Editorial and evidence policy
See how Solar Panel Price Check chooses sources, separates evidence from opinion, corrects pages and handles AI-assisted drafting on every guide we publish.
Evidence before certainty
A solar quote can look reasonable and still miss part of the scope. Likewise, a quote can look costly and still be fair because of site-specific work. So our guides split the detail into two kinds. First, we show what you can work out with a sum. Second, we show what needs proof.
A calculator can normalise the headline price per kWp. However, other parts need written evidence and professional judgement. These include design suitability, workmanship quality and aftercare. So we say when a point needs an expert.
Source order
We use sources in a fixed order. First come the strongest ones.
- MCS's own installation standard (currently MIS 3002 v6.0) and certified-installer register.
- RECC's consumer code and GOV.UK / Competition and Markets Authority guidance on unfair commercial practices.
- DESNZ and other official UK energy-policy reporting for pricing and market data.
- Commercial provider material only for clearly labelled examples, never as the sole basis for a pricing or safety claim.
AI-assisted production
Automated tools may help us organise research, draft structures and refresh figures against current sources. However, we do not publish a page just because a tool made it. Claims must fit the cited sources.
In addition, we avoid duplicate pages. Metadata must also describe the visible content accurately. Also, we check each figure against its source before it goes live, and we keep a record of the source behind every figure.
Review and corrections
Every guide carries a review date. A changed date should reflect a real review or material edit. At each review, we check pricing and standards references against MCS and DESNZ data.
We make corrections in place. Then the review date shows when we last checked the page. Also, we do not hide a fix. If you spot a problem, report it through the complaints and corrections page.
Commercial separation
We order information by user need, not by the commission value of an enquiry. Also, we label any active referral relationship or paid placement. As a result, an installer cannot buy an unqualified endorsement. In short, money does not decide what we say.