For many households, installing solar panels and battery storage is one of the largest investments they will make in their home after the property itself. Yet too often, decisions are driven by headline pricing rather than lifetime performance. Across Swansea and South Wales, we repeatedly see the same avoidable mistakes. Most are not dramatic errors — they are small design compromises that quietly erode returns over 20–25 years. Here is what to avoid. 1. Not Treating Solar a