Where Can You Install Plug-in Solar Panels?

From 27 August 2026, compliant plug-in solar systems can be legally self-installed in UK homes. On the same day, England's permitted development rules were updated to specifically cover plug-in solar and make some types of installation easier for householders.

This guide explains where you can install plug-in solar without applying for planning permission, where additional permission may be needed, and the small number of locations where plug-in solar must not be installed at all.

The rules depend mainly on where the panels are installed and how they are mounted. Roofs, walls, balconies and free-standing garden frames each have their own limits, and there are some differences between houses and blocks of flats, so we have broken the guidance down by installation type.

Key takeaways

• Plug-in solar panels can often be installed without planning permission. Suitable roofs, walls, balconies and free-standing garden frames can all qualify, provided the relevant limits are followed.
• Roof-mounted panels have different limits for pitched and flat roofs. Pitched-roof installations have a 20cm projection limit, while panels on flat roofs can extend up to 60cm above the roof.
• Solar equipment attached to a house wall or balcony enclosure can normally project up to 40cm. This reduces to 20cm where the wall or balcony is directly beside a highway.
• The rules for installing plug-in solar panels on a block of flats are more restrictive. This includes panels on external walls, balconies and free-standing frames in shared grounds.
• Timber balconies and timber-clad walls are prohibited locations for plug-in solar. Certain other cladding systems are also prohibited, while wooden walls, fences, gates and other wooden enclosures fall outside permitted development rights.
• Listed buildings and homes in conservation areas can face additional restrictions. Depending on the property and installation, you may need planning permission, listed building consent or another form of approval.
• Renters and some flat or apartment owners may need permission before installing plug-in solar. Depending on the property, this could mean getting approval from a landlord, freeholder, managing agent or housing provider.

Installing plug-in solar panels on a roof

If you have a suitable roof, it can be one of the best places to install plug-in solar. Roof-mounted panels are kept off the ground and out of the way, are often less affected by nearby shading, and can usually be positioned at a better angle to capture sunlight and generate more electricity.

A suitable roof could be part of the main house, such as a garage or extension, or an outbuilding in the garden such as a shed, summer house, garden office, pergola or gazebo. The roof should also be structurally suitable for the weight of the panels and mounting equipment.

The permitted development limits are slightly different depending on whether the panels are installed on a pitched roof or a flat roof.

Note: The planning rules do not specify an angle at which a roof becomes a ‘flat roof’ versus a ‘pitched roof’. A flat roof does not need to be completely level and will often have a slight slope to allow rainwater to drain away.

Plug-in solar panels on pitched or sloped roofs

For solar panels installed on a pitched or sloped roof, the following permitted development rules apply:

• The solar equipment must not project more than 20cm beyond the plane of the roof slope, measured at a right angle to the roof.
• The highest part of the solar equipment must not extend above the highest part of the roof, excluding any chimney.

These limits apply to pitched roofs on the main house as well as garages, extensions and outbuildings such as sheds and garden offices.

Plug-in solar panels on flat roofs

For solar panels installed on a flat roof, the following permitted development rule applies:

• The highest part of the solar equipment must not be more than 60cm above the highest part of the roof, excluding any chimney.

This includes flat-roofed extensions, garages, sheds, garden offices and other domestic outbuildings, as well as the main house.

Installing plug-in solar on a balcony

If you have a suitable balcony with access to a mains socket, it can be a great place to install plug-in solar panels. Panels can be mounted to the outside of the balcony enclosure or railing, keeping them off the ground and often giving them good exposure to sunlight.

The permitted development rules are slightly different for balconies on houses and balconies on blocks of flats. In both cases, timber balconies are excluded: the Interim Product Specification specifically prohibits plug-in solar from being installed on timber balconies.

Plug-in solar panels on balconies attached to houses

For solar panels installed on a balcony enclosure on a house, the following permitted development rules apply:

• The solar equipment can project up to 40cm from the balcony enclosure.
• If the balcony is directly beside a highway, the maximum projection is reduced to 20cm.

The projection is measured at a right angle from the outside of the balcony enclosure.

For example, a balcony overlooking a private back garden would normally fall under the 40cm limit. If the balcony is at the front of the house and directly beside a pavement or road, the 20cm limit would apply. In planning terms, a highway can also include footpaths, cycle paths and bridleways.

Plug-in solar panels on balconies in blocks of flats

Plug-in solar panels can also qualify as permitted development when installed on a balcony in a block of flats.

However, unlike the new rules for balconies attached to houses, the permitted development rules for blocks of flats do not currently specify how far panels attached to a balcony enclosure or railing may project. The existing rules set a 20cm projection limit for solar equipment mounted on an external wall, but do not expressly apply that same limit to a balcony enclosure.

Until this is clarified, if you live in a block of flats and want to install plug-in solar panels on your balcony, we recommend checking with your local planning authority before installation and asking them to confirm how the projection rules apply to your balcony. You should also get permission from the landlord, freeholder or managing agent before installing any solar equipment.

Installing plug-in solar panels on a wall

If you do not have a suitable roof or garden space, an external wall can be another good location for plug-in solar panels. Panels can be mounted upright against a wall or angled outwards to capture more sunlight, provided they stay within the permitted projection limits.

This can include the wall of the main house as well as a garage, extension or outbuilding such as a shed or garden office.

The permitted development rules are slightly different for walls on houses and walls on blocks of flats. In both cases, installing plug-in solar on a wooden wall falls outside permitted development and may require planning permission. Plug-in solar must not be installed on an exterior wall clad in timber, and some other cladding types are also prohibited. These restrictions are covered in more detail in the prohibited locations section later in this guide.

Plug-in solar panels on walls of houses and outbuildings

For solar panels installed on an external wall of a house or outbuilding, the following permitted development rules apply:

• The solar equipment can project up to 40cm from the wall.
• If the wall is directly beside a highway, the maximum projection is reduced to 20cm.

The projection is measured at a right angle from the outside surface of the wall.

The 40cm allowance gives enough room for panels to be angled away from the wall rather than mounted completely upright. Where the wall runs directly alongside a highway, the 20cm limit applies instead. In planning terms, a highway can include roads and pavements as well as footpaths, cycle paths and bridleways.

Plug-in solar panels on walls of blocks of flats

For solar panels installed on an external wall of a block of flats, the following permitted development rule applies:

• The solar equipment must not project more than 20cm from the wall.

The additional 40cm projection allowance introduced for houses does not apply to blocks of flats.

As with balcony installations, you should also check with the landlord, freeholder or managing agent before fixing solar panels to an external wall of your block of flats or apartment building.

Installing plug-in solar panels on a free-standing garden frame

If you have suitable outdoor space, a free-standing garden frame can be one of the simplest ways to install plug-in solar panels. The panels sit on their own frame rather than being attached to a building or wall, and can often be positioned and angled to make good use of the available sunlight. They can also be easier to move or reposition than panels installed on a roof, wall or balcony.

These installations could include an A-frame, a low angled rack or a securely ballasted frame positioned on a lawn, patio or other suitable area of the garden.

For solar panels installed on a free-standing frame within the grounds of a house, the following permitted development rules apply:

• If the frame is in front of the house and within 5 metres of the property boundary, such as in a typical front garden, it can be up to 1 metre high.
• If it is within 5 metres of the property boundary elsewhere, such as in a side or back garden, it can be up to 2 metres high.
• If it is more than 5 metres from the property boundary, it can be up to 4 metres high.
• In all cases, the total surface area of the solar panels must not exceed 9 square metres.
• There must not be more than one stand-alone solar installation within the grounds of the house.

There are additional rules in some protected locations. In a conservation area, for example, a 2 metre height limit can apply where the installation is positioned closer to a highway than the part of the house nearest that highway. Some installations on designated land may also require prior approval from the local planning authority.

Note for flats and apartments: The rules above apply to free-standing solar installations within the grounds of a house. The permitted development rules for garden frames within the grounds of a block of flats are more restrictive, so if you live in a flat or apartment and want to use a free-standing solar frame, check with your local planning authority before installation.

Where can't you install plug-in solar panels?

Most of the locations covered above can qualify as permitted development when the relevant size, height and projection limits are followed. There are, however, some places where additional planning permission is needed and others where compliant plug-in solar must not be installed at all.

The biggest restrictions relate to timber, certain types of external wall cladding and protected buildings or locations.

Locations where plug-in solar must not be installed

The Plug-in Solar Device Interim Product Specification sets out several locations where compliant plug-in solar cannot be installed.

These include:

• Timber balconies.
• Timber cladding systems.
• Aluminium composite material (ACM) or metal composite material (MCM) cladding systems.
• High-pressure laminate (HPL) cladding systems.
• Buildings subject to external wall remediation works, building safety remediation works or equivalent restrictions relating to external wall fire safety.

In simple terms, these cladding restrictions apply to the external wall or surface that the panels are fixed to. You should not attach plug-in solar panels to a wall clad in timber, ACM/MCM or HPL. This does not prevent panels being installed on a suitable roof simply because the building itself has timber walls or cladding.

Panels must also not be fixed to walls or other parts of a building that form the property boundary between neighbouring dwellings, and installations must not block escape or rescue routes.

These are restrictions placed on compliant plug-in solar installations. Getting planning permission does not override them.

Locations where planning permission may be required

Some other locations are not prohibited outright, but cannot rely on permitted development rights.

This includes plug-in solar installed on:

• A wooden wall or wooden enclosure.
• A wooden fence, gate, garden wall or other wooden means of enclosure.
• An installation that exceeds any of the height, size or projection limits covered earlier in this guide.

Timber is therefore particularly important to check. Timber balconies and timber cladding are prohibited under the product safety rules, while wooden walls, fences, gates and other wooden enclosures fall outside permitted development and may require a planning application.

There are also additional restrictions for listed buildings, scheduled monuments and some installations in conservation areas, World Heritage Sites and other protected locations.

If your home is listed or in a protected location, check with your local planning authority before installing plug-in solar. Depending on the property and proposed installation, you may need planning permission, prior approval, listed building consent or another form of permission.

Before you install

Planning permission is only one part of choosing a location for plug-in solar.

You should also:

• Use only a mounting method and installation position approved by the kit manufacturer.
• Make sure the mounting system is properly secured and suitable for expected UK wind and weather conditions.
• Get permission from your landlord, freeholder, managing agent or property owner where required.
• Keep escape and rescue routes clear.
• Check whether your home is listed or in a conservation area or another protected location.
• Contact your local planning authority if you are unsure whether a particular installation qualifies as permitted development.

Plug-in solar mounting methods should also be reversible and non-permanent, and must not compromise the structural integrity, fire performance or weatherproofing of the building.

Permission for renters and flat owners

If you rent your home or flat, you should get permission from your landlord or housing provider before installing plug-in solar panels, even where the installation itself qualifies as permitted development. See our Plug-in solar for renters and tenants guide for more information on getting permission, choosing a suitable location and approaching your landlord or housing provider.

If you own a flat or apartment in a shared building, you may still need permission from the freeholder or managing agent before attaching panels to a balcony, external wall or other part of the building, or before using communal outdoor space.

In summary

For most houses in England, plug-in solar panels can be installed on a suitable roof, wall or balcony, or on a free-standing garden frame, without applying for planning permission, provided the relevant permitted development limits are followed.

The rules are more restrictive for some installations in blocks of flats, and additional restrictions apply to listed buildings, protected locations and certain timber or clad surfaces.

If you rent your home, or live in a flat or apartment within a shared building, you should also get any necessary permission from the landlord, freeholder or managing agent before installation.

Finally, remember that an installation falling outside permitted development is not necessarily prohibited. It may simply mean that planning permission is required. Locations prohibited by the Plug-in Solar Device Interim Product Specification are different and must not be used.