Enter your inverter's output and supply type to find out instantly whether your balcony solar system needs a G98 notification or a G99 application — under UK grid connection rules (EREC G98/G99).
This tool applies the standard UK EREC G98/G99 thresholds (16A per phase for G98). It's general guidance, not a substitute for confirming with your own DNO. Find your DNO at the Energy Networks Association.
Your Distribution Network Operator (DNO) runs the local cables that connect your home to the grid. When you add generation, they need to know — the rules come from Engineering Recommendation G98 and G99.
| System | Rule | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| ≤ 3.68kW single-phase (16A) | G98 | Connect first, notify DNO (often within 28 days) |
| ≤ 11.04kW three-phase | G98 | Connect first, notify DNO |
| Above those limits | G99 | Apply and get approval before connecting |
Every standard 600W/800W balcony kit sits comfortably inside G98 — the notification is a formality, not a barrier. It becomes a G99 application only if your total generation exceeds the thresholds above.
G98 was not waived. When plug-in solar became socket-legal under SI 2026/848, some consultation respondents asked the Government to drop DNO notification for compliant kits. It declined. You still notify, within 28 days.
One device per household. The Interim Product Specification allows one plug-in device per circuit-breaker-protected circuit, but only once G98 is amended to match. Until that happens, the existing one-per-household limit applies — so a second kit is not simply a second notification.
Batteries are excluded. The socket route covers solar-only devices. All-in-one units with integrated storage still need a hard-wired BS 7671 connection by a qualified electrician.
Source: DESNZ, Plug-in solar: government response, 16 July 2026.
Your DNO is not your energy supplier — it is the company that owns the cables into your home, and it is determined by where you live. Enter your postcode to get the right operator and a direct link to their G98 form.
Postcode areas are mapped to DNO licence areas. A few border postcodes are served by a neighbouring operator, and new-build estates are sometimes on an independent network (IDNO) — if the result looks wrong, check the ENA lookup or call 105 free.
Thresholds per ENA Engineering Recommendation G98 Issue 2 (2025). Rules verified against the DESNZ government response of 16 July 2026 and SI 2026/848. Last verified 25 August 2026.
Read the full DNO & G98 guide → Compare the best balcony solar kits →Yes — registration is a legal requirement. But since 27 August 2026 the route depends on your kit. If it is listed compliant on the ENA register, is 800W or less and has no battery, you register at myplugin.solar in about two minutes and the Energy Networks Association notifies your DNO for you. If your system is hard-wired, over 800W, or battery-integrated (EcoFlow STREAM, Anker Solarbank, Zendure SolarFlow), you file the full G98 notification with your own DNO instead. Above 3.68kW per phase you need a G99 application and prior approval.
G98 covers micro-generators up to 16A per phase — 3.68kW on a single-phase supply, or 11.04kW total across three phases. Below this limit you can connect first and notify the DNO; above it you must apply under G99 and get approval before connecting.