Lidl Plug-in Solar Kits Could Be Coming to the UK Soon

Lidl has been expected to enter the market

Lidl has been connected with the UK plug-in solar rollout from the beginning.

Back in March, the government specifically named Lidl as one of the retailers working with it to bring plug-in solar to the UK market. In that announcement, Lidl GB also publicly backed modernising the regulatory framework.

Retailers like Lidl and Iceland, alongside manufacturers such as EcoFlow, are working with government to enable them to be brought to the UK market.

Since the rules changed in August, though, there has been no sign of an actual Lidl GB kit.

There is plenty of reason for people to be interested when one does arrive. Lidl has built much of its reputation around competitive pricing, and bringing that approach to plug-in solar could put useful pressure on the rest of the market.

Its reach could matter just as much as its pricing. More than three in five British households now shop at Lidl, which became Britain’s fifth-largest supermarket earlier this year. Lidl also recorded 43 million additional customer visits during its last financial year.

Putting compliant plug-in solar in front of that many mainstream shoppers could give adoption another significant push.

And there are now signs that Lidl’s entry might not be far away.

Two UK approvals from Lidl supplier VALE

The strongest clue so far comes from VALE GmbH, which already supplies plug-in solar kits through Lidl in Germany and has now secured UK ENA approval for two 900Wp plug-in solar configurations. The following two VALE GmbH plug-in solar registrations were recently approved by the ENA:

VALE 900Wp EcoFlow EF-PS-800 3-in-1 kit
ENA approval record: VALEG/21503/V1

VALE 900Wp MX800lite 3-in-1 kit
ENA approval record: VALEG/21271/V1/A1

Lidl Germany already sells very similar VALE systems. One is a 900Wp / 800W EcoFlow kit with four flexible 225W panels, currently priced at €449 before delivery, while another is an 880Wp EcoFlow kit using two 440W bifacial panels and an 800W EcoFlow STREAM microinverter, which Lidl has advertised for €299 before delivery.

The UK kits aren’t identical, but the similarities are hard to ignore: same supplier, similar panel capacity, 800W microinverters and, in one case, the same EcoFlow EF-PS-800 platform.

Put that together with Lidl’s confirmed involvement in bringing plug-in solar to the UK, and there’s a strong possibility that these VALE approvals could be destined for Lidl GB.

Lidl hasn’t confirmed that, so for now it remains speculation. But the pieces fit unusually well.

How much will Lidl UK plug-in solar kits cost?

Lidl Germany currently sells comparable VALE kits for around €299 to €449 before delivery, so the pricing is certainly encouraging. But those figures shouldn’t be treated as a direct guide to what Lidl might charge in the UK.

Qualifying German residential solar equipment benefits from 0% VAT, while UK self-install plug-in solar kits do not currently receive the same treatment. The UK configurations also have their own compliance, cabling and mounting requirements, so we’ll hold off guessing at a UK price.

We monitor the UK plug-in solar retail market daily, so we’ll be keeping a close eye out for any sign of Lidl plug-in solar kits appearing in the UK. If a Lidl GB product page does suddenly appear, we’ll know our hunch was probably right.