DIY plug-in solar in the UK: what can you actually install yourself?

The biggest change

Until now, the UK plug-in solar conversation has been awkward because people could buy European balcony-solar hardware but there was no clean UK consumer-product route.

That changes on 27 August. Government has created a route for plug-in solar products that meet the final Interim Product Specification.

That means DIY plug-in solar becomes a real category — but it is a much more controlled category than “buy a microinverter and make something up”.

What a genuine DIY plug-in solar product should include

The exact product will vary by manufacturer, but the compliant item is the whole arrangement rather than just the inverter. I would expect to see:

• the specified solar modules,
• the inverter or microinverter,
• the manufacturer-supplied connection lead,
• a non-rewireable BS 1363 plug with a 5A fuse,
• the approved mounting arrangement,
• instructions for checking the consumer unit and socket circuit,
• instructions for DNO notification,
• and clear limits on where and how the system may be used.

What if I still want to build my own system from separate parts?

You can still design a small conventional PV installation from separate approved components, but that is not the new plug-in consumer-product route. It has to be treated as a normal electrical generation installation: designed and installed to the applicable wiring rules, connected under G98/G99 as appropriate, tested/certified where required and dealt with under Building Regulations/Part P where fixed wiring work is notifiable.

The key distinction is that a normal G98 notification can register a properly designed conventional microgeneration installation; it cannot turn a home-made socket-connected kit into an approved plug-in solar product.

What DIY does not mean

I would not treat the following as automatically covered by the new route:

• buying a standalone 800W microinverter and adding your own plug,
• mixing panels from one seller, an inverter from another and brackets from somewhere else,
• changing the supplied fuse or connection lead,
• adding extra panels beyond the manufacturer's approved arrangement,
• adding a battery to a solar-only product,
• or altering fixed wiring to make the product fit the house.

Some of those things may be possible as part of another properly designed electrical installation. They are just not the same thing as the new consumer self-install route.

Can I install it without an electrician?

If the complete product is compliant, your existing electrical installation passes the manufacturer's checks and no fixed wiring needs changing, that is exactly the sort of installation the new route is intended to allow.

If the board is old, the protection is unclear, you cannot identify the socket circuit, or the instructions tell you to obtain professional assessment, get it checked rather than guessing.

There is a separate guide explaining when an electrician is and is not needed.

What if I want a new socket or dedicated circuit?

Then you are moving into fixed electrical installation work rather than simply installing a consumer product.

A new circuit, consumer-unit change or other fixed-wiring alteration should be designed, installed, tested and certified through the correct route. In England, new circuits in dwellings are generally notifiable under Part P.

Can I use any socket?

No. The product instructions have to help the user establish which final circuit the socket is on and whether the protection is suitable.

You also should not assume that two different sockets mean two different circuits. Our ring final, radial and socket-circuit guide explains how to identify that properly.

How much solar can a DIY plug-in system have?

The final product specification sets the continuous AC output limit at 800VA and 3.5A, while allowing up to 2,000W of connected PV modules where the product is designed for it.

Above 960W of connected PV modules, the specification says professional assessment of the electrical installation should be considered.

Read the 800W / 800VA guide for the difference between AC output and panel wattage.

What about batteries?

The new plug-in solar IPS does not cover plug-in batteries or plug-in solar products incorporating electrical energy storage.

That means a battery-based European balcony system should not be treated as though it automatically gets the same DIY route. See the plug-in battery guide.

Why I still like the idea of starting small

There is still a lot to like about small DIY solar. It lets people see their own generation, learn how much power the house actually uses during the day and work out whether a larger solar or battery system would ever make sense.

I just think the best version of DIY solar is now much clearer: buy a product that has been designed for the job, install it as intended and use the experience to learn about your own energy use.

That is a much better starting point than trying to become the product manufacturer yourself.

Before you buy

• Check the complete product is intended for the new UK plug-in solar route.
• Check exactly which panels and mounting arrangement are included or approved.
• Check the manufacturer supplies the UK plug and 5A fused lead.
• Check your intended socket circuit and consumer-unit protection.
• Check whether you already have other generation at the property.
• For an approved plug-in product, confirm it appears on the official ENA registration route and use myplugin.solar.
• If you are building a conventional system from separate parts, understand the normal G98/G99 and electrical-installation process.
• Do not assume a battery version is covered.
• Do not alter the product just to make it fit your plan.

General guidance only. Always use the exact product instructions and current UK requirements applying at the time of installation.