Solar Fast

What Solar Fast does

Solar Fast was a UK-based residential solar panel installation company founded in 2019 and headquartered in Castleford. Its core offering was end-to-end solar PV system installation for UK homeowners, including panels, inverters, and battery storage solutions, supported by flexible consumer finance (10% deposit, 5/10/15-year plans). The company operated as the exclusive installation arm of Wickes Solar, leveraging Wickes' nationwide retail and digital distribution channels for customer acquisition rather than building an independent sales pipeline. Under the Wickes Solar partnership, Solar Fast completed over 5,000 residential installations across the UK and held MCS accreditation required for UK renewable energy installations.

In 2025, Solar Fast was acquired by the Wickes group (Wickes Building Supplies Limited, itself part of the Travis Perkins group lineage) and consolidated into Gas Fast Ltd. The brand was subsequently absorbed into a unified Wickes Solar identity, with operations now wholly owned and controlled by the parent conglomerate. Prior to and during the acquisition, Solar Fast was a regional installation partner of HYXI (formerly HYXiPOWER) and received the Installers Award 2025 at HYXI's Europe partner conference, validating installation quality among HYXI's European network. The headcount is reported at 11-50 employees, consistent with a regionally concentrated specialist installer rather than a scaled national operator.

Name

Solar Fast

Legal name

Solar Fast

Website

https://solarfast.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Solar Fast was a UK-based residential solar panel installation company that served as the exclusive installation partner for Wickes Solar, completing 5,000+ UK installations before being acquired by the Wickes group in 2025 and rebranded into Wickes Solar.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Solar Panel Installation Services

NAICS

Solar Electric Power Generation (221114)

SIC

Electrical Work (1731)

akta.pro primary industry

Solar EPC & Construction (Utility-Scale, Rooftop, Balance of System) (EUAMABAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Renewable Distributed Generation (Rooftop/Onsite Solar, Small Wind, Small Hydro) (EUACALAJ)

Keywords

• Solar panel installation
• Residential solar systems
• Renewable energy services
• Solar PV installation
• Battery storage solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Castleford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Solar Fast provided residential solar panel installation services in the UK, including solar PV systems, battery storage, and inverter solutions, paired with flexible consumer finance (10% deposit, 5/10/15-year plans). The company operated as the technical installation arm of Wickes Solar, completing over 5,000 installations nationwide before being acquired and rebranded into Wickes Solar under Gas Fast Ltd.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Residential Solar Panel Installation (Wickes Solar powered by Solar Fast) End-to-end residential solar PV system installation for UK homeowners, including solar panels, battery storage, and inverter solutions, with consumer finance options (10% deposit, 5/10/15-year plans). Originally delivered as Wickes Solar powered by Solar Fast, then consolidated under the unified Wickes Solar brand following acquisition.
• Battery and Inverter Solutions

Quantifiable outcome

• Wickes Solar has completed over 5,000 installations nationwide

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• HYXIcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSolar Fast is a regional partner of HYXI (formerly HYXiPOWER) in Europe. HYXI held its Europe 2026 New Product Launch & Partners Conference in Amsterdam where Solar Fast was presented with the Installers Award 2025, recognizing excellence in solar installations among regional partners.

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Solar Energy UK member installers (e.g., Greentech, Midsummer Energy): UK-based residential and commercial solar PV installation firms operating in the same market as Solar Fast, competing on installation quality, MCS accreditation, and customer finance offerings.
• Solarcentury (Statkraft): Solarcentury was a leading UK solar PV installer and developer, providing residential and commercial solar installations before being acquired by Statkraft. It represents a directly comparable specialist installer profile to Solar Fast's pre-acquisition business.

Broad incumbents

• EDF Solar (EDF Renewables UK): EDF offers residential solar PV and battery installation services in the UK alongside its core energy supply business, competing with Solar Fast through cross-subsidized marketing and bundled energy-plus-solar propositions.
• E.ON Solar Solutions: E.ON provides residential solar panel and battery installations in the UK as part of its broader energy services portfolio, leveraging its large existing customer base to drive solar leads similar to how Wickes supported Solar Fast.
• British Gas Solar & Storage: British Gas offers residential solar PV, battery storage, and EV charger installations across the UK, leveraging its incumbent energy supplier brand and existing customer relationships to compete directly with Solar Fast's rooftop solar offering.
• Octopus Energy (Octopus Solar): Octopus Energy has expanded into residential solar and heat pump installation in the UK, leveraging its large consumer energy base and strong brand to compete with Solar Fast on rooftop solar and integrated energy solutions.
• Statkraft (UK solar operations): Statkraft acquired Solarcentury and operates UK residential and commercial solar installation activities, representing a larger incumbent that competes with Solar Fast on scale and financing capability.

Emerging players

• Hometree (Home Services): Hometree is a UK home energy services company offering residential solar, battery, and heat pump installations with subscription-style finance, serving a similar homeowner segment to Solar Fast with comparable bundled low-carbon home upgrade offerings.

Others

• GreenMatch Solar UK: GreenMatch operates a UK solar installer comparison and lead-generation platform, connecting homeowners with vetted installation firms including those competing with Solar Fast. While not a direct installer, it shapes customer acquisition dynamics for the entire UK residential solar installer market.

Regional players

• OYSTA Energy (formerly Swiftren): OYSTA Energy is a residential solar and battery installer operating in select UK regions with finance offerings, serving a comparable homeowner customer base to Solar Fast though with a more limited geographic footprint.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/solarfastuk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/solar-fast

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Solar Fast