Balcony kits are coming soon. Join the kit list and we'll email you when you can order.

Manchester Balcony Solar
Check my balcony

For flats and apartments

Balcony solar for flats and apartments

Most people in flats assume the answer is no. Plenty of balconies can take a plug-in solar kit. Three quick questions tell you where you stand.

  • Up to 800W into your flat
  • Plugs into an outdoor socket
  • No installer or scaffolding

Check if your balcony is suitable

3 quick questions

1What is your balcony made of?
2What about the outside of your building?
3Do you own or rent your flat?

No email needed. Your answers stay on this page.

Two black solar panels on the metal railing of a sunny city apartment balcony
Illustrative image

Four steps, in this order

Flats have one extra step that houses don't: asking. Do it before you buy and nothing goes to waste.

  1. 1

    Check your balcony

    Make sure your balcony and building aren't on the excluded list.

    Three quick questions
  2. 2

    Get a written yes

    Renters ask the landlord. Leaseholders ask the freeholder or managing agent.

    Permission letters
  3. 3

    Sort the socket

    You need a weatherproof outdoor socket within reach, with modern RCD protection. An electrician can fit one.

    Sockets and cables
  4. 4

    Choose, register, switch on

    Pick the kit that fits, register it free at myplugin.solar, then plug it in.

    Will a kit fit?

What the rules allow

Since 27 August 2026, a compliant plug-in solar kit can be plugged into a socket in England, Scotland and Wales. For a flat, that means:

Up to 800W into your home

The kit's microinverter caps what goes into your flat's wiring at 800W (799VA), however big the panels are.

Straight into a socket

A weatherproof outdoor socket within reach of the kit's cable, with modern RCD protection. No extension leads.

Register, then plug in

Register the kit free at myplugin.solar before you first use it. In Greater Manchester the network operator is Electricity North West.

One kit per household

One kit per flat, never used with a home battery. Not in Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands.

Balconies and buildings that are excluded

If any of these is you, plug-in solar is out, whatever your lease or landlord says.

  • Timber balconiesWooden floors, decking or railings.
  • Certain claddingBuildings with timber, ACM, MCM or HPL cladding.
  • Wall remediationBuildings having work done on their external walls.
  • Boundary wallsA wall shared with a neighbouring property.
  • Ties and strapsPanels held on with cable ties, rope or straps.

Where plug-in solar can't go

A woman on her sunny balcony reading a letter, with solar panels on the railing beside her
Illustrative image

Renting or leasehold

Asking your landlord or freeholder

If you rent, you need your landlord's written yes before you buy. If you own on a lease, the freeholder or managing agent usually has to agree, because most leases control what's fixed to the outside of the building.

A clear, polite request makes yes an easier answer. Our letters say what the kit is, how it's held on and that you'll take it down when you move.

  • Ask before you buy, in writing
  • Say exactly how it's fixed and powered
  • Offer to remove it and make good

Make a permission letter Renting

Balcony kits

Two kit types, both coming soon. We're choosing a balcony kit maker now, and we'll only sell models listed as Compliant on the ENA Type Test Register.

Kit list

Hear first when balcony kits go on sale

Join the list and we'll email you when you can order, with the price and exact sizes so you can check your railing first.

  • An email when kits can be ordered
  • Panel sizes and weights to share with your building
  • Unsubscribe any time

Join the kit list

Kits aren't on sale online yet. Leave your email and we'll tell you when you can order.

Questions from flat owners and renters

Can I have solar panels if I live in a flat?

You can, as long as your balcony and building aren't on the excluded list and you have permission if you need it. Our three-question check covers both in under a minute.

Do I need my landlord's permission?

Yes. If you rent, get your landlord's written permission before you buy anything. They can say no. Our renting guide and letter template make the asking easier.

I own my flat. Do I still need to ask?

If you own on a lease, almost certainly. Leases usually control alterations and anything fixed to the outside of the building, so ask the freeholder or managing agent in writing. Leasehold flats shows what to look for in yours.

Is balcony solar safe?

Use a kit listed as Compliant on the ENA Type Test Register, held on with its own brackets, plugged into a weatherproof outdoor socket with modern RCD protection, and no extension leads. That's what the rules are built around.

Can I take it with me when I move?

Yes. A plug-in kit unplugs and the brackets come off. Make good any marks, and get permission again at your new home before it goes up.