AONB & National Park Electrical Specialists
Sensitive, conservation-aware electrical work across Dartmoor, Exmoor & all South West Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Solutions Ltd
Working in Protected Landscapes
The South West is home to two National Parks (Dartmoor and Exmoor) and seven Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Properties inside these protected landscapes face stricter planning rules, dark-sky lighting policies, and the practical realities of working in granite, cob and stone — often at the end of long single-phase rural supplies. We specialise in this exact niche.
Dartmoor National Park
Granite farmhouses, longhouses, isolated supply, off-grid solar & battery work.
Exmoor National Park
Hill farms, stone-built cottages, single-phase upgrades and renewables.
South Devon AONB
Coastal villages from Salcombe to Dartmouth — listed and unlisted heritage stock.
East Devon AONB
Sidmouth, Branscombe, Beer & the Otter Valley — thatched & listed properties.
Tamar Valley AONB
Cornwall border, mining heritage, off-grid renewable installations.
Blackdown Hills AONB
Wellington, Hemyock & Honiton hinterland — rural electrification work.
North Devon Coast AONB
Lynton, Lynmouth, Combe Martin — exposed coastal supply protection.
Quantock Hills AONB
England's first AONB — sensitive listed and stone-built property work.
What Makes AONB & National Park Work Different
Planning & Permitted Development
Solar PV, EV chargers and external lighting in AONBs and National Parks often fall outside permitted development. We help you navigate the planning process with Dartmoor, Exmoor and AONB Partnership conservation officers and prepare evidence packs that demonstrate minimal visual impact.
Dark Skies Compliance
Exmoor is the UK's first International Dark Sky Reserve. All external lighting we install is fully shielded, warm-white (≤2,700K) and zero-uplight to comply with dark-sky principles. We also use motion-activated rather than dusk-to-dawn controls.
Off-Grid & Hybrid Supply
Many AONB properties run on long single-phase rural supplies, generators or off-grid solar+battery systems. We design and install hybrid systems that combine PV, lithium battery storage, wind, and grid or generator backup — keeping the lights on through Dartmoor winters.
Visual Sensitivity
Solar arrays, EV chargers, external CCTV and air-source heat pump wiring must be sited and finished sympathetically. We use ground-mounted PV behind hedge banks, recessed EV chargers, slate-grey enclosures and concealed cable routing.
Granite, Stone & Cob Construction
Drilling 600mm of Dartmoor granite or 400mm of cob is not a job for a generalist. We have the diamond-core kit, the patience, and the experience to install cleanly without splitting stone or compromising structural integrity.
Services We Provide in Protected Landscapes
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I install solar panels on a property in Dartmoor National Park?
Yes, but planning permission is almost always required — solar PV is not normally permitted development inside Dartmoor or Exmoor National Parks, or on listed properties anywhere. We work with Dartmoor National Park Authority's planning team to design ground-mounted, in-roof, slate-grey or barn-mounted arrays that minimise visual impact and stand the best chance of approval. We have completed installations from Postbridge to Princetown.
Do I need special lighting in Exmoor's Dark Sky Reserve?
Yes. Exmoor National Park's lighting policy requires all external fittings to be fully shielded (zero uplight), warm-white at 2,700K or below, and switched off or motion-controlled outside operating hours. We design every external lighting scheme inside Exmoor to comply, and can retrofit existing properties to bring them into line.
Can you work on properties with no mains electricity?
Yes. Off-grid is one of our specialisms. We design and install solar PV + lithium battery systems sized to your annual usage, with optional small wind turbine top-up and silent diesel or LPG generator backup. Recent off-grid installations have powered Dartmoor longhouses and Exmoor smallholdings entirely from renewables for 10+ months a year.
Will you damage the granite or cob walls of my AONB cottage?
No. We diamond-core all stone penetrations, route cables through existing voids and chases wherever possible, and use breathable lime-based making-good in cob walls. Every cable run is photographed before being closed up so future maintenance is straightforward.
Do you install wind turbines in National Parks?
We install small (≤6kW) domestic and agricultural wind turbines and provide all the electrical works — inverter, isolation, grid-tie or off-grid wiring, and G98/G99 DNO notification. Planning is the bigger hurdle inside National Parks; we'll advise honestly on viability before quoting.