Solar panels in the UK, compared

What this page will cover

• The four panel categories UK plug-in buyers actually meet: 400W bifacial, 405-420W monofacial, half-cell vs full-cell, and 800W kit-paired sets.
• Spec comparison: Wp at STC, NOCT performance, temperature coefficient, dimensions, weight, warranty.
• Real-world UK output: PVGIS-modelled annual yield per panel for the six largest UK cities, paired with the same microinverter for fair comparison.
• Manufacturer shortlist: JA Solar, Trina, LONGi, Canadian Solar, JinkoSolar, Renogy. Channel availability and warranty support inside the UK.
• Buyer matrix: renter / homeowner, balcony / garden / pitched roof, summer-only vs all-year.
• Prices: retail per panel and per Wp, updated against Amazon UK and specialist suppliers.

Seen on UK shelves. EcoFlow and Jackery are now stacked in Costco, with Currys, B&Q and Lidl following. Read the market note, set against Germany's balcony boom →

EcoFlow balcony kits compared, none of them on the ENA G98 register

Label: EcoFlow is not on the ENA G98 Type Test Register, so none of the kits in this table may be plugged into a socket to feed your home. They are lawful to buy for off-grid or portable use, or for a hardwired installation by a CPS-registered electrician. The 48 kits you can plug in and self-notify are on the approved kit list. Primary links below go direct to EcoFlow for UK VAT, returns and the 5-year warranty, with Amazon UK as an alternative.

Not on the register: panels only

Panels and a microinverter, no battery, inside the 800W cap. Plug-in solar became legal on 27 August 2026 under SI 2026 No. 848, and 48 kits from 13 manufacturers now show as Compliant on the ENA G98 Type Test Register. EcoFlow is not one of them, so nothing in this block may be plugged into a socket and self-notified. It is lawful to buy for off-grid or portable use, or for a hardwired installation by a CPS-registered electrician.

Not on the register

EcoFlow STREAM 800 Balcony Kit

Two 400W panels and an 800W microinverter, no battery. It is not on the ENA G98 register, so it cannot be plugged in and self-notified. The cheapest kit you can lawfully plug in is on the register at £432.

Latest price at EcoFlow →also on Amazon UK

Hardwired or portable

Anything with a battery sits outside the plug-in route, because the legal definition excludes devices designed to import electricity in order to store it for later. These are still a good buy and still legal, they simply need a qualified electrician for a fixed install, or they work as portable units with no wiring at all.

Best with storage

EcoFlow STREAM Pro 1.92 kWh

Kit with battery: 800W in, 1200W AC out, stack to 11.52 kWh, smart time-of-use.

Latest price at EcoFlow →also on Amazon UK

Biggest system

EcoFlow STREAM Ultra X 3.84 kWh

Four panels, 3.84 kWh, expandable to 23 kWh. For a sunny spot with real daytime load.

Latest price at EcoFlow →also on Amazon UK

EcoFlow kit	Battery	AC out	Panels	From	Buy
STREAM 800 Balcony Kit	none	800W	2 x 400W	~£499	Latest price
STREAM Pro	1.92 kWh	1200W	2 x 400W	~£979	Latest price
STREAM Ultra	1.92 kWh	2300W	4 x 400W	~£1,299	Latest price
STREAM Ultra X	3.84 kWh	2300W	4 x 400W	~£1,999	Latest price
STREAM AC Pro (battery only)	1.92 kWh	1200W	none	~£798	Latest price

None of the EcoFlow kits above is on the ENA G98 Type Test Register. The prices here were read at EcoFlow UK and Amazon UK on 26 June 2026 and they change, so the button shows the live price, never a promised one. Disclosed affiliate links: EcoFlow direct via Awin, Amazon UK. How we stay free.

In the meantime

For UK kit-level comparisons that already exist, see the Products page, which lists all 48 kits on the ENA G98 register with prices read at the seller, the cheapest at £432, and separately covers the EcoFlow range that is not on the register. For the panel's pairing partner, the microinverter comparison is live now.

Related reading: UK plug-in solar kits · Microinverters UK · Postcode solar calculator · Germany balcony solar kits