Balcony solar in the UK: what it means and how our kits mount

The rest of this page explains what the term means, what the 2026 framework does and does not cover, and how to judge whether your position suits the hardware in the box.

Balcony solar, balcony power, a balcony power plant, a balcony power system — the phrases all describe panels connected through a small microinverter to a socket, rather than a roof array wired into a consumer unit. The vocabulary comes from continental Europe, where railing-mounted systems are commonplace. In Great Britain the electrical side of that is a plug-in solar device, governed by the framework that begins on 27 August 2026 and explained in full in our plug-in solar pillar guide.

The important distinction is between the device and the mounting. The framework regulates the device. It says nothing about whether any given product may be attached to a balcony, and a product being lawful to plug in does not by itself make any given mounting arrangement suitable.

Our kits ship with mounting hardware designed for free-standing, ground-bearing positions. Ballast is what holds them in place in wind, and it is not supplied.

Ballast, in a bit more detail

Ballast weights are not included. Suitable ballast must be sourced separately. A full-size panel is a large flat surface and behaves like a sail; panel weight in the range runs to roughly 27 kg per panel before any ballast is added. It must be installed in accordance with the supplier instructions and your own site conditions. If you are not confident about the weight your chosen position can carry or the wind exposure it sees, get advice from someone qualified before you order rather than after the kit arrives.

Never improvise the electrical side

You will need a suitable external socket at the installation location. The manufacturer-supplied lead goes directly into it. No extension leads, no multiway adaptors, no travel adaptors, no plug-in RCD adaptors, and no running a cable through a window seal onto an indoor socket that was never intended for it. Any outdoor socket must have been installed and certified by a qualified electrician. See the safety guide.

Wherever the panels stand, aspect drives the result. South gives the biggest single midday peak. East and west give a flatter curve that frequently matches household use better — morning kettle and laundry, or an afternoon and early-evening load. North is usually not worth doing.

Then subtract the obstructions: fences, walls, the building opposite, and trees in leaf from spring onwards. Shade on part of a panel costs more output than its share of the area suggests. Model this honestly in the savings calculator instead of assuming a best case — and read cost and savings for how payback is actually derived.

Even in a supported position, external elevations, communal grounds and shared outdoor space are commonly not yours to alter. The decision often sits with a freeholder or managing agent rather than with you, and a polite, specific written request works far better than a fait accompli.

The full renter and leaseholder playbook, including how to phrase the request, is in plug-in solar for renters and flats.

Space is the constraint, not electrical capacity — every kit in the range produces the same maximum AC output of 799 VA. The single-panel Pro Compact 515W (£599) needs the least room. The two-panel Duo at £999, Plus at £1,099 and Max at £1,199 need a wider run of level ground and generate more in weak light.