Solar Compliance in England: Regional Guide 2026

England has a well-defined solar compliance framework, but it sits across multiple regulatory layers — planning law, building regulations, DNO connection standards, and the SEG scheme. Each layer has its own rules, timelines, and enforcement bodies. A residential installer working in England needs to be across all of them.

This guide covers the full compliance picture for solar PV in England: which DNOs serve which areas, when Permitted Development applies, what Building Regulations Part P and L require, and how to get a system onto the Smart Export Guarantee.

DNOs Serving England

England is divided among five Distribution Network Operators (DNOs). Identifying the correct one before submitting a G98 notification or G99 application is the first step in every grid connection process.

Each DNO runs its own online submission portal for G98 notifications and G99 applications. Forms and requirements are broadly standardised through ENA, but each DNO may have specific local standard conditions or export limitation requirements that apply on their network.

UKPN: London, South East, East of England

UK Power Networks is the busiest DNO in England by installed solar capacity, covering the densely developed areas of London and the South East. UKPN’s G98 notification portal processes tens of thousands of residential solar submissions per year.

UKPN applies export limitation requirements on certain parts of its network where the low-voltage infrastructure is at capacity. In these areas, the DNO may require installers to fit an export limiter (typically set to 3.68 kW single-phase) as a condition of the G98 notification being accepted. UKPN publishes a network capacity map on its website showing areas where constraints exist.

For commercial projects above 50 kW (which fall under G99 and may require a formal connection agreement), UKPN has a dedicated distributed generation team. Connection timelines for larger systems can be 3–6 months, and a formal connection offer includes costs for any necessary network reinforcement. See the UKPN DNO guide for full details.

NGED: Midlands and South West

NGED covers a large geographical area from the West Midlands to Cornwall. Rural parts of the South West — particularly Devon and Cornwall — have some of the highest solar irradiance in England but also some of the most constrained distribution networks. G99 applications in these areas can take longer to process, and export curtailment is not uncommon on rural feeders.

NGED operates a flexible connection scheme for larger commercial and agricultural solar projects where the system accepts occasional curtailment instructions from the network operator in exchange for a faster and cheaper connection. This is worth considering for farm-scale and rooftop commercial systems above 30–50 kW. See the NGED DNO guide for full details.

ENW: North West England

Electricity North West covers Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Cumbria, and Cheshire. ENW has invested significantly in network monitoring and smart grid infrastructure. For residential systems, the G98 process is standard. ENW operates a distributed generation portal at enwl.co.uk and processes G98 notifications within the standard 28-day window.

Northern Powergrid: North East and Yorkshire

Northern Powergrid serves the North East, Yorkshire, and parts of Lincolnshire — an area with a growing solar market driven partly by the expansion of commercial and industrial rooftop solar. Northern Powergrid has published detailed network capacity information through its Heat and Transport portal, which can indicate likely connection constraints before a formal application is submitted.

SSE Southern (SSEN): Parts of South East England

SSE Southern (part of SSEN Distribution) covers Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, and adjacent parts of south-east England. For properties in this area, G98 notifications and G99 applications go to SSEN rather than UKPN. Check the postcode lookup on the ENA or Ofgem website to confirm the correct DNO, as the boundary between UKPN and SSEN runs through the south-east region.

G98 and G99 in England

The ENA Engineering Recommendations G98 and G99 apply uniformly across England (and the rest of Great Britain). The threshold is 16A per phase:

• G98: Up to 16A per phase (up to 3.68 kW single-phase, 11 kW three-phase). Prior notification to the DNO at least 28 days before energisation. No formal approval required.
• G99: Above 16A per phase. Full application required. DNO has 45 working days to respond. Written acceptance required before energisation.

For a detailed breakdown of the G98 vs G99 process, documentation requirements, and protection settings, see the G98 vs G99 guide.

Planning Rules in England

Permitted Development Rights

In England, solar PV installations on dwellinghouses benefit from Permitted Development (PD) rights under the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 (GPDO 2015). This means most residential solar installations do not need a planning application. The conditions under Class A (dwellinghouses) and Class B (other residential buildings) include:

• Panels must not protrude more than 200mm from the roof plane or wall surface
• Panels must not be installed on a wall or roof slope that fronts a highway
• The system must not be installed on a Listed Building
• Panels must not be the highest part of the roof (they should sit below the ridge)
• When no longer needed, panels must be removed

For flat roofs, panels on a stand can still qualify under PD as long as the panels do not protrude more than 1 metre above the flat roof surface and do not exceed the height of the building’s parapet or chimney.

Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas

Permitted Development rights do not apply to Listed Buildings. Any solar installation on a Listed Building requires Listed Building Consent in addition to — or instead of — planning permission. The application is assessed against the impact on the building’s special architectural or historic interest.

In Conservation Areas, PD rights for solar are not automatically removed, but there are additional restrictions: panels cannot be installed on a wall, roof slope, or other part of the building that faces a highway or is visible from a highway. In practice, this limits most Conservation Area installations to rear roof slopes or non-visible locations.

The English planning policy framework (NPPF, paragraph 165) recognises the importance of renewable energy and states that local planning policies should not create unnecessary barriers to solar installations. However, local authorities retain discretion in designated areas.

National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF)

The NPPF is the overarching planning policy framework for England. For solar, the key provisions are:

• Paragraph 165: Policies should not add unnecessarily burdensome requirements on small-scale low-carbon energy
• Chapter 14 (Meeting the Challenge of Climate Change): Supports renewable energy proposals
• Net Zero by 2050: New build planning policy increasingly requires on-site renewables

For commercial and ground-mounted solar, a formal planning application to the LPA is usually required. Large-scale projects (above 50 MW generating capacity) go to the Planning Inspectorate as Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) rather than to the LPA.

Building Regulations in England

Building Regulations in England are set by the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government. For solar PV, the relevant Parts are P and L.

Part P — Electrical Safety

Building Regulations Part P (Electrical Safety — Dwellings) requires that electrical installation work in dwellings is carried out safely. Solar PV installation — which involves connecting a new generating source to the consumer unit — is notifiable work under Part P.

There are two compliance routes:

1. Competent Person Scheme: The installer is registered with a competent person scheme (such as NAPIT or ELECSA, both of which accept MCS-certified solar installers). The installer self-certifies the work and issues a Building Regulations Compliance Certificate to the homeowner. This is the standard route for MCS installers.

2. Local Authority Building Control (LABC): The homeowner or installer notifies the local authority building control before work begins. An inspector assesses and certifies the electrical installation. This route is used when the installer is not registered with a competent person scheme.

The completion certificate issued under Part P (either self-certification or LABC sign-off) is an important document for property sales, mortgage purposes, and SEG registration.

Part L — Energy Efficiency

Building Regulations Part L (Conservation of Fuel and Power) sets minimum energy efficiency standards for buildings. The 2021 revision to Part L (which came into force for new dwellings in June 2022) raised the minimum energy performance standard significantly, with a further tightening expected under the Future Homes Standard.

For new build dwellings, Part L now sets a Primary Energy target. Solar PV is one of several ways builders can meet this target. The requirement is modelled using SAP (Standard Assessment Procedure), where solar PV generation is credited against the building’s calculated energy use.

For existing dwellings, Part L does not require retrofitting of solar. However, if a solar installation is part of a wider building renovation that triggers full Part L compliance (for example, an extension above a certain size threshold), the overall building energy performance must be assessed.

Part L is enforced by local authority building control or an approved inspector.

Part F — Ventilation

Part F is occasionally relevant when solar PV is combined with mechanical ventilation systems or when roof penetrations affect the building’s air tightness envelope. For straightforward roof-mounted solar without ventilation work, Part F compliance is not typically triggered.

MCS Certification in England

MCS certification is the installer quality standard required to access the Smart Export Guarantee. MCS certification covers both the installer and the products used (panels and inverters must be MCS-approved products). Key points for English projects:

• The installer must hold a current MCS installer certificate
• The products (modules and inverter) must appear on the MCS product database
• An MCS installation certificate must be issued at project completion
• The certificate is required for SEG registration and is expected by most mortgage lenders

MCS certification also satisfies the Part P competent person requirement for electrical work, as MCS installers are registered with NAPIT or ELECSA. This means a single MCS-certified installer can self-certify both the MCS compliance and the Part P electrical safety compliance.

Smart Export Guarantee in England

The Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) is administered by Ofgem and is available to solar system owners across England, Scotland, and Wales. For full details see the SEG guide.

To participate in the SEG:

1. The installation must be MCS-certified
2. The system capacity must be 5 MW or less (in practice, all residential and small commercial systems qualify)
3. A smart meter (or half-hourly export meter) must be fitted — the supplier will arrange this
4. The owner registers with a SEG-licensed electricity supplier

SEG tariff rates in England vary by supplier and are set competitively. As of early 2026, export rates range from approximately 3p/kWh to 15p/kWh depending on the supplier and tariff type. Some suppliers offer fixed rates; others offer flexible rates linked to wholesale prices (such as Octopus Agile export).

There is no government-set minimum export rate. Ofgem requires only that licensed suppliers with more than 150,000 customers offer at least one SEG tariff. Owners can switch SEG supplier without restriction.

Common AHJ Approaches in England

England does not have a dedicated Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) structure equivalent to the US system. The approval and enforcement functions are distributed across:

London Boroughs

In London, the LPA function is held by the 32 London boroughs and the City of London Corporation. Each borough has its own planning department. For large commercial rooftop solar, some boroughs have adopted Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs) or Local Plan policies that set additional requirements around design, energy strategy, or sustainability reports.

The Mayor of London’s London Plan (Policy SI 2: Minimising Greenhouse Gas Emissions) also encourages solar PV as part of new development energy strategies. For large mixed-use or commercial developments, a whole-building energy strategy demonstrating Part L compliance and solar integration is typically required.

Conservation Area Councils

In historic cities such as Bath, Cambridge, Chester, and central London, a high proportion of the building stock sits in Conservation Areas or is Listed. Local conservation officers play a significant role in the planning process for these properties. Some councils have published specific solar guidance for Conservation Areas — it is worth checking the relevant LPA’s supplementary guidance before designing a system in these areas.

DNO Comparison Table

Using Solar Design Software for English Projects

Compliance documentation for English projects — G98 notification forms, system datasheets, single-line diagrams, and MCS commissioning records — takes time to prepare manually. Solar design software can generate the technical specifications, shading analysis, and system performance data needed for DNO submissions and MCS certification in a fraction of the time.

Good solar software also flags Part P notification requirements, generates customer-facing proposals with SEG revenue projections, and maintains a record of all compliance documentation for audit purposes. For installers active across multiple English DNO areas, having all of this in one system reduces errors and speeds up the handoff between design, installation, and compliance sign-off.

See our solar designing feature for an overview of how SurgePV supports the full English compliance workflow.

Related Resources

• UK Solar Compliance Overview
• G98 vs G99 Guide
• MCS Certification Guide
• Smart Export Guarantee Guide
• Permitted Development Rights
• UKPN DNO Guide
• NGED DNO Guide
• Solar Compliance in Scotland
• Solar Compliance in Wales