DIY Solar UK: A Homeowner's Guide to Plug-In Solar Installation

What homeowners can safely do themselves

The DIY part of plug-in solar is deliberately limited. A homeowner can unpack the kit, mount panels using the manufacturer's brackets, connect the supplied leads, position the inverter, and plug the finished kit into a suitable 13 A socket. That is the boundary that makes the route different from conventional rooftop solar.

Mounting still needs care. Panels must be fixed so they cannot slide, fall, or catch the wind. Balcony brackets, garden frames, wall brackets, and flat roof mounts should be used only as the instructions allow. If the kit supplier specifies ballast, fixings, tilt limits, or no-drill mounting rules, follow those instructions exactly.

What needs a qualified or competent person?

Call an electrician or another competent electrical professional for any work beyond plugging in the kit. That includes hardwired connections, new circuits, consumer unit changes, work on breakers, work on RCD or RCBO protection, three-phase arrangements, fixed isolators, and battery storage wiring. Those jobs involve the fixed electrical installation and must be designed, installed, inspected, and tested properly.

Battery storage is especially important. A plug-in solar panel kit is not the same as a hardwired home battery. If a battery is wired into the home or can export through an inverter, the design may need G98 or G99 assessment as well as the wiring requirements in BS 7671.

Outdoor equipment and IP ratings

Outdoor solar equipment must be suitable for outdoor use. As a practical baseline, an inverter installed outdoors should be rated at least IP65, which means it is protected against dust and water jets. Do not place indoor-only power supplies, sockets, extension leads, or connectors outside.

Use weatherproof connectors supplied with the kit and keep them fully engaged. Avoid locations where water pools, where cables are pulled tight, or where the inverter sits in direct spray from gutters. If the manufacturer requires a shaded or ventilated position, follow that instruction.

Cable routing: simple safety rules

Cable routing is one of the main DIY risks. Keep cables out of walkways, doors, windows, garden paths, balcony thresholds, and places where people can trip. Do not crush cables under furniture, clip them where they can rub on sharp metal, or run them through puddles. Outdoor cable runs should be weatherproof, supported, and arranged so water cannot track into a plug or socket.

Avoid temporary extension leads as a permanent route. If the kit cannot reach a suitable socket without a poor cable run, call an electrician and ask whether a suitable socket or hardwired arrangement is needed.

Plug-in vs hardwired solar

Safety checklist before plugging in

• Use an approved plug-in solar kit within the 800 VA limit.
• Check the socket is in good condition and protected by an RCD or RCBO.
• Use only the supplied plug, leads, connectors, inverter, labels, and instructions.
• Keep outdoor equipment weatherproof, with at least IP65 for an inverter installed outdoors.
• Route cables so they do not create trip hazards or sit in standing water.
• Do not connect through damaged sockets, adaptors, multiway blocks, or improvised extension leads.
• Stop and call an electrician for consumer unit work, fixed wiring, three-phase supplies, or battery wiring.

After installation, submit a G98 notification to your DNO (your electricity network operator). The G98 notification guide explains the 28-day rule, and the G98 form generator helps create the paperwork.