Regulations Guide
Solar Canopy Regulations UK
Commercial solar canopy installations must comply with six regulatory frameworks: G98/G99 grid connection, MCS certification, Building Regulations Part A, CDM 2015, planning permission, and BS 7671 electrical installation. Each submission is normally made by the installer or the client's consultants.
Six regulatory frameworks for solar canopy installations
Each framework has a different authority, timeline, and compliance requirement. A full-service installer normally handles all six.
G98 (formerly G83) applies to small systems up to 16 A per phase connected to the low-voltage (230V/400V) network, and requires notification to the DNO within 28 days of commissioning — not prior approval. G99 (formerly G59) applies to larger systems above that limit, and to any system connected to the high-voltage network. G99 requires prior technical approval from the DNO — typically 8-12 weeks — before the system can be energised. For systems above 250 kWp, a multi-party G99 application involving the national grid may be required. Apply on day one of the design phase.
- G98: notify within 28 days after commissioning (up to 16 A per phase)
- G99: apply before installation — 8-26 weeks
- DNO may require protective relay settings review
- G99 systems require a generation meter
MCS (Microgeneration Certification Scheme) certification is required to access the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) — the export tariff paid by energy suppliers for electricity fed back to the grid. MCS certification applies to the installation company, the product, and the installation process. The installing company commissions the system to the MCS installation standard for solar PV, and an MCS certificate is issued for the installation, confirming compliance. This certificate is required by most energy suppliers before they will open a SEG account.
- MCS certification is one SEG route for installations of 50 kW or less
- An MCS installation standard applies to certified PV installations
- Certificate issued at commissioning
- Valid for 25 years from commissioning date
- Required by most energy suppliers and finance lenders
Free-standing solar canopy structures are not buildings but they are structures, and structural works require compliance with Building Regulations Part A (structure). A chartered structural engineer certifies Part A compliance through the structural design and calculation package. This is submitted as part of a building notice or full plans application to the local authority building control (LABC) or an approved inspector. Note: Building Regulations approval is separate from planning permission — both are required for most solar canopy installations.
- Building notice or full plans submission required
- Chartered structural engineer must certify compliance
- LABC or approved inspector must inspect foundations
- Certificate of completion issued after installation
- Separate from planning permission — both required
The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015) apply to solar canopy installations that exceed the 'notifiable' threshold: more than 30 working days with more than 20 workers simultaneously on site, or more than 500 person-days of construction work. Below this threshold, CDM duties still apply but the project is not notifiable to the HSE. For notifiable projects, a Principal Designer and a Principal Contractor must be appointed. A Construction Phase Plan is required before works commence. A Health and Safety File is handed over at completion.
- CDM applies to all commercial construction work
- Projects above threshold: notifiable to HSE
- Principal Designer and Contractor must be appointed
- Construction Phase Plan required before works start
- Health and Safety File handed over at completion
In England a solar canopy over off-street non-domestic parking can use permitted development Class OA of Part 14 (in force since 21 December 2023), but only after prior approval from the local planning authority, and no part of the canopy may be more than 4 metres above ground. The right does not apply within the curtilage of a listed building or on a scheduled monument, and in conservation areas and other designated land prior approval also weighs the canopy's appearance. A taller or larger structure needs a full planning application, which may call for a design and access statement, heritage impact assessment (where required), ecological preliminary assessment and visual impact assessment. Scotland (Class 9M) and Wales (a 9 square metre limit for stand-alone non-domestic solar) differ.
- England: Class OA permitted development with prior approval
- 4 m maximum height above ground; taller needs full planning
- Listed-building curtilage and scheduled monuments excluded
- Conservation areas, AONBs and National Parks: prior approval weighs appearance
All electrical installation work — DC wiring from panels to inverters, AC wiring from inverters to the distribution board, and protection equipment — must be designed and installed to BS 7671:2018 (IET Wiring Regulations, 18th Edition) with Amendment 2. An Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) is issued by the installer's registered electrician at commissioning, covering both the DC (PV) and AC elements of the installation. This certificate is required by insurance companies, mortgage lenders, and building owners as evidence of safe electrical installation.
- BS 7671:2018 + Amendment 2 applies
- Registered electrician (NICEIC or NAPIT) required
- Electrical Installation Certificate issued at commissioning
- DC system designed to IEC 62548
- Required by insurers and finance lenders
Regulatory timeline for a typical 200 kWp installation
| Regulation | When submitted | Typical timeline | Who submits |
|---|---|---|---|
| G99 grid connection | Day 1 of design phase | 8–16 weeks to approval | The installer (on your behalf) |
| Planning permission | Week 2–4 of design phase | 8–13 weeks to decision | The installer (on your behalf) |
| Building Regulations | Before installation starts | 2–4 weeks (building notice) | The installer, with your structural engineer’s sign-off |
| CDM notification (if notifiable) | Before construction phase | 3 working days minimum notice to HSE | The principal contractor |
| MCS commissioning | At energisation | Same day — 2–3 hours on site | The MCS-certified installer |
| G99 commissioning notice | Within 5 days of energisation | Immediate (notification only) | The installer, to the DNO |
| SEG application | After MCS certificate issued | 2–4 weeks (supplier dependent) | You, with the installer’s documentation pack |
What you need to provide
A full-service installer normally handles this
- G99 grid connection application to DNO
- Planning application preparation and submission
- Building Regulations structural design and certification
- CDM Principal Designer and Principal Contractor roles
- MCS commissioning and certificate
- Electrical Installation Certificate (BS 7671)
- SEG documentation pack
What an installer will ask you for
- · Half-hourly electricity meter data (12 months minimum)
- · Site plan or aerial imagery of the car park
- · Freehold or leasehold title confirmation
- · Any existing S106 planning obligations or conditions
- · Building drawings (existing, if available)
- · Access confirmation for site survey
- · Health and safety policy document
Ask for compliance to be priced in
Ask any installer to confirm that every regulatory submission — G99, planning, building regs, CDM, MCS — is included in the quoted price.
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