Guide
How DIY plug-in solar works
The 800W envelope, mounting options, the micro-inverter connection, and the G98 DNO notification step, in the order you'd actually work through them.
1. Check you're inside the 800W envelope
Plug-in kits are kept under roughly 800W so they sit outside DNO pre-approval territory. This is the sizing decision everything else depends on: go over it and you're into standard grid-connected solar, wired into your consumer unit, which is the MCS route instead.
2. Pick a mounting spot
Fence, balcony rail or a freestanding garden frame all work, and none of these normally need planning permission provided the panel doesn't attach to the building's roof or a wall fronting the highway. The Herne Bay Conservation Area covers 41 Grade II listed buildings, including Telford Terrace and the Hanover, Brunswick and Oxenden squares. and listed buildings need consent regardless of mounting method, so check which area you're in before you buy.
3. Connect via a compatible micro-inverter
The panel connects to a normal wall socket through a micro-inverter rather than being wired into your fuseboard. As of 27 August 2026 this route is explicitly legal UK-wide under an amendment to the 1994 Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations, closing a grey area plug-in solar had sat in for years. The trade body reaction (Electrical Contractors' Association) backs the change but has flagged that legal status doesn't remove the need to stay within the sub-800W envelope or notify your DNO correctly.
4. Add a battery if you want one
A small plug-in battery pairs with most micro-inverter kits to store daytime generation for evening use. It doesn't change the DNO position, since the system stays under the export threshold either way.
5. Notify the DNO
Almost every plug-in kit falls under the 3.68kW-per-phase G98 threshold, meaning you connect it first and notify UK Power Networks Southern, the DNO covering Herne Bay, Beltinge and Greenhill, within 28 days afterwards.
What plug-in solar won't do
It won't qualify for Smart Export Guarantee payments (that needs an MCS-certified, DNO-approved install with a Generation and Export meter), and it won't power a whole house. It offsets daytime baseline consumption, kettle, fridge, standby devices, on a sunny day. See how the Smart Export Guarantee works if export income matters to you, or compare with an MCS install directly.
Frequently asked questions
Is plug-in solar actually legal?
Yes, and more explicitly so from 27 August 2026: the government confirmed an amendment to the 1994 Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations that legalises plug-in solar UK-wide, closing a grey area it previously sat in. The Electrical Contractors' Association backs the change but has flagged that legalisation doesn't remove the need to stay within the sub-800W envelope and proper DNO notification.
Can I get Smart Export Guarantee payments from a plug-in kit?
No. SEG needs an MCS-certified, DNO-approved install with a Generation and Export meter. Plug-in solar isn't MCS-certified, so it offsets your own daytime consumption but doesn't earn export income.
What happens if I go over the 800W envelope?
You move out of the plug-in category and into standard grid-connected solar, which needs to be wired into your consumer unit by a qualified electrician and typically requires G98 or G99 DNO approval depending on size. At that point an MCS-certified install is the better fit.