The Patio Ballast Kit

One 460W panel on a low, fixed stand, made for the sunny patio outside your back door. Concrete blocks hold it down, so there's no digging and no drilling. It needs about 1.9m × 1.2m.

On the ENA Type Test Register
10-year panel warranty
England, Scotland, Wales

Compact 460W, ground mount

1 per household

Coming soon

Kit price: Price TBC
Delivery to your front door: TBC
Total: TBC

Not on sale yet. Join the list below and we'll email you the day it is.

Is your patio in the sun at midday?

On most Birmingham semis the patio sits right outside the back doors. If yours catches the midday sun, it's a cracking spot: flat, firm, and usually within reach of an outdoor socket on the house wall.

Facing south is best. South-east and south-west work well too, and you'll be making power from late morning into the evening on long summer days.

This is a ground kit only. The stand isn't made for walls, roofs or balconies.

What's in the box?

1 × 460W TOPCon N-type panel (bifacial, glass-glass)
1 × APsystems EZ1-M 800W microinverter
Ground mounting stand, attached (made in the UK)
4m AC connection cable

Ballast isn't included. Dense concrete blocks from any builders' merchant do the job.

How the ballast holds it down

The stand has lower plates on both sides. Dense concrete blocks of at least 18kg each sit on those plates and keep the panel where you put it.

Strongest gusts where you live	18kg blocks
Over 40mph	2
Over 60mph	5
Over 80mph	10

Lay the lead over the top of the blocks, never trapped underneath, and keep the blocks clear of the microinverter. That's all the fixing it needs.

Fitting it around the garden table

The kit takes about 1.9m × 1.2m, a little wider than a single bed. On a typical semi's patio that still leaves room for the table, the chairs and the barbecue.

Put it on the sunniest edge of the patio and leave a clear path to the back door.
Keep the lead out of the walkway, running the short way to the socket.
Keep it away from a wall that forms the boundary with next door.

Before you order: tick these off

Run down these before you join the list. Can't tick one yet? A local electrician can sort the socket and the fuse box check, then you're good to go.

A level, sunny patch of about 1.9m × 1.2m on your lawn, patio or gravel.
A weatherproof outdoor socket within the kit's 4m lead. It plugs straight in: no extension leads, cable reels or adaptors.
Your fuse box needs modern RCD protection. Not sure? An electrician can check it, and fit an outdoor socket if you need one.
Renting, or leasehold? Get written permission from your landlord or freeholder before you buy.
A quick call to your home insurer before you set it up.
Register it free at myplugin.solar before you switch on. That lets National Grid Electricity Distribution, who run the network in Birmingham, know it's there.
One kit per household, and never used with a home battery.

Delivery and changing your mind

It comes to your front door anywhere in England, Scotland or Wales. The box is 1800 × 1180 × 180mm and weighs 41kg. Carried on its edge by two people, it goes down most side passages. More on our delivery page.

Changed your mind? Cancel any time before dispatch for a full refund, or within 14 days of delivery. After delivery you pay to send it back unless it's faulty, so hang on to the box until you're sure.

Patio kit specs

Panel power: 1 × 460W
Output into your home: Up to 799VA (3.5A), 230V 50Hz
Panel: TOPCon N-type mono, bifacial glass-glass, 96 cells, 23.0% efficiency
Panel size: 1762 × 1134 × 30mm
Panel weight: 25.5kg
Space needed: 1.9m × 1.2m (about 2.3m²)
Microinverter: APsystems EZ1-M 800W microinverter, 2 MPPT, 96.7% peak efficiency, IP67, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth app
Mounting: Ground mount only. Ballast not included
Cable: 4m AC connection cable
Plug type: Factory-fitted, moulded and fused UK plug (BS 1363). Don't cut it off or rewire it
Box: 1800 × 1180 × 180mm, 41kg
Fire rating: Class C
Standards: BS EN 50549-1, BS EN 62109-1, BS EN 62109-2, EN 755-1:2016, EN 755-2:2016
Where it's made: Assembled in the UK, with a UK-made mount. Some parts are made in China
ENA Type Test Register: Listed as Compliant (0.8kW, single phase)
Manufacturer's warranty: 10 years on the panel and on the mounting stand. The APsystems microinverter has its own manufacturer's warranty. Cables, connectors and accessories: 2 years

From the maker's datasheet (September 2026).

Questions before you buy

Will it sit on block paving?

Yes, as long as the paving is level and firm. The stand sits flat and the blocks keep it put, so nothing is fixed into your paving.

How much power goes into the house?

Whatever the 460W panel is making at that moment. The microinverter can pass up to 799VA, so on this kit the panel sets the limit.

Who do I tell about 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.

Can I add a second kit later?

No. The rules allow one plug-in kit per household, so it's one kit per home.

Can you set it up for me?

We don't offer fitting. The kit is made for you to set up yourself, so there's no installer and no scaffolding. If you need an outdoor socket fitting or your fuse box checking, a local electrician can do that part.

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