Solar has been described as a “shining star” in Europe’s clean energy transition, cushioning households from volatile fossil fuel shocks.
Amid the war on Iran, which has sent oil and gas prices skyrocketing, Europeans have been scrambling to gain energy independence.
In Germany, renewable energy firm Enpal BV saw inquiries for solar panels rise by 30 per cent since the US-Israel conflict in the Middle East began, while solar brand 1KOMMA5° GmbH has also reported an almost doubling of interest in solar.
In the UK, energy firm EON saw interest in solar spike by 23 per cent between 23 February and 1 March, before surging a further 63 per cent between 2 and 8 March.
It’s not just traditional rooftop solar panels that are gaining momentum. SolarPower Europe, a member-led trade association for the European solar photovoltaic (PV) sector, says that plug-in solar sales are also increasing across the continent, but that “exact numbers are difficult to uncover”.
Germany has long been a leader in the plug-in solar drive, with more than one million systems installed between 2022 and 2025. The boom has been attributed to government incentives that reward plug-in solar buyers with feed-in tariffs, giving them a fixed price for every unit of electricity that is sent to the grid.
Eliminating VAT and plummeting prices have also made the technology much more accessible. The rest of Europe has been slow to adopt plug-in solar, but changes to the law may soon change that.
Last April, Belgium legalised self-installed panels, allowing homeowners to purchase plug-in PVs without having to pay for a qualified installer. Spain has also noticed a recent spike in sales, with company Tornasol Energy installing more than 1,300 homes with solar kits last year.
The UK is the latest European country to lift restrictions on plug-in solar, recently announcing low-cost panels will be available from budget retailers like Lidl and Iceland.
Out of the 27 EU member states, only Sweden and Hungary still prohibit self-installed plug-in solar devices.
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The cost of rooftop solar in Europe varies dramatically, depending on the system size and whether you also purchase a solar battery. Prices can range anywhere from €7,000 to €30,000 – but several nations offer incentives like grants to help with installation costs.
The payback on rooftop solar is also dependent on multiple factors, including the placement of your panels, how much sunlight they receive and your energy consumption habits.
The UK’s Energy Savings Trust says that, without considering export payments, a London home with rooftop solar could make annual savings of £650 (€750) if inhabitants are home all day. This drops to £530 (€611) if they’re out until 6pm on most days.
It means that rooftop solar provides a huge benefit for those who are consuming electricity during daytime hours, such as those who are retired or who work at home.
“A typical rooftop system can make a significant dent in bills, particularly for homes with high daytime use through EV charging or heat pumps,” Kian Milroy, a renewables electrical engineer at Heatable, tells Euronews Earth.
“The upfront cost is obviously higher and payback takes longer, but it provides better value overall.”
Milroy describes plug-in solar – which is launching in the UK for as little as £400 (€461) – as more of a “top-up product” that is better suited to renters, flats or anyone who cannot install rooftop PV panels.
“It has its benefits, but it’s limited,” he explains. “It’s much easier to install, but doesn’t generate enough power to dramatically influence bills.”
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Unlike in Germany, UK domestic plug sockets aren’t generally designed for back-fed generation, meaning households with plug-in solar can’t sell excess generation back to the grid, unlike with rooftop panels.
However, plug-in solar isn’t really designed to create huge amounts of electricity – and is more geared towards helping power always-on appliances such as fridges, wifi routers and other standby devices.
Natalie Mathie, an energy expert at Uswitch.com, tells Euronews Earth that plug-in panels that generate between 400 and 500 watts may be able to power energy-efficient appliances like slow cookers (which use around 300 watts depending on their size) but won’t be enough to power energy-intensive gadgets such as plug-in air conditioning units or air fryers.
Analysis from Carbon Brief found that plug-in solar panels could save a typical UK household £1,100 (around €1,261) during their 15-year lifetime. In contrast, rooftop panels can save houses up to £15,000 (€17,316) or more during the same period, with most systems working on a six to 10-year payback rate.
While Europeans are investing in solar to reduce their electricity bill, sometimes the opposite happens.
This phenomenon is known as the solar rebound effect and occurs when households use more electricity than they usually would, due to viewing their solar panels as an infinitely free resource.
“A small plug-in array may generate a few hundred watts, but in the homeowner’s head, that equates to free energy, so they start using more electricity,” Milroy states.
The solar rebound effect – which can also occur in homes with rooftop panels – often results in households with solar power seeing an increase in their energy bills, delaying the number of years until they see a return on their investment.
However, making a conscious effort to keep your electricity consumption stable can help offset this.
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