Plug-in solar product compliance checklist

The checklist

These are the things that would need to line up for a plug-in solar product to be genuinely compliant for UK use. They mirror the evidence we require before listing anything as compliant.

• A legal basis for plug-in use — which does not yet exist in the UK; see the legal status.
• Product safety conformity — manufacturer declarations of conformity and the relevant safety standards.
• A compliant microinverter — meeting the applicable UK electrical and grid-protection requirements, including anti-islanding.
• Connection arrangements — consistent with UK rules such as G98 notification where it applies.
• Clear installation instructions — consistent with UK wiring regulations (BS 7671).
• Honest documentation — manuals and specs that match the product, with nothing overclaimed.

Why marks aren't the whole story

A CE or UKCA mark indicates a product meets certain applicable directives or regulations — useful, but not the same as being legal to plug into a UK socket as a generator. Those are different questions: one is about the product meeting specified rules; the other is about whether the use itself is permitted and how it must connect. A microinverter can be a perfectly good product and still not be cleared for plug-in use here.

Using the checklist

When you see a product marketed for UK plug-in use, work down the list and ask what evidence backs each point — especially the legal basis and the microinverter's grid protection. If a claim can't be substantiated from the manufacturer's documentation, treat it as unproven. This is exactly how our products tracker records each system, and how we'd assess any product (see how we assess).