Guide
Balcony solar panels in the UK: what you can fit
We may earn commission if you buy through our links. It never changes our rankings. How we work with suppliers.
Balcony solar is the everyday name for plug-in solar: up to 800 W of panels with a small inverter that plugs into a wall socket. It has been allowed in England, Wales and Scotland since 27 August 2026, for kits that meet the government's specification.
Before you buy
- Permission. Renters need the landlord's agreement, and leaseholders usually need the freeholder's or managing agent's. Listed buildings and some conservation areas need more.
- Fixing. Use the maker's brackets for your railing or wall. Panels act like a sail in wind.
- Direction. South is best. An upright panel on a balcony makes noticeably less than one tilted on a roof: savings in numbers.
- The socket. The kit plugs straight into one wall socket, never an extension lead or adaptor.
- The register. We only recommend kits we can find on the .
The full rules are in our plug-in solar rules guide, and the calculator checks whether your home is suitable.
Not electrical advice. We compare products; we are not electricians. Before you connect a solar kit to your home, ask a qualified electrician to check the socket, the circuit and your consumer unit, and follow the maker's instructions.
Plug-in solar kits worth a look
Questions buyers ask before buying
Will it ever pay for itself?
On the government's figures an 800 W kit tilted south saves about £113 a year in a home where someone is in during the day. The cheapest register-listed kit we list is £449 (sold out at the seller today), so that is roughly 4 years, and panels usually last far longer. Your home will differ: check yours in six questions.
Is it really legal and safe to plug into a socket?
Yes in England, Wales and Scotland since 27 August 2026, for kits listed on the ENA Type Test Register. We only recommend kits whose listing we could confirm, and each kit page shows it. The rules ask for a modern consumer unit and no extension leads; if your fuse box is old, get an electrician to check it first. Is plug-in solar safe?
My house doesn't face south.
East or west still works. The government's figure for an upright east or west wall is about £72 a year with the same kit. North-facing is the one case where it is rarely worth it, and our calculator says so. Every direction compared.
I rent, or I live in a flat.
Plug-in solar was designed with flats in mind: no roof, no installer. You need your landlord's or freeholder's permission, and when you move you unplug it and take it with you, telling the network operator both times.
Sounds complicated.
Fix the panels with the maker's brackets, plug the kit into an outdoor socket, and tell your network operator using the QR code on the label. No meter change and no installer for the kit itself.
Can't I add a battery to use it in the evening?
Not under the plug-in rules: batteries are outside them and need fitting by a registered electrician. A plug-in kit pays back fastest on power you use in the day. Are solar batteries safe and legal?
Ready to choose?