Data & methodology
Sources
We base our regulatory, safety and performance content on primary sources, and our calculator on established open data. Here is where the key information comes from.
Regulatory & legal sources
These inform our UK legal-status tracking. Where a precise document link has not been independently verified in this build, it is marked accordingly.
- Plug-in solar: Regulatory amendment and interim product specification (consultation and government response)— Department for Energy Security & Net Zero (DESNZ)Verified
Consultation ran 16–30 June 2026; government response, impact assessment and interim product specification (v2) published 16 July 2026. The regulations came into force on 27 August 2026; re-read in full on 13 September 2026.
- The Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994 and Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations 2002 (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/848)— legislation.gov.ukVerified
Made 16 July 2026, laid before Parliament 17 July 2026, in force since 27 August 2026. Regulation 3 lets a plug-in microgenerator comply via the interim product specification instead of British Standard Requirements. Permits a compliant plug-in solar device with maximum 800W AC output.
Approved 11 August 2026. Amends Engineering Recommendation G98 Issue 2 Amendment 1 to accommodate plug-in solar; implemented when SI 2026/848 came into force.
- Plug-in solar device interim product specification, version 2.0 (July 2026)— Department for Energy Security & Net Zero (DESNZ)Verified
The operative technical standard: 800 VA and 3.5 A per device, 2,000 W of modules, one device per final circuit (one per household under G98), BS 1363-1 plug, no battery storage, mandatory DNO notification, and registration on the ENA Type Test Register.
The register a compliant plug-in solar device must be listed on before it is placed on the market. Search by model code; “Plug-in Solar” is a device type in the register.
- Government to make 'plug-in solar' available within months— Department for Energy Security & Net Zero (DESNZ)Verified
Announcement setting out the rollout and the further work on G98 and BS 7671.
UK wiring regulations relevant to any electrical connection in the home. Not a precondition for plug-in solar: SI 2026/848 routes plug-in microgenerators around British Standard Requirements.
Engineering recommendations for connecting small generation to the network. G98 Issue 2 Amendment 1 was amended for plug-in solar by DCRP/MP/26/02, approved by Ofgem on 11 August 2026.
Scheme under which some suppliers pay for exported electricity.
Last reviewed:
Calculator data sources
Our generation and savings estimates use these services. See the calculator methodology for how they are combined.
- 1. PVGIS — Photovoltaic Geographical Information System — European Commission, Joint Research Centre
- 2. Postcodes.io — UK postcode geocoding — Open data (Ordnance Survey / ONS derived)
How we use sources
We prefer primary sources — official UK regulations and guidance, manufacturer technical documentation, and established datasets — over second-hand summaries. We distinguish confirmed law from proposals and assumptions, and we date our pages so you can judge how current they are. If you spot something that needs correcting, please tell us via the contact page.
Source standards and corrections are overseen by Christopher Panteli, founder and editor of MyPlugInSolar. See our editorial policy for the full approach.