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Plug-in solar for sheds
Plug-in solar on a shed roof: output at typical shed-roof angles, the timber and planning rules, and why getting to a socket is the hard part.
PVGIS solar data
The numbers
Estimated yearly output of a typical 890 Wp kit (800W cap), from PVGIS solar data for each place. Get yours.
| Setup | London | Manchester | Edinburgh |
|---|---|---|---|
| South-facing, tilted 15° (shallow shed roof) | 846 kWh | 740 kWh | 742 kWh |
| South-facing, tilted 30° (pitched shed roof or frame) | 899 kWh106% of the first row | 783 kWh106% of the first row | 795 kWh107% of the first row |
| West-facing, tilted 15° | 736 kWh87% of the first row | 652 kWh88% of the first row | 646 kWh87% of the first row |
A shed roof can be the sunniest spot in a garden, and it keeps the panels out of the way. The panels are the easy part. The harder part is getting the kit’s plug to a suitable socket, and working out whether the shed itself is a permitted surface. The figures above compare typical shed-roof angles at your location.
Rules and permissions
Plug-in kits must feed a socket in your home’s installation. A plug-in kit connects by plugging into a fixed BS 1363-2 socket, with no extension leads or adaptors (IPS §6.2.3). The socket must be on a socket circuit, not a lighting circuit or a spur feeding fixed equipment (IPS §8.3.3), and rated IP55 or better if it’s outdoors (IPS §4.2.3). If your shed has its own sockets, whether that circuit is suitable is a question for an electrician. Electrical Safety First recommends an electrician’s assessment before buying any plug-in kit (ESF).
Timber. Many sheds are timber. The DESNZ specification bans installation on timber cladding systems (IPS §5.8), and England’s permitted development rules exclude plug-in solar on wooden walls and other wooden enclosures (SI 2026/896). We read this as ruling out fixing a kit to the timber walls of a shed. Neither text says clearly how a felted timber roof is treated. Ask the kit’s manufacturer, and your council if you’re in England, before fixing anything to a timber shed.
Planning in England. We haven’t confirmed whether a kit on a shed counts as “on a building” (Class A) or “stand-alone” (Class B) under the permitted development rules. Stand-alone kits have height limits (2 m within 5 m of a boundary), a 9 m² area limit, and can’t go within the grounds of a listed building (SI 2026/896). A kit on a shed roof near a boundary could easily exceed 2 m, so check with your council. We found no plug-in-specific planning change in Scotland or Wales.
Permission. If you rent, ask your landlord first (IPS §8.3.1; DESNZ).
What to look for
- Cable length. Measure from the shed to the socket you’d use. There’s no extension lead option, so the kit’s own cable has to reach.
- A free-standing frame instead. A ground frame next to the shed avoids the question of fixing to timber, and may fall more clearly under the stand-alone rules. See gardens.
- Roof strength. Shed roofs are often thin boards under felt. A ballasted or clamped frame needs a roof that can carry it in wind.
- Non-permanent fixing. Mounting must be reversible, and not held by cable ties, rope, tape, bungees or straps alone (IPS §5.5.1).
- Remember the purpose. A plug-in kit feeds your home’s wiring. It won’t run shed tools off-grid, and kits with batteries are outside the GB rules. If you want off-grid power in the shed, see plug-in solar vs power stations.