Mobile and park homes present unique challenges: lighter roof structures, site owner permission, smaller electrical supplies. Learn what's possible and safe.

Plug-in Solar for Mobile Homes and Park Homes UK

Around 85,000 UK families live in mobile or park homes—often retirees, younger families seeking affordable housing, or rural dwellers. These properties are excellent candidates for plug-in solar, but require special considerations: lighter roof structures, site owner permissions, and smaller electrical infrastructure.

This guide covers the practical and regulatory considerations for park home solar installations.

The Park Home Advantage

Park homes offer genuine advantages for solar:

South-facing garden space – Most parks have plots oriented to maximise sun exposure
Daytime occupancy – Retirees and remote workers spend high-value daylight hours at home
Modern electrical systems – Most parks built since 1990 have updated wiring (easier DNO approval)
Lower installation costs – Smaller roofs, simpler access, less complex wiring

A typical park home (35–45 m² living space) is ideal for an 800W plug-in system: a 50–60 m² roof, most of which is south-facing.

Roof Structure Considerations

Park home roofs are lightweight structures designed for annual maintenance and occasional re-felting, not heavy loads.

Typical construction:

Thin plywood or chipboard roof deck
Softwood timber joists (50×100 mm or smaller)
Asphalt felt or EPDM roofing membrane
Very limited structural capacity vs. brick-built homes

Structural design load:

Brick-built homes: 150–250 kg/m² design load
Park homes: Often only 75–150 kg/m² design load

An 800W solar system (panels + ballasted mount) weighs ~50–70 kg, or 100–120 kg/m² depending on arrangement. This may exceed the park home roof rating.

Before installing:

Obtain the home's structural specification from the original builder or site owner
Confirm roof loading capacity (ask directly or review building documents)
If in doubt, have a surveyor assess the roof (£150–£300)
Consider ground-mounted alternatives if roof capacity is marginal

Ballasted vs. Roof-Mounted Systems

Given lightweight roofs, ballasted (weight-based) mounting is safer than fastened systems.

Ballasted system:

Frame sits flat on the roof, held down by its own weight
No drilling, no penetrations
Weight distributed over larger area (lower stress per m²)
Reversible if you move parks

Drilled/fastened system:

Mechanical fasteners penetrate the roof membrane
Creates permanent holes (future leak risk)
Concentrates load at anchor points (higher stress)
Less suitable for lightweight roofs

For park homes, use a Renogy Tilt Mount or similar ballasted system. This keeps the load distributed and avoids roof membrane damage.

Site Owner and Tenancy Permission

This is the critical legal requirement. Most park homes are leasehold; you own the structure but lease the land from a site operator.

Your lease typically restricts:

External alterations without written permission
Modifications that affect resale value
Permanent roof changes

Action steps:

Review your lease – Look for clauses on "external alterations" and "site owner approval"
Contact the site owner in writing – Request permission for a temporary ballasted solar system
Provide drawings and specifications – Show a diagram of the mount, confirm it's reversible, and explain the business case
Get written approval – Ensure permission is documented (not verbal)

Most site owners now approve ballasted solar, especially if you:

Use non-penetrating mounts (no roof damage)
Agree to remove it if you sell
Confirm it meets BS 7671 and G98 standards

Some sites forbid external changes entirely; others embrace them. Check your lease and permission status before purchasing any equipment.

Electrical Infrastructure

Park homes have smaller electrical supplies than brick-built homes, often a single-phase 60A supply (vs. 100A+ for detached homes).

Implication for plug-in solar:

A standard 800W system (max 3,600W output when multiplied by typical 230V supply) is easily accommodated. However:

DNO notification (G98 form) is mandatory, even for small systems
BS 7671 Amendment 4 compliance required (April 2026 standard)
Existing wiring must be checked – Old park homes (pre-2000) may have outdated circuits

If your park home was built before 1990, get a qualified electrician to inspect the supply and confirm it's suitable for an inverter-based solar system.

Off-Grid and Battery Systems

Park homes are uniquely suited to hybrid solar + battery systems because:

High daytime self-consumption – Retirees at home mean 70–85% self-consumption (little export)
Winter heating demand – Battery stores summer excess for winter use
Energy independence – Useful if the park's mains supply is unreliable

An 800W solar system with a small battery (e.g., EcoFlow DELTA 2) is popular:

Summer: Solar covers all daytime demand, battery charges
Winter: Battery supplements grid power, reducing peak demand and bills
Annual saving: 20–30% higher than solar-only

Typical hybrid setup:

EcoFlow STREAM inverter (plug-in solar approved, BS 7671 compliant)
EcoFlow DELTA 2 battery (10 kWh capacity, integrates with STREAM)
Two 400W panels on ballasted mount
Total cost: £2,500–£3,500 (vs. £1,500–£2,000 for solar-only)
Payback: 6–10 years, with higher winter resilience

Wiring and Cable Routing

Park homes often have awkward cable routing (kitchen on wrong side of home, no utility room, limited internal space).

Best practice:

Mount panels on the south-facing roof or garden area
Run DC cables down the roof edge, securing with UV-resistant clips
Pass through an IP68 cable gland near the home's main entry
Route internal cables to a convenient location (bedroom, hallway, kitchen) for the inverter/socket
Plug inverter into a standard 13A socket (no permanent wiring needed)

For park homes, a simple, non-permanent installation is preferred—it simplifies removal if you relocate.

Shading in Park Settings

Park homes are often arranged in rows or clusters. Shading from neighbouring homes can be significant, especially:

North-facing homes (fully shaded most of year)
East or west-facing homes (afternoon/morning shade)
Homes in tree-lined parks

Assess your site:

Is your home facing south? (If east or west, generation drops 20–30%)
Are neighbouring homes taller? (If yes, winter shading is significant)
Are there large trees nearby? (If yes, summer afternoon shade is likely)

Use PVGIS to estimate generation at your postcode and check PVGIS's shading tool (requires satellite imagery analysis).

If your park home is north-facing, plug-in solar is unlikely to be financially viable. East or west-facing homes can work with 70–85% expected output.

Park Home Regulations and Planning

Park homes fall under the Mobile Homes Act 2013 (England/Wales) and similar legislation in Scotland/NI. Planning rules are simpler than traditional properties:

Permitted development: Solar on park home roofs is usually permitted under Class A (small-scale solar)
Site rules: May be stricter than planning (site owner rules apply)
DNO notification: G98 form required as standard

Key point: Site rules trump planning rules. Even if planning permits solar, your site owner's lease may forbid it. This is why site owner permission is step 1.

Performance Expectations: Park Homes

A typical unshaded park home installation:

Annual generation: 700–900 kWh (depending on region and aspect)
Self-consumption: 70–85% (high daytime occupancy)
Annual saving: £120–£190
Payback: 6–10 years

For battery-enabled systems:

Annual saving increases to £150–£250 (winter battery discharge saves more)
Payback: 8–12 years
Added resilience (blackout protection)

Cost and Budgeting

Solar-only system:

Panels + ballasted mount: £800–£1,200
Inverter (EcoFlow STREAM): £400–£600
Cables, glands, labour: £300–£400
Total: £1,500–£2,200

Hybrid (solar + battery):

Panels + mount: £800–£1,200
EcoFlow STREAM inverter: £400–£600
EcoFlow DELTA 2 battery: £1,000–£1,500
Cables, labour: £300–£400
Total: £2,500–£3,700

Site owner permission adds 0 to 6 weeks (usually none if you're organised). No planning application needed in most parks.

Moving and Relocation

One advantage of ballasted solar on park homes: you can relocate it.

If you move to a different park home:

Disconnect and uninstall the system (1–2 hours)
Transport panels and mount in a van
Reinstall at the new property (subject to the new park's rules)

This "transportability" is genuinely valuable—many park home residents stay for 5–10 years, then move. A removable system preserves resale value and remains with the owner, not the home.

Common Challenges and Solutions

Challenge: "Our park owner forbids external changes." Solution: A completely portable system (panels in a case, batteries in a box) avoids lease issues. Less optimal performance, but solves permission problems.

Challenge: "The roof is too weak." Solution: Ground-mounted system in the garden, if space allows. Sits on the earth, not the roof. Requires site owner permission for permanent ground installation, but not roof permission.

Challenge: "Our park is heavily shaded by trees." Solution: Seasonal tilt adjustments (using a ballasted mount's adjustable angle) improve winter generation. Or explore battery + hybrid to increase value of summer excess generation.

Challenge: "The electrical supply is unreliable." Solution: A hybrid solar + battery system provides 4–6 hours of autonomy in blackouts. Many park residents choose this for peace of mind.

Summary

Park homes are excellent candidates for plug-in solar if:

Site owner permits it (non-negotiable—check lease and get written approval)
Roof is strong enough (most post-1990 homes are; pre-1990 needs surveying)
Location is south-facing (east/west-facing parks lose 20–30% generation)
Electrical supply is adequate (most modern parks are; old parks need electrician check)

A ballasted Renogy Tilt Mount with EcoFlow STREAM inverter is the ideal park home setup: simple, removable, reversible, and compliant with all UK plug-in solar standards.

For battery-enabled resilience, add an EcoFlow DELTA 2 for enhanced winter savings and blackout protection.

Want a tailored estimate? Try our plug-in solar quiz for your postcode and property type.