projects/assets/img/brands/mitsubishi-electric.2977d309.webp) ![Bosch](https://climateshieldlondon.co.uk/projects/assets/img/brands/bosch.7d80a7ce.webp) We installed solar panels on the flat roof of a new-build house in Cricklewood NW2, with a Fox ESS hybrid inverter and a Fox ESS CQ7 battery on the roof terrace. The panels stand on frames held down by weight, so the roof's waterproofing was never drilled, and the battery stands outdoors because its modules are rated for it. The panels run the house through the day, the battery keeps what the house is not using for the evening, and the inverter manages both from one box on the wall. ## The job at a glance Where Cricklewood NW2, London Borough of Brent Property New-build house with a flat roof and a roof terrace Installed Solar panels, a Fox ESS hybrid inverter and a Fox ESS CQ7 battery Battery LFP (lithium iron phosphate) modules, IP65 rated Holes in the roof None. The frames are held down by weight Finished September 2026 ## How the job was done Step by step, in the photographs taken on site. 1. ![The array on ballasted frames, with the access strip left along the parapet.](https://climateshieldlondon.co.uk/assets/img/case/cricklewood-nw2-01-960.webp) 1 The roof had to stay untouched A new-build flat roof has a waterproof membrane under the pebbles and a warranty that assumes nobody drills through it. So the panels are on low-tilt aluminium frames that stand on the roof and are held down by ballast. There is no fixing through the membrane anywhere on this roof. The frames are set back from the parapet, which leaves a clear strip along the edge to walk on and work from, now and every time the panels are checked or cleaned. 2. ![Battery, inverter and isolator on the roof terrace, on the battery's own base.](https://climateshieldlondon.co.uk/assets/img/case/cricklewood-nw2-02-960.webp) 2 The battery lives outside Most home batteries go in a garage or a cupboard, and this house had neither to spare. The battery went on the roof terrace instead, on its own paving base, clear of the planted roof around it. That is only acceptable because of what the battery is. The Fox ESS CQ7 modules are LFP and IP65 rated, which means built to stand outdoors, and it says so on each module's own label (it is the last photograph on this page). A battery without that rating does not go outside, whatever the space. 3. ![The same wall from across the terrace: inverter above, battery below.](https://climateshieldlondon.co.uk/assets/img/case/cricklewood-nw2-03-960.webp) 3 One wall, everything in reach The hybrid inverter is on the wall directly above the battery, with the isolator beside it and the cables dropped in one enclosed run rather than clipped across the brickwork. Anyone who ever needs to isolate the system or service it finds every part of it in one place, and nothing is left for the weather to get at. 4. ![The terrace and rooflights, with the battery kept against the wall line.](https://climateshieldlondon.co.uk/assets/img/case/cricklewood-nw2-04-960.webp) 4 The terrace still works as a terrace The panels are on a different part of the roof from the terrace, and the battery sits tight against the wall line, so the rooflights stay clear and the terrace is still a usable outdoor space. That was the whole point of the layout: solar and storage added to a new house without taking anything away from it. ## Every photograph from the job 5 photographs, no faces, nothing staged. ![The array on ballasted frames, with the access strip left along the parapet.](https://climateshieldlondon.co.uk/assets/img/case/cricklewood-nw2-01-960.webp) The array on ballasted frames, with the access strip left along the parapet. ![Battery, inverter and isolator on the roof terrace, on the battery's own base.](https://climateshieldlondon.co.uk/assets/img/case/cricklewood-nw2-02-960.webp) Battery, inverter and isolator on the roof terrace, on the battery's own base. ![The same wall from across the terrace: inverter above, battery below.](https://climateshieldlondon.co.uk/assets/img/case/cricklewood-nw2-03-960.webp) The same wall from across the terrace: inverter above, battery below. ![The terrace and rooflights, with the battery kept against the wall line.](https://climateshieldlondon.co.uk/assets/img/case/cricklewood-nw2-04-960.webp) The terrace and rooflights, with the battery kept against the wall line. ![The battery module's own label: Fox ESS CQ7, LFP, IP65.](https://climateshieldlondon.co.uk/assets/img/case/cricklewood-nw2-05-960.webp) The battery module's own label: Fox ESS CQ7, LFP, IP65. ## Want the same on your roof? What this job involved, applied to your own house. [Solar panelsRoof survey, 0% VAT and MCS certificationSolar panels](https://climateshieldlondon.co.uk/solar-panel-installation-london/) [Battery storageStore cheap or free power and use it in the eveningBattery storage](https://climateshieldlondon.co.uk/battery-storage-london/) [What solar and a battery costPriced per panel, per battery, per certificateWhat solar and a battery cost](https://climateshieldlondon.co.uk/solar-panel-cost-london/) [Cooling run on solarThe panels produce most when the cooling is needed mostCooling run on solar](https://climateshieldlondon.co.uk/air-conditioning-solar-panels/) ## Cricklewood NW2: questions about this job ### Can solar panels go on a new-build flat roof without drilling? Usually, yes. Ballasted frames stand on the roof and are held down by weight, so the membrane and its warranty are untouched. What decides it is whether the roof can carry the extra weight, which we check at the survey before anything is designed. This job is an example. [How a solar installation works with us](https://climateshieldlondon.co.uk/solar-panel-installation-london/). ### Can a home battery be installed outside? Only if the battery is rated for it. The modules on this job are IP65, which is an outdoor rating, and the manufacturer allows it. Many batteries are indoor-only and go in a garage, a loft or a cupboard instead. We check the rating and the manufacturer's installation rules for the battery you choose at the survey, and put it where those rules say it can go. ### What would a system like this cost for my house? It depends on the number of panels, the battery size and the roof. [The solar and battery calculator](https://climateshieldlondon.co.uk/solar-panel-cost-london/) gives you a figure in about a minute, from our own prices. The survey turns that into a fixed written price. ## More of our finished work Other jobs we have photographed. Tap one for the project. [All 39 installations](https://climateshieldlondon.co.uk/installations/) [![Daikin multi-split condenser in New Southgate N11](https://climateshieldlondon.co.uk/assets/img/projects/new-southgate-n11-ac-840.webp) Air conditioning N11 **New Southgate** Daikin multi-split condenser Wall-mounted on brackets rather than stood on the ground, which is usually what a narrow side return leaves you, and the refrigerant lines dropped in a single trunked run. View the project](https://climateshieldlondon.co.uk/installations/#new-southgate-n11-ac)[![Air source heat pump with roof-mounted solar in Winchmore Hill N21](https://climateshieldlondon.co.uk/assets/img/projects/winchmore-hill-n21-840.webp) Heat pump and solar N21 **Winchmore Hill** Air source heat pump with roof-mounted solar The panels sit across the rear pitch and the heat pump at the side of the house, which is the pairing that lets the pump run on its own generation through the middle of the day. View the project](https://climateshieldlondon.co.uk/installations/#winchmore-hill-n21)[![Samsung monobloc air source heat pump in Wood Green N22](https://climateshieldlondon.co.uk/assets/img/projects/wood-green-n22-840.webp) Heat pump N22 **Wood Green** Samsung monobloc air source heat pump Stood on a levelled base built up out of the border rather than on soil, so the feet stay out of standing water and the unit does not settle out of level over a winter. View the project](https://climateshieldlondon.co.uk/installations/#wood-green-n22)[![Samsung monobloc air source heat pump in Enfield EN3](https://climateshieldlondon.co.uk/assets/img/projects/enfield-en3-840.webp) Heat pump EN3 **Enfield** Samsung monobloc air source heat pump Set tight against the flank wall on anti-vibration feet, where it takes up none of the usable garden and the pipe run to the cylinder stays short. View the project](https://climateshieldlondon.co.uk/installations/#enfield-en3)[![Vaillant aroTHERM plus 7 kW air source heat pump in Enfield EN3](https://climateshieldlondon.co.uk/assets/img/projects/enfield-en3-vaillant-840.webp) Heat pump EN3 **Enfield** Vaillant aroTHERM plus 7 kW air source heat pump Stood on rubber anti-vibration blocks on the existing patio slabs rather than on a new base, against the rear fence and beside the drainage the house already had. View the project](https://climateshieldlondon.co.uk/installations/#enfield-en3-vaillant)[![Air source heat pump with solar and battery storage in Tottenham N15](https://climateshieldlondon.co.uk/assets/img/projects/tottenham-n15-840.webp) Heat pump, solar and battery N15 **Tottenham** Air source heat pump with solar and battery storage The whole electrical side on one wall: inverter, battery modules and every isolator in reach, with the conduit dressed in straight runs so a fault years from now can be traced without stripping the wall. View the project](https://climateshieldlondon.co.uk/installations/#tottenham-n15)[![Samsung monobloc air source heat pump in Camden NW1](https://climateshieldlondon.co.uk/assets/img/projects/camden-nw1-840.webp) Heat pump NW1 **Camden** Samsung monobloc air source heat pump Levelled on packers on an existing tiled patio rather than bolted through it, so the tiling stays intact and the unit still sits dead flat. View the project](https://climateshieldlondon.co.uk/installations/#camden-nw1)[![Samsung air source heat pump with hydrobox in North Finchley N12](https://climateshieldlondon.co.uk/assets/img/projects/north-finchley-n12-840.webp) Heat pump N12 **North Finchley** Samsung air source heat pump with hydrobox Heat pump and hydrobox both outside in the side passage, which keeps the whole system out of the house and leaves the cupboard the old boiler used. View the project](https://climateshieldlondon.co.uk/installations/#north-finchley-n12)[![Cascade pair of air source heat pumps in Barnet EN4](https://climateshieldlondon.co.uk/assets/img/projects/barnet-en4-cascade-840.webp) Heat pump EN4 **Barnet** Cascade pair of air source heat pumps Two machines in cascade on a flat roof, flow and return in insulated copper with isolating valves on each leg, so one can be shut down and worked on while the other keeps the building warm. View the project](https://climateshieldlondon.co.uk/installations/#barnet-en4-cascade)[![Samsung monobloc air source heat pump in Leytonstone E11](https://climateshieldlondon.co.uk/assets/img/projects/leytonstone-e11-840.webp) Heat pump E11 **Leytonstone** Samsung monobloc air source heat pump On its own slab set clear of the fence line, with the condensate taken away below ground level instead of being left to run across the paving and freeze. View the project](https://climateshieldlondon.co.uk/installations/#leytonstone-e11) ## Book a free survey for your roof We look at the roof, the space for a battery and the electrics, then send a written price that does not change. No cost and no obligation. Call 020 3393 1331 [WhatsApp us](https://wa.me/447875564437?text=Hi%20Climate%20Shield%2C%20I%20have%20seen%20your%20Cricklewood%20solar%20and%20battery%20job%20and%20would%20like%20a%20survey.) Monday to Friday 9am to 7pm, Saturday 10am to 3pm, Sunday closed Page updated 24 September 2026