You've done the research, found out where you can buy your legally-approved plug-in solar panels and now it's just a case of waiting for them to be delivered.
But where are you going to put them? If you're keen to keep the outdoor space at the back of your home free for family use, you might be considering your front garden instead.
However, it's worth reading this advice first as it might not be quite as practical as you think. From planning to safety, here are the three main things you need to consider.
1. Planning rules may make your front garden unsuitable
Although adding plug-in solar panels to your home will generally fall under permitted development (PD), there are exceptions. Timber surfaces change the rules, and with guidance around sizes, boundaries, flat dwellers and types of property all needing consideration too, it's vital you understand what is and isn't allowed when it comes to front garden placement.
Height, elevations and boundaries all matter
While one of the issues regarding plug-in solar panels in front gardens is their impact on the property and surrounding area, there are also height limits that must be adhered to, as Simon Rix, director and founder of Planix.uk Planning Consultants and regular planning columnist for Homebuilding & Renovating explains.
"While plug-in solar arrays offer an accessible route to generating micro-renewables, placing them in a front garden brings strict statutory limits into play. Under permitted development rules, ground-mounted equipment installed forward of the principal elevation must not exceed one metre in height if positioned within five metres of any boundary.
"Given that most front gardens are relatively compact, keeping a portable array under that one-metre threshold while ensuring it catches sufficient sunlight without triggering a need for full planning permission can be a real balancing act," says Simon.
So, "while permitted development technically allows standalone solar up to four metres high in rear or side gardens (provided it is more than five metres from a boundary), in a typical front garden setting where space is constrained and highway proximity is a factor, a four-metre high array would almost never comply without formal planning permission."
And, if you live in a conservation area, your front garden will likely never be an option he continues. "In designated Conservation Areas or Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs), permitted development rights for solar installed forward of the principal elevation facing a highway are usually restricted or removed altogether."
Flat-dwellers face a hard no for front garden installation
Those ground-floor flat owners hoping to reduce their energy bills with plug-in solar also need to reconsider their plans if a front garden is their only outdoor space, warns Simon Rix.
"Flat dwellers and homeowners in protected areas face a much tougher hurdle. Permitted development rights for standalone solar generally do not extend to flats, and in Conservation Areas, placing equipment closer to the public highway than the main building almost always requires formal planning permission.
"Before setting up a plug-in panel out front, residents should check whether their property retains its permitted development rights or if local Article 4 directions apply, as visible front-of-house additions are closely scrutinised by local planning authorities. I recommend asking a planning consultant about this," recommends Simon, "as we will know the specific rules for your location."
Simon Rix is a professional planning consultant, who began his career working in local government in the 1990s. He was a council officer and later an elected councillor, so he knows how the planning system works from both sides. He went on to set up Planix.UK Planning Consultants Ltd; a consultancy company that advises self builders, home extenders and those taking on small to medium-sized building projects on planning permission.
2. Safety and security make the front garden less practical
Let's say you do have space to put your plug-in solar panels in your front garden without breaking planning rules. It then comes down to questions of safety and practicality.
While it may seem better to locate them where there's less opportunity for them to be damaged by children playing, or inquisitive pets, your front garden nonetheless is the main entry and exit point for every visitor to your home.
From invited to uninvited guests, everyone will see your plug-in solar panels. And, while their temporary nature is what makes them more practical for some homes, the very fact they are moveable makes them an easy target for anyone looking to steal them.
Given home insurance rules relating to plug-in solar panels are also likely to change as providers watch how this new tech is adopted and used, it's easy to imagine how you may also find yourself with increased premiums if a front garden location is deemed as more 'risky.'
Home security may need to be altered or even certain types of approved and secure mounts may become mandatory.
Location of plug sockets
There's also the issue of electrics and plug sockets to take into account in your front garden. Plug-in solar panels must be plugged directly into an appropriate socket that's wired into your main electrical system. Extension leads are not suitable, and neither is running a plug through a window indoors.
So if you don't have a fully waterproof external plug socket installed on the front of your home, it's another expense you might have to account for on top of the cost of your plug-in solar panels.
Shop for plug-in solar panels
This dual-panel kit comes with a micro-inverter, plug and ground mount kit to help you get up and running in no time.
For smaller spaces, this single-panel kit also comes with everything you need to literally plug and play.
3. Will plug-in solar damage your kerb appeal or annoy your neighbours?
And last, but certainly not least, there's the important issue of kerb appeal and how your neighbours feel about plug-in solar panels in your front garden.
Even though they may be temporary, there's no questioning the impact plug-in solar panels in a front garden will have on the look and feel of your home – particularly during this early adoption stage where panels are often larger than expected. You can't cover them – they need daylight to work, and while you may be able to position them in such a way that you could try placing some screening plants around them, they still need to be accessible for cleaning and maintenance.
But what about your neighbours? What grounds do they have to complain if your solar panels go in your front garden? Or, what if you find yourself on the opposite side of the fence so to speak, and are concerned your neighbour's new plug-in solar panels are breaching the rules?
“The best advice if you are not happy with a solar installation in your neighbour’s garden is to report the matter in the first instance to the local planning department," advises Joe Pepper, partner at Bridge McFarland LLP.
"The planning officers will be able to assess if the solar installation is lawful under current rules at no cost to you. Failing that it might possible that a new solar installation is being built in breach of covenants (private restrictions affecting land use) but investigating and potentially enforcing covenants if you have a right to do so is a much more expensive and complicated process.”
What is important to recognise is that if you, or your neighbour has adhered to the rules, there are no grounds to complain purely on the grounds of aesthetics.
Joe is partner at Bridge McFarland, one of the largest law firms in Lincolnshire. He supports all types of clients from single property deals all the way through to multimillion property developments from conception to conclusion.
Realising your front garden is not the place for your plug-in solar panels? Try these front garden ideas for inspiration instead, and why not give your front door a makeover at the same time using the best front door paint to boost your kerb appeal.
