Do Plug-in Solar Panels Need to Be Registered in the UK?

There are now two different registration routes to understand

What does “registering” plug-in solar actually mean?

People normally call it registering the solar panels. Technically, what matters is notifying the company that operates the local electricity distribution network that you have connected generation at the property.

That company is your DNO. It is not necessarily the company you buy electricity from.

The reason is fairly simple. Your plug-in solar may be small, but it is still a generator operating in parallel with the public electricity network. The network operator needs to know where generation is connected.

Does the new law remove G98?

No.

This is an important distinction because the headlines about “plug-in solar without an electrician” can easily sound as though all the old requirements have disappeared.

They haven't. The government has created a specific product route for safe socket-connected solar, while the network connection side continues to sit alongside it.

The final IPS requires the inverter documentation to include the applicable unit certification under Engineering Recommendation G98. It also requires the complete product to tell the user that DNO notification is mandatory.

What happened to the familiar 3.68 kW G98 limit?

G98 is much wider than plug-in solar. For ordinary single-phase microgeneration, people will often recognise the 16 A per phase / 3.68 kW threshold.

But I would not use that figure to decide whether a product qualifies for the new plug-in solar route.

The new plug-in solar product specification has its own much lower limit: the inverter output of the complete plug-in product is limited to 800 VA (and the IPS specifies a maximum continuous output current of 3.5 A).

So a 3 kW inverter does not become a legal plug-in solar product simply because 3 kW is below the familiar G98 single-phase threshold.

Is it “fit and notify”?

Traditional G98 single-premises microgeneration is commonly described as fit and notify. Under the established G98 process, a compliant single microgenerator can generally be commissioned and the DNO then receives the installation information within the required timescale.

Current published G98 documentation states that commissioning information is to be provided no later than 28 days after commissioning for the standard single-premises process.

For a plug-in solar product, however, I would follow the specific notification instructions supplied with the product and the current process used by your DNO. The new framework is explicitly supposed to give consumers a clear route rather than expecting them to interpret an engineering recommendation themselves.

Can I register it myself?

Yes, for an approved plug-in solar device. The new ENA portal is clearly designed for householders: step 1 asks for your details and installation address; step 2 asks you to select the approved plug-in solar device.

This is much simpler than the traditional G98 paperwork. The portal also makes an important compliance check unavoidable because the device list is pre-populated rather than letting you type any random inverter into the plug-in route.

If you have built a system from separate parts, that does not mean you should pick a vaguely similar approved device. A bespoke system belongs in the normal electrical-design/network-connection route, not the consumer plug-in registration shortcut.

What information am I likely to need?

The exact process can vary, but the useful information to have ready normally includes:

• your name and property address,
• your electricity supply details and often the MPAN,
• the manufacturer and exact model of the plug-in solar product/inverter,
• the inverter's registered/rated capacity,
• the G98 type-test or manufacturer's reference information,
• the date the device was connected,
• and any serial number or product identification requested.

A compliant product should make the technical parts much easier because the manufacturer is responsible for providing the product and certification information.

How do I find my DNO?

Your electricity supplier and your DNO are different companies. The supplier bills you; the DNO operates the local cables and network.

Your DNO can be identified from your address/MPAN using the network-operator lookup services. The manufacturer instructions for a compliant plug-in solar product should also point you towards the notification route.

What if I already have solar panels?

This is where I would be more cautious.

Do not assume that an 800 VA plug-in device can simply be added on top of an existing rooftop PV system without considering the existing generation connection and what the DNO already has registered at the property.

G98/G99 requirements look at generation connected at the premises, not just the label on the new product. If you already have solar, a battery inverter or another generator, check with the manufacturer and DNO before adding plug-in solar.

Can I have more than one plug-in solar device?

Not currently. Energy Saving Trust’s launch-day guidance says to connect only one plug-in solar device per property, and its FAQ says this is due to the current regulations. The product specification discusses one device per final circuit, but the live consumer guidance is the rule I would follow today.

Do I have to notify the DNO when I remove it?

Yes — this is easy to miss.

The final IPS requires the product marking to state that DNO notification about both connection and disconnection is mandatory.

That makes sense. If the network operator is keeping a record of generation at the property, it also needs that record corrected when the generator is permanently removed.

Does DNO notification make the installation legal?

No. Sending a form does not turn a non-compliant product into a compliant one.

You still need the correct product, a suitable electrical installation, correct mounting and to follow the manufacturer's instructions. Likewise, owning a G98-certified microinverter by itself does not mean that a home-made collection of parts meets the new plug-in solar product specification.

For the wider position read Is plug-in solar legal in the UK? and Do I need an electrician for plug-in solar?

What I would do after buying a compliant kit

1. Check the exact product is approved. The model should appear on the ENA device register / official plug-in registration selector.
2. Read the UK instructions before connecting it. Make sure your property and intended circuit meet the checks.
3. Go to myplugin.solar. Enter the installation details and select the exact device from the approved list.
4. Keep confirmation. Save the acknowledgement/reference with the product paperwork.
5. Follow the portal/manufacturer instructions if the device is later removed or replaced.

This is practical general guidance rather than a substitute for the current Engineering Recommendation, your DNO's instructions or the manufacturer's documentation. Network requirements are being updated alongside the new plug-in solar framework, so check the instructions supplied with the exact product you are connecting.