Your Garden Solar Questions
The things Birmingham households ask us most, grouped up.
Will it suit my garden?
How much space do I need?
From about 1.9m × 1.2m for the Patio Ballast Kit up to 5.0m × 1.2m for the Big Garden Kit Max. The garden planner matches your space to a kit.
Which way should the panels face?
South is best, and south-east or south-west are good too. Put them where the sun spends most of the day in your garden.
Can it go on a balcony, a wall or the shed roof?
Not from us. These kits aren't for balconies. The ground kits are for the ground only, and the hybrid stand can go on a wall, flat roof or raised spot only after a professional assessment, which we don't offer. We sell every kit for use on the ground.
I rent, or I'm leasehold. Can I have one?
Ask first. You need written permission from your landlord, or from the freeholder or managing agent, before you buy. They can say no.
Getting it set up
Do I need an electrician?
Not to set the kit up. You do need a weatherproof outdoor socket within the 4m lead and modern RCD protection in your fuse box. If you haven't got those, an electrician can fit and check them.
Can I use an extension lead?
No. The kit plugs straight into a wall socket: no extension leads, cable reels or adaptors. If the socket's too far, get an outdoor socket fitted nearer the panels.
What's an RCD, and have I got one?
It's the safety switch in your fuse box that cuts the power if something goes wrong. Newer fuse boxes usually have one, often with a test button marked T. If yours is older, or you're not sure, ask an electrician to check before you plug in.
Do I have to register it?
Register the kit free at myplugin.solar before you first switch on. That tells National Grid Electricity Distribution, the network operator for Birmingham and the West Midlands. Let your home insurer know too.
What's the over-960W professional check?
The Big Garden Kit Plus (1030W) and Max (1260W) have more than 960W of panels. The government's product specification says users should then consider a professional assessment of their electrical installation, so have a qualified electrician check your electrics first.
Day to day with panels in the garden
Will it cope with Birmingham weather?
Yes. The panels are glass-glass and the microinverter is rated IP67. Ballast it for your gust speed, and check the frame's still level after a very wet or very dry spell, because clay ground moves.
How do I mow round it?
Lay gravel, bark or slabs under the frame so you're not trying to get the mower underneath, then mow round the edge. Keep the strimmer well away from the lead.
Is it OK with kids and dogs in the garden?
Put it away from where the football goes, keep the lead tidy along the edge, and let the little ones know it's not for climbing on.
Can I add a battery?
No. Plug-in kits mustn't be used with a home battery. The way to get more from your kit is to run the washer, dishwasher and chargers while the sun's out.
How do I see what it's making?
The microinverter has a Wi-Fi and Bluetooth app, so you can check from your phone.
Money, delivery and returns
How much does a kit cost?
Prices aren't set yet, so every kit shows Price TBC. Pop your name on the list for any kit and we'll email you the day it goes on sale.
How much could it save?
On our estimate, a busy four-person home with the Big Garden Kit Max could save around £180 a year (70% of the power used at home, south-facing and unshaded, 26.32p per kWh). Try the savings estimator with your own figures.
Will I be paid for power I send to the grid?
Usually not. Self-installed plug-in kits don't generally qualify for export payments, so the saving comes from using the power yourself.
Where do you deliver?
Anywhere in England, Scotland and Wales. Not Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands, where plug-in kits can't be used. See delivery.
Can I send it back?
Yes. Cancel any time before dispatch for a full refund, or within 14 days of delivery. After delivery you pay the return cost unless it's faulty.
Still stuck? Send us your garden and we'll have a look.