Yes, you can legally install solar panels yourself in the UK. No law bans it. But the part where you connect to your consumer unit is notifiable electrical work, so you either use a registered electrician for that step or notify Building Control and have it inspected. Going DIY also means no MCS, which costs you the export payments and the 0% VAT.
Is it actually legal to DIY solar in the UK?
Nothing in UK law stops you installing solar panels on your own home. There is no licence to own and no ban on self-installation. The catch is not “can you” but “which parts are regulated, and what paperwork follows.”
Solar splits into work you can do freely and work the rules treat as electrical work in a dwelling. Get that distinction right and the rest is admin.
What you can do yourself, and what is notifiable
The mechanical and DC side is yours: mounting rails, fixing panels, running the DC strings, siting the inverter. None of that is notifiable on its own.
The moment you make the AC connection into your consumer unit, you are doing notifiable electrical work under Part P of the Building Regulations in England and Wales. Adding a new circuit at the consumer unit is the trigger.
Notifiable does not mean banned for a DIYer. It means one of two things has to happen: a registered competent person (an electrician on a Part P scheme such as NICEIC or NAPIT) does the work and self-certifies it, or you notify your local authority Building Control before you start and they inspect and sign it off for a fee.
- Mounting rails and roof fixings
- Fitting the panels
- Running the DC strings
- Siting the inverter
- Your G98 or G99 notification to the DNO
The AC connection into your consumer unit. Under Part P you must do one of these:
In plain terms: you can legally wire the whole thing yourself, but the connection to the consumer unit has to be either done by a registered electrician or signed off by Building Control. There is no third door where you quietly connect it and skip both.
The wiring has to meet BS 7671, and what “illegal” really means
All of it must comply with BS 7671, the IET Wiring Regulations. BS 7671 is a standard, not an Act of Parliament, so non-compliance is not in itself a criminal offence. But it is the benchmark Building Control, electricians and insurers measure your work against, and Part P requires reasonable provision for safety. So the honest framing is: non-compliant, not “illegal.”
That distinction matters when a forum tells you DIY solar is “against the law.” It usually is not. It is non-compliant or non-notified, which is a different and more fixable problem. Notifiable work should be backed by an Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) under BS 7671. Keep it. You will want it for insurance and for selling the house.
The DNO step you can do yourself: G98 and G99
Connecting generation to the grid means telling your Distribution Network Operator. This part a homeowner can genuinely do alone.
G98 is fit-and-notify: for a system at or below 3.68 kW per phase, you commission it and notify the DNO within 28 days, with no pre-approval wait. G99 is pre-approval: above 3.68 kW you apply and wait for the DNO to approve before commissioning, which can take weeks. You do not need an installer to submit either. I did mine myself.
The real price of going DIY: MCS, SEG and VAT
This is where DIY costs you money, and almost nobody spells it out.
MCS: a self-install cannot be MCS-certified, because MCS certification requires an MCS-registered installer to do the work. SEG: most Smart Export Guarantee tariffs require MCS, so without it you generally cannot get paid for what you export. The known exception is Octopus Outgoing, which accepts non-MCS systems. 0% VAT: the zero rate on energy-saving materials applies when a VAT-registered installer supplies and installs the system. Buy the parts yourself and you pay the standard 20% VAT on them.
- The labour cost, saved
- Full control over the components
- Self-consumption savings on every kWh you use
- The MCS certificate (a DIY install cannot get one)
- Most SEG export payments (Octopus Outgoing aside)
- The 0% VAT: you pay 20% on parts you buy yourself
So the DIY saving on labour is real, but you are trading away the export income and the VAT relief. For a self-consumption-heavy household that rarely exports, that trade can still win. For a household that would export a lot, it often does not. Run your own numbers before you decide.
Batteries are a stricter case
If your DIY plan includes a home battery, the bar is higher. BS 7671 Amendment 4 added requirements for stationary batteries, and the PAS 63100 fire-safety specification sets rules for batteries in dwellings, including where you can and cannot site them, with clearances and separation from escape routes. Most manufacturers also void the warranty unless a qualified installer commissions it. Treat the battery as the part most worth handing to a professional.
Planning permission
Domestic rooftop solar is usually permitted development, so no planning application is needed, as long as you stay within the limits on how far panels protrude and where they sit. Listed buildings and conservation areas are the main exceptions and often need consent. Flat roofs and ground mounts have their own rules. Check the Planning Portal for your situation before you order anything.
Scotland and Northern Ireland are different
Part P covers England and Wales. Scotland runs Building Standards with its own rules for electrical work, and Northern Ireland has its own building regulations. If you are outside England and Wales, do not assume the Part P route applies. Check your nation’s building standards body.
What I did, and what I would tell you
I wired my own system and handled the DC side and the DNO paperwork myself. The honest summary: the freedom is real, but the consumer-unit connection and the certificate are not the place to cut corners, and the MCS and VAT trade-offs are bigger than most DIY guides admit.
If I were giving someone a straight answer at the kitchen table: do the panels and the racking yourself, get the AC connection done and certified properly, do your own G98 or G99, and go in with your eyes open about losing SEG and the 0% VAT. For the build itself, see the DIY solar system I would build in 2026, and for the grid paperwork, the full homeowner’s guide to registering with the DNO and going from G98 to G99.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it illegal to install your own solar panels in the UK?
No. There is no law against installing solar on your own home. The regulated part is the electrical connection to your consumer unit, which is notifiable work under Building Regulations and must either be done by a registered electrician or notified to Building Control.
Can I connect solar to my consumer unit myself?
You can, but it is notifiable electrical work, so it has to be either carried out by a Part P registered electrician who self-certifies it, or notified to your local authority Building Control and inspected. Connecting it without either is a Building Regulations breach, not a criminal offence, but it can void insurance and complicate selling the house.
Do I need an MCS certificate for DIY solar?
You cannot get one. MCS certification requires an MCS-registered installer. Without MCS you generally cannot claim Smart Export Guarantee payments, with Octopus Outgoing the usual exception, and you pay 20% VAT on parts you buy yourself instead of the 0% rate an installer can apply.
Do I have to tell the DNO if I install solar myself?
Yes. You notify your DNO under G98 for systems up to 3.68 kW per phase, fit-and-notify within 28 days, or apply under G99 above that. A homeowner can submit either themselves.
Do I need planning permission to install solar myself?
Usually not. Domestic rooftop solar is generally permitted development within the size and siting limits. Listed buildings and conservation areas are the main exceptions and may need consent.
