A garden building is the easiest place in the country to put solar: a flat or gently pitched roof, nobody overlooking it, and a load that runs while the sun is up.
- 2.3kg panels suit felt & EPDM roofs
- Powers the house when the room is empty
- No planning permission
- DIY fit
A plug-in solar kit will run most of a garden office's daytime load. Lighting, a laptop, a monitor, a router and a small heater sit comfortably inside what a 720W array produces on a bright day, and whatever the building does not use flows back to the house rather than being wasted.
Why a garden building suits plug in solar so well
Three reasons. The roof is low enough to work on safely from a stepladder; it is usually flat, felt or EPDM, which suits lightweight semi-flexible panels that would be awkward on tiles; and the building's demand peaks in daylight, which is exactly when the panels generate.
The fourth reason is what happens when you are not out there. Because the system feeds the property rather than the building alone, on a Saturday when the workshop is shut the panels are quietly running the fridge and freezer in the house.
What size solar panel do I need for a garden office?
Work backwards from what is switched on at the same time. Most garden offices sit between 200W and 500W in normal use, which a 720W array covers on anything but a dull winter day.
| What you run | Typical draw | Covered by 720W? |
|---|---|---|
| LED lighting | 20–60W | Easily |
| Laptop and monitor | 60–150W | Easily |
| Router, speakers, charging | 20–50W | Easily |
| Small oil-filled radiator | 800–1,500W | Partly — it will offset, not replace |
| Bench tools, intermittent | 500–1,800W | Partly, in bursts |
| Salon extraction unit | 60–200W | Easily |
Be realistic about heating. Electric heating is the heaviest load a garden room has, and it peaks in the months when solar output is lowest. Solar will reduce that bill; it will not remove it.
How do the panels fit a garden building roof?
Semi-flexible panels at 2.3kg each suit exactly the roofs garden buildings have. On felt or EPDM they bond or strap down without penetrating the covering, which matters because a roof you have made holes in is a roof that will eventually leak.
On a pitched shed roof they follow the slope. On a flat roof a shallow frame improves the angle, though plenty of customers simply lay them flat and accept a little less output for a much simpler job.
Solar for a garden salon or beauty room
If your garden building is a salon rather than an office, the numbers work harder. A treatment room runs lighting, heating, a towel warmer and extraction all through the working day — the hours when the panels are producing.
We sell both sides of that problem: the solar that powers the room and the extraction that keeps its air clean.
Is it legal, and do I need permission?
Plug-in solar has been legal in Great Britain since 27 August 2026, and a garden installation normally needs no planning permission because nothing permanent is added to the dwelling. You must still register on a G98 form within 28 days.
Kits for garden buildings
The Complete Garden / Workshop System is £550, with free UK delivery over £200.
Shop garden & workshop kits All plug-in solarFrequently asked questions
Add up what runs at the same time. Most garden offices sit between 200W and 500W in normal use, which a 720W array covers comfortably except on dull winter days.
It will offset the cost rather than cover it. Electric heating is the heaviest load a garden room has and it peaks exactly when solar output is lowest.
It should not. Semi-flexible panels weigh 2.3kg each and strap or bond down without penetrating felt or EPDM, so there are no new holes in the covering.
It flows to the rest of the property and runs whatever is on there — typically the fridge and freezer. Nothing is exported or wasted.
Normally no, because nothing permanent is added to the dwelling. Check locally if you are in a conservation area or the building is listed.
Ready when you are
Prices are on the site, delivery is UK-wide, and the team will say when something is not the right fit.