Getting Started with Plug-In Solar

Getting a plug-in solar system up and running in 2026 involves a few more steps than simply buying panels and plugging them in, but it is genuinely not complicated. This guide walks you through the whole process in the order you need to do it.

Step 1: Check if your home is suitable

Before you spend anything, spend five minutes checking the basics.

Outdoor space with a south-facing aspect. A balcony railing, garden fence, shed roof or patch of ground that faces roughly south is what you need. East or west-facing positions work but produce noticeably less electricity. North-facing is not worth doing.

A socket you can reach. Most kits come with a cable of three to five metres. You need an outdoor socket, or a window or door through enough of a gap to run the cable safely. If you do not have an outdoor socket, having one installed is a straightforward job for an electrician and often makes sense to do at the same time as the solar connection.

No significant shading. Trees, buildings or overhangs that shade your panels for a large part of the day will reduce output substantially. Try to pick a position where the panels will have unobstructed sun for most of the day.

If you rent or own a leasehold flat, you will also need to check with your landlord or freeholder before going any further. See the regulations page for details on what you need permission for and how to ask.

Step 2: Work out your likely saving

Use our Savings Calculator to get a rough sense of what an 800W system would save you per year based on your location and orientation. If the annual saving looks worthwhile relative to the kit cost, move on. If the numbers are marginal because of orientation or location, it is worth thinking carefully before committing.

The government’s benchmark is up to £110 per year for a typical household with an 800W system. Well-positioned south-facing systems in central and southern England regularly exceed this.

Step 3: Choose your kit

Our Best Kits of 2026 page covers the main options currently available in the UK with honest assessments of each. For most first-time buyers, the EcoFlow STREAM 800W kit is the most straightforward starting point. If you want to keep costs down and are comfortable sourcing components yourself, a Hoymiles microinverter with separate panels is a solid alternative.

Key things to check before buying any kit:

  • CE or UKCA marking on the microinverter
  • G98 compliance confirmed in the documentation
  • Output of 800W or less
  • At least a 25-year panel warranty and ten or more years on the microinverter

Step 4: Notify your Distribution Network Operator

Before connecting your system, you must notify your local Distribution Network Operator (DNO) under G98 regulations. This is a free online process that takes around 15 minutes.

Find your DNO using your postcode at Energy Networks Association. Once you know who your DNO is, go to their website and look for the G98 notification form. You will need the make and model of your microinverter and its maximum output in watts. Submit the form and save the confirmation.

Some kit suppliers handle G98 notification on your behalf as part of the purchase process. Check whether yours does before doing it yourself.

Step 5: Mount the panels

Panel mounting does not require specialist skills. The most common options are:

Balcony railing brackets. Clamp onto most standard railings without drilling. Takes around an hour. The panels sit vertically, which reduces output slightly compared to an angled mount but is perfectly worthwhile for a south-facing balcony.

Ground-mounted frame. Adjustable tilt frames sit on a hard surface or are pegged into grass. Allows you to get close to the optimal 35 to 40 degree angle for maximum output. The best option if you have garden space.

Wall brackets. Bolt to a south-facing wall and hold panels at a fixed angle. More permanent than railing or ground mounts. Good for homeowners who want a tidier, fixed installation.

Follow the mounting instructions that come with your kit. Do not mount panels in a position where they could fall and cause injury, and make sure any external cable run is properly secured and protected from damage.

Step 6: Connect the system

Until the BSI product standard is published around July 2026, the fully compliant route is to have a CPS-registered electrician make the final connection. This typically costs £250 to £450 depending on your location and the complexity of the job. Find a registered electrician through the Electrical Safety First register.

Once the BSI standard is published and fully certified DIY kits are on sale, you will be able to connect by plugging into a standard socket yourself, with no electrician required.

When the system is connected, it starts generating immediately. There is nothing to switch on or configure for basic operation.

Step 7: Check your consumer unit

Before the electrician connects the system, or as part of the same visit, it is worth checking that the circuit your system connects to has Type A RCD protection. Most modern consumer units do. If yours has older Type AC RCDs, an upgrade is advisable. Your electrician can check this and advise.

Step 8: Monitor your generation

Most plug-in solar kits come with a companion app that shows real-time and historical generation data. Set it up when the system is connected and spend a few weeks getting a feel for what your system produces under different weather conditions and times of day.

If you are on a standard variable tariff, it is worth comparing time-of-use options at this point. If you add or are planning to add battery storage, Octopus Go and other time-of-use tariffs can significantly increase your annual saving by letting you charge cheaply overnight and maximise self-consumption during the day.

What to expect in the first few months

April through September is when UK plug-in solar earns most of its annual saving. A well-positioned south-facing 800W system can generate 2 to 3.5 kilowatt hours on a clear summer day. Cloudy days produce less but still contribute. Expect generation to drop noticeably from October and to be relatively modest through winter before recovering strongly in March and April.

Your payback clock starts the day the system is connected. Most panel-only systems recoup their cost within three to five years. After that, the electricity is free.

Where to go from here