Wall

Plug-in solar on a wall

A sunny wall is a solar site most people walk past. The side of a house, the back of a garage, the wall between the patio and the garden: if it faces south or west and nothing shades it at midday, it will carry a panel. We offer two ways to do it. A rigid Bolt panel on a wall bracket, which is the higher output option and is ENA-listed for plug-in connection. Or Storm flexible panels fixed flat along the wall, which is the choice when the wall cannot take a bracket or you want something that comes off without a trace.

Bolt on a wall bracket

The wall bracket holds a 460W glass panel off the wall at an angle, bolted into brick or block with the fixings supplied. One panel for Bolt 460W, two side by side for Bolt 920W. Output is a little below a ground-mounted panel at 40°, but the panel is out of the way, off the lawn and above the dog. Bolt 460W starts at £549.99 and makes about 516 kWh a year in the best orientation; Bolt 920W starts at £749.99 and makes about 1,012 kWh. Both are on the ENA Connect Direct register, so they plug into a standard socket once registered at myplugin.solar. Add a Plus bundle battery and the evening use is covered too. Bolt Max 530W is not offered for wall mounting; it is a flat-roof and ground kit. View Bolt 460W or Bolt 920W.

Storm flat against the wall

Storm panels are 3.5 kg flexible modules, so they fix along a wall with lightweight fixings rather than a bracket. Vertical mounting gives up some summer output but does better in winter when the sun is low. Storm 360W is two panels over about 2.5 metres of wall, around 260 kWh a year, £499.99. Storm 710W is four panels over about 5 metres, around 525 kWh, £699.99. Storm is not ENA-listed, so follow the connection guidance on the product page or use our installation service. Rendered walls, timber cladding and anywhere a landlord would object to a bracket are where Storm earns its place. View Storm 360W or Storm 710W.

Which wall works

South is best. South-west and south-east are nearly as good. A west-facing wall makes its power in the afternoon and early evening, which suits a household that gets home at six. East-facing works for morning use. North does not work and we would rather tell you that than sell you a kit. Look at the wall at noon on a clear day: if a neighbour's roof, a tree or your own extension puts a shadow on it, pick another wall or go to the garden. Height matters less than you think; a panel at head height on a clear wall does better than one high up in dappled shade.

Frequently asked questions

Can I mount solar panels on the wall of my house? Yes. Bolt kits use a wall bracket fixed into brick or block; Storm kits fix flat with light fixings. Walls on the front elevation of a house in a conservation area may need planning consent, so check with your council if that applies.

Do vertical solar panels work in the UK? They do. A vertical south-facing panel makes roughly 70 to 80 per cent of what the same panel makes at 40°, and the winter share is higher because the low sun hits it square on. The Storm output figures already assume vertical mounting.

Which is better on a wall, Bolt or Storm? Bolt makes more power and is ENA-listed, so it is our first recommendation wherever the wall can take a bracket. Storm is for walls that cannot, or for anyone who needs the panels to come off cleanly.

How far can the panel be from the socket? The AC cable comes in 5 m and 10 m lengths. Outdoor sockets are fine; if there is none, the cable runs through a wall or window to the nearest indoor socket. See cables.