Plug-in solar
Plug-in solar in the UK: rules and safety
Plug-in solar became lawful in Great Britain on 27 August 2026 under SI 2026/848 — capped at 800 VA, solar only, and only for devices listed on the ENA Type Test Register.
The four conditions, in one place
800 VA, 3.5 A. Measured at the inverter output. The panels themselves may total up to 2,000 W of DC output: more panel than inverter is allowed, and in UK light it is the better design.
Solar only. The specification does not apply to battery systems or to solar devices integrated with them, which excludes a large share of what is currently sold in the UK.
On the ENA Type Test Register. Manufacturers must type test to G98 and register the device before placing it on the market. A device merely submitted for registration does not count.
G98 notification. Required on connection and disconnection, and one device per household until G98 is amended.
The check that matters is the register, not the packaging. Ask a seller whether the device is listed on the ENA Type Test Register: it is a verifiable question, unlike a certificate you cannot interpret. There is no consumer-facing "kit certificate" in this scheme, so anyone offering one is describing something that does not exist.
The rules
Four conditions, and the kits on UK shelves mostly fail at least one of them.
Compared with a real installation
An 800 VA kit and a 4kWp roof array are not the same product by a factor of five.
Who it suits
If you cannot drill your roof, this is the only option that exists.