Flat Owners and Solar in the UK: Your Real Options

Around 5 million UK households live in flats. The majority are leaseholders rather than freeholders, meaning they do not control what happens to the exterior of the building — including the roof. This creates a real barrier to traditional rooftop solar. But barriers are not brick walls, and the options have expanded.

Why Flat Owners Cannot Simply Install Panels

In the UK, rooftop solar on a flat building typically requires:

• Freeholder consent (usually the building owner or management company)
• Agreement from all or most leaseholders if shared spaces are involved
• Possible planning permission if the building is in a conservation area or listed
• Coordination with the building's electricity infrastructure

Obtaining all of this is possible — but it requires persistence and often a collective effort among residents.

Option 1: Community Solar Schemes

Community solar allows flat owners and renters to subscribe to a share of a solar installation located elsewhere — often on commercial buildings, farms, or community land — and receive the benefits through their electricity bill.

How it works in practice:

→ Numbers speak louder: calculate your annual solar return and take the guesswork out.

• You subscribe to a number of panels or a share of a larger array
• The energy is fed into the national grid
• You receive a credit on your electricity bill (via a participating supplier) equivalent to your share of generation
• Some schemes also offer a community benefit fund

In the UK, providers such as Ripple Energy and community energy co-operatives have developed subscription models explicitly designed for flat owners and renters. Ofgem's licensing framework supports this model.

Option 2: Balcony Solar Systems

Balcony PV (also known as plug-in solar or Balkonkraftwerk, the German term that has popularised the concept across Europe) involves connecting a small solar panel or panel pair — typically 400–800 W — to a standard household socket via a microinverter.

In the UK context:

• Output: 400–800 W peak, generating perhaps 200–400 kWh per year depending on balcony orientation
• Installation: No roofers or scaffolding required; panels attach to balcony railings or walls
• Grid interaction: The system feeds into your flat's circuits, reducing grid import
• Cost: £300–700 for a basic single-panel balcony kit
• Regulatory status: Currently in a grey area in the UK. There is no formal Ofgem approval framework as of 2026, and MCS certification for these units is limited. Electrical safety should be verified by a qualified electrician

Balcony solar will not make a dramatic dent in your bills, but as a first step and a statement of intent, it is increasingly popular in urban UK settings.

Option 3: Building-Wide Solar with Resident-Led Projects

For leaseholders with an active residents' association, a building-wide solar installation is achievable. The process involves:

1. Forming or using an existing residents' management company
2. Commissioning a feasibility study for the building's roof
3. Obtaining quotes from MCS-certified installers
4. Agreeing a funding model (shared cost, loan, PPA, or housing association grant)
5. Applying to the freeholder for consent
6. Proceeding with installation and registering for SEG

Building-wide installations qualify for all standard UK incentives — MCS certification, SEG export payments, and 0% VAT on equipment. The cost is shared among residents, making the per-household investment comparable to a standard domestic installation.

Option 4: Social Housing and Housing Association Routes

If you live in social housing or a housing association property, your landlord may be eligible for dedicated solar grant funding — including the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) and local authority grants. Residents should raise solar interest directly with their housing association's energy team.

→ Your bill, your roof, your result — find out your solar savings now.

Comparison of Flat Owner Solar Options