UK Regulations
G98 DNO Notification for Balcony Solar: Complete UK Guide
Notifying your Distribution Network Operator is mandatory, not advisory — the Interim Product Specification says so in terms. Here's how it works, the one-device-per-household restriction, and a directory of every UK DNO.
The key point upfront: this is mandatory
IPS version 2 requires a compliant plug-in solar device to be permanently marked with a “statement that notification to distribution network operator (DNO) about connection and disconnection is mandatory, including a link to instructions on how to do so”. It also requires the documentation to carry “clear information on current registration and deregistration obligations with the Distribution Network Operator (DNO), including provision of a QR code directing consumers to the relevant guidance and registration process”.
So this is not a courtesy. G98 is structured as a notification rather than an application, and it is widely described as free and as something a DNO will not refuse — but we have not verified either the no-fee or the cannot-be-refused claim against a primary source, so check with your own DNO rather than taking those points from us. What is documented is that notifying, and de-notifying when you remove the device, is required.
One device per household — not one per circuit
This is the most misreported point about the new rules, and it belongs on this page because it is a network rule rather than a product rule. IPS version 2 permits one plug-in solar device per household final ring circuit. But its own note is explicit that this is not the only limit that applies:
“While this specification permits one device per final circuit, GB network connection requirements also apply. As of publication, current network requirements Engineering Recommendation G98 Issue 2 Amendment 1 2026 restrict this to one device per household, which applies unless and until that is amended.”
Two limits apply at once and the tighter one wins. In practice a household may connect 1 device, however many socket circuits it has, until Engineering Recommendation G98 Issue 2 Amendment 1 2026is amended. The specification requires the plug itself to be marked “Only one plug-in solar device may be connected per household circuit”, so expect to see the per-circuit wording on the product while the household limit is what actually binds.
What Is G98?
Engineering Recommendation G98 (the full title is "Requirements for the Connection of Fully Type Tested Micro-generators") is the technical standard published by the Energy Networks Association (ENA) that governs how small generators — including solar panels — connect to the low-voltage electricity distribution network.
G98 applies to generation units up to 3.68kW on a single-phase supply (which covers all domestic balcony solar systems currently on the market). Systems larger than 3.68kW fall under G99, which requires a formal application and engineering assessment rather than a simple notification.
G98 is built around type testing. What is easy to get wrong — and what this page previously got wrong — is whathas to be type tested. It is not the inverter on its own. IPS version 2 requires manufacturers to ensure “the device” has been type tested to G98 requirements, to “register devices on the ENA Type Test Register (ENA Direct Connect platform) and obtain confirmation that the device has been assessed and identified as compliant prior to placing them on the market”, and adds that “a device being submitted for registration shall not, in itself, be regarded as demonstrating compliance”.
The device, in the specification's own definition, is the complete assembly: at least one PV module, a grid-following inverter, the factory-fitted connection lead and BS 1363plug, the DC cables and connectors, and the mounting system. The government's response puts the duty in the same place — “manufacturers or suppliers placing a complete product on the market are responsible for ensuring that the complete product complies”.
A G98-listed inverter does not make a kit compliant
A simplified registration pathway for plug-in solar is still in development. Until it goes live, G98 remains the correct process, and the obligation to notify is unaffected by the pathway being unfinished. See also our coverage of the BSI standard work.
The G98 Notification Process: Step by Step
Find your DNO
Your DNO is the company that owns and operates the electricity cables in your area — not your electricity supplier. Use the Energy Networks Association postcode checker at energynetworks.org or check your electricity bill. The DNO is often listed on bill documents as 'network operator' or 'distribution company.'
Download or access the G98 notification form
Most DNOs provide an online portal or a downloadable PDF form. The form asks for: your name and address, the inverter make and model, the installed capacity (in kW), and the approximate installation date. Some DNOs also ask for the meter serial number.
Complete the form
Fill in the details. For the inverter, use the product name exactly as it appears on the device or manual (e.g., 'Hoymiles HM-600'). For capacity, use the inverter's maximum AC output — not the panel wattage. So a 600W panel array connected to an 800VA microinverter: the inverter output is the figure the form is asking about. Have the model number of the complete kit to hand too, because that is what has to appear as verified compliant on the ENA Type Test Register.
Submit the form
Submit via the online portal if available, or send the completed PDF by email to your DNO's connections team. Keep a copy for your records.
Receive acknowledgement
DNOs generally acknowledge in writing, and reported turnaround varies from hours to a few weeks. Advice that you can proceed immediately without waiting for the acknowledgement is common online, but we have not verified it against a DNO's published terms or against G98 itself — so ask your own DNO whether it expects the acknowledgement before commissioning, and keep the answer.
Keep the documentation
Keep your notification submission and the DNO's acknowledgement. If you sell your property, this documentation is useful evidence that the installation was properly notified. As the regulatory framework develops, having clean documentation will become increasingly valuable.
What to put in the form
Use the inverter's rated output for the ‘installed capacity’ field, and give the make and model exactly as labelled on the device. Under the specification the ceiling is 800 VA of apparent power and 3.5 A of output current, so a compliant device will be at or below 0.8 kW.
One caution on model names: some well-known balcony products integrate battery storage, and battery-integrated devices are excluded from the plug-in route entirely. If the kit you are describing has a battery, the G98 form is not your only problem — it needs a conventional installation by a qualified electrician instead.
UK DNO Directory: G98 Contacts
Find your DNO by postcode at energynetworks.org, or identify it from your electricity bill.
National Grid Electricity Distribution (NGED)
South West England, East Midlands, West Midlands, South Wales
Online portal available. Covers the largest geographic area of any UK DNO.
UK Power Networks (UKPN)
South East England, East of England, London
Covers London and the South East — the most densely populated DNO area and likely the highest proportion of balcony solar installations.
Northern Powergrid
North East England, Yorkshire
Serves approximately 3.9 million customers across the North East and Yorkshire.
Electricity North West (ENW)
North West England (Cumbria, Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Cheshire)
Covers the entire North West of England. Online G98 notification form available.
SP Energy Networks — SP Manweb
North Wales, Merseyside, Cheshire (part)
SP Energy Networks operates two distribution areas: SP Manweb (Wales and Merseyside) and SPD (Scotland South).
SP Energy Networks — SPD (ScottishPower Distribution)
Central and South Scotland
Covers central and southern Scotland including the Central Belt, Ayrshire, and Dumfries and Galloway.
Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) — SSE North
North of Scotland (Highlands, Islands, Grampian, Tayside, Fife)
Covers the most rural distribution area in the UK, including the Scottish islands. G98 process is the same as mainland networks.
Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) — SSE South
South Central England (Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Hampshire, parts of Surrey)
Covers the south central England region — a separate distribution area to the Scottish SSEN network despite sharing a parent company.
NIE Networks
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is a separate regime, not a variant of this one. It is regulated by the Utility Regulator rather than Ofgem, and connections run under Engineering Recommendation G98/NI, which is a distinct document from GB's G98. It also matters for legality: regulation 3 of SI 2026/848, the limb that makes using a plug-in device lawful, extends to England, Wales and Scotland only.
After You Submit Your G98 Notification
Timescale
G98 is structured as a notification rather than an application. Turnaround figures quoted online range from a few days to 20 working days; we have not verified a specific service standard, so check your DNO's own published timescale. Do not assume you may commission the system before the acknowledgement arrives without confirming that with your DNO.
What if I get no response?
If you don't receive an acknowledgement within 28 days, follow up by email. Some homeowners report never receiving a formal acknowledgement — this is a process failure on the DNO's part rather than a problem with your installation. Keep your submission email as evidence that you notified.
What to keep
Keep: your original notification submission (email or postal), the DNO's acknowledgement (email or letter), the manufacturer's IPS compliance declaration, and evidence that the complete kit — not just the inverter — is verified compliant on the ENA Type Test Register. Store these with your other property documents. Remember the specification also requires you to notify the DNO on disconnection, so keep the process to hand if you ever remove the device.