Plug-In Solar on a Garage Roof: UK Installation Guide

A flat or pitched garage roof is ideal for plug-in solar. Here's how to mount panels without permanent modifications.

Why Garage Roofs Are Ideal

Garages often have flat or low-pitched roofs with no shading, making them excellent locations for plug-in solar. Benefits:

Unobstructed sun — typically no trees or buildings blocking light
Strong structure — concrete, timber, or steel roof supports handle panel weight easily
Close to the house — short cable run to an indoor socket
No aesthetic concerns — panels on a garage are less visible than on the main house

Flat Garage Roof Installation

A flat garage roof is one of the simplest plug-in solar installations:

Use ballast mounting — heavy blocks hold the frame without drilling
Set tilt brackets to 30-35° facing south
Route DC cables from panels to the inverter
Run the inverter's AC cable to the nearest wall socket (garage or house)

Weight isn't usually an issue — concrete garage roofs support far more than the 40-50kg of two panels plus mounts.

Pitched Garage Roof Installation

If your garage has a pitched roof:

South-facing pitch: Mount panels flat against the roof surface
East or west pitch: Output drops ~15%, but still worthwhile
Use roof hooks or brackets rated for the roof material (tiles, felt, sheet metal)

Cable Routing

The main challenge is getting the AC cable from the garage to a wall socket. Options:

Garage socket: If your garage has a 13A socket on the house circuit, plug in there
Cable through wall: Route through an existing cable entry point or a small drilled hole (sealed with IP68 cable glands)
Outdoor socket: Install a weatherproof outdoor socket on the garage wall

Remember: no extension leads allowed.

Does my garage need its own electricity circuit?

Your garage socket needs to be on a circuit connected to your main consumer unit. If your garage has a separate supply, the solar won't offset your house consumption.

Can I mount panels on a garage wall?

Yes — a south-facing garage wall works, though vertical mounting reduces output by ~30% compared to a 35° tilt. See our wall mount guide.

What about detached garages far from the house?

If the garage is more than 10m from a socket, consider extending the DC cable run (safer than long AC runs) or installing an outdoor socket closer to the panels.