ECA warned that the technology will be beneficial “only if the regulations are strong, the products are safe, and consumers are fully understanding the safety implications of DIY installations".
July 22, 2026
Plans to bring plug-in solar modules to the UK market are progressing, but the electrical industry is urging some caution from the government.
The Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA) said it supports the government’s decision to progress changes to the 1994 Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations (PSSR) to allow more UK homes to use plug-in solar panels and the Plug-in Solar Device Interim Product Specification (IPS).
Deputy director of technical at ECA, Gary Parker, said: “We are saying very clearly to government, do not put speed ahead of safety.”
The trade body warned that the technology will be beneficial “only if the regulations are strong, the products are safe, and consumers are fully understanding the safety implications of DIY installations”.
The government said it planned to explore the technology’s use in the UK when it published the UK Solar Roadmap back in June 2025, but sped up measures in response to fears of another energy crisis.
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At the beginning of June, it launched a consultation on how best to enable plug-in solar to be sold in the UK, with many major retailers including Amazon, B&Q, Currys and Lidl indicating they would be eager to offer the technology.
The proposed policy changes would allow people to plug some solar panel systems without batteries directly into a normal socket-outlet, as long as the products meet set safety requirements.
ECA joined other trade groups Electrical Safety First (ESF), the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), NICEIC and SELECT to publish a public response to the consultation in June.
The groups urged the government to implement a “robust and enforceable UK standard” to ensure that consumers are not exposed to “inconsistent quality, unclear compliance requirements and unsafe imports”.
Speaking since the consultation ended, ECA’s Parker noted: “If plug-in solar is done properly, it could help more people take part in the clean energy transition. If it is done badly, it could damage public confidence and create avoidable safety risks. Government should work with electrical experts now, before these products are rolled out at scale.”
The plug-in solar modules due to hit the UK market this year will have a maximum capacity of 800W. Compared with a rooftop PV installation, the technology is meant to be fast to deploy and a cheaper alternative, in theory not requiring a trained installer.
As an option available to those without easy access to rooftop space, such as those living in flat blocks, and to those who can’t pay the upfront cost of a larger installation, plug-in solar has been presented by the government as a catch-all solution.
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However, the open letter sent last month by the electrical industry notes that grid capacity constraints will have implications even for plug-in solar.
Industry advice has long been that new domestic installations, such as rooftop PV and EV chargers, should be notified to the local distribution network operator (DNO) because the cumulative demand and generation affect local network capacity and stability.
Making plug-in solar units a normalised off-the-shelf consumer purchase without any oversight or notification process risks reducing system visibility right when it is most important, as the strain on the UK’s electricity grid threatens major outages if not properly managed.
As such, the electrical industry warned against treating the systems as negligible simply because the individual unit is small.
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Molly Green
Section Editor, Informa
Molly joined the team in 2024 and has led coverage on the UK sites. Now shifting to a more global view, Molly is interested in how legislation shapes market dynamics, covering the intersection of policy design, investment patterns, and energy transition pathways.
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