Plug-in solar rules by country
Europe has no single rule for plug-in solar. Germany has a registration and a limit, the UK opened its market in 2026, and in France, Belgium, Spain or Italy the paperwork runs through the grid operator. Each country page gives the current rules with the date they were checked and links to the official source.
5 pages
In this section
Plug-in solar in Austria and Switzerland: rules 2026
Austria allows 800 W plug-in solar with a grid operator notice, Switzerland 600 W with a notice. Limits, plugs, meters and renting, with sources.
Plug-in solar in France, Belgium and the Netherlands
France uses a free Enedis self-consumption agreement, Belgium splits rules by region, the Netherlands ends net metering in 2027. What applies where.
Plug-in solar in Spain, Italy and Portugal: rules 2026
More sun, different paperwork: how plug-in solar fits Spain’s self-consumption decree, Italy’s Modello Unico and Portugal’s small-system rules.
Plug-in solar in the UK and Ireland: the 2026 rules
Plug-in solar became legal in Great Britain on 27 August 2026. What the 800 VA rule, G98 notification and BS 7671 mean for you, and where Ireland stands.
Plug-in solar rules in Germany: limits and registration
Germany allows plug-in solar up to 800 VA inverter output with a single online registration. What the rules say on modules, meters, plugs and renting.
Other sections
Plug-in solar
How balcony and plug-in solar kits work, what the 800 W limit really means, how to mount them and how to work out whether one pays off for you.
Batteries and home storage
When a battery makes sense next to plug-in solar, how the systems differ, how zero export with a smart meter reader works and how big a home battery should be.
Backup power
Portable power stations compared on their data sheets, and what really keeps the lights, the fridge and the router running during a power cut.
Tariffs and self-consumption
How dynamic electricity tariffs work with a battery, and whether exporting solar power or using it yourself pays more.
Power plants and the grid
How thermal power plants work, how flue gas cleaning removes dust, sulphur, nitrogen oxides and mercury, Europe's electricity mix and how home batteries join virtual power plants.