Solar Panels for Static Caravans and Park Homes UK

A static caravan or park home has something a touring caravan or campervan doesn't: a roof that never moves. That changes the solar equation completely. Instead of a small, weight-conscious kit sized for occasional trips, a static caravan can carry a proper rooftop array sized much like a small house — but the rules that govern whether you're allowed to fit one have almost nothing to do with the planning permission rules that apply to houses. The document that actually controls what you can do is your park's site licence and your own pitch agreement.

Why the planning rules for houses don't apply here

Solar panels on an ordinary house are usually covered by permitted development rights, subject to conditions on projection and location — see our guide to solar panel planning permission in the UK for the detail. A static caravan or park home sits outside that framework entirely. Caravan sites in England and Wales are regulated under the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960, which requires the site operator — not each individual resident — to hold a site licence from the local council covering the whole park. Because the licensing sits at site level, an individual resident fitting solar to their own static doesn't go through a council planning application; it's governed by the site licence conditions and, more directly, by the terms of your own pitch agreement with the site owner.

In practice, that means asking your site owner or park operator for written permission before you fit anything — not checking permitted development rights, which mostly don't apply here at all. Get any approval in writing and keep a copy with your pitch agreement paperwork.

Residential park homes vs holiday statics

Not all statics are the same, and the agreement you hold changes what you can insist on. A residential park home — where you live full-time on a site licensed for year-round occupation — is covered by the Mobile Homes Act 1983, which implies a set of statutory terms into your written pitch agreement covering matters such as how the agreement can end and how pitch fees are reviewed. A holiday static on a seasonal or touring-and-holiday licensed site has no equivalent security of tenure; the park's own rules and your annual licence-to-occupy govern everything, including whether alterations like solar panels are permitted at all. Some holiday parks restrict roof-mounted fixtures for uniformity or insurance reasons, so it's worth checking the specific clause before you order anything.

Grid-tied vs off-grid: it depends on your hookup

How you power a static's solar system depends entirely on how the caravan itself is connected to electricity.

If your static is wired into the park's mains supply (the standard arrangement for most residential park homes and many holiday statics), a rooftop array can be connected the same way as a house system, feeding your caravan's consumer unit directly. This should be designed and fitted by an MCS-certified installer — see our MCS certificate guide for what that certification covers and why it matters for warranty and insurance purposes. One honest caveat worth knowing before you budget for it: because a static caravan is typically supplied through the park's own private wiring network rather than its own direct connection to the local Distribution Network Operator, exporting surplus power for Smart Export Guarantee payments is often not straightforward, or not available at all — check with the park operator and your installer before assuming you'll be paid for exported units.

If your static has no permanent mains connection — common on remote pitches or older holiday parks — an off-grid solar setup with its own battery bank, charge controller and inverter is the more realistic route, mirroring the approach used on boats and touring vehicles rather than a grid-tied house system. This suits seasonal use well: the battery bank covers lighting, a fridge and small appliances between visits without relying on a generator.

Where plug-in solar fits in

From 27 August 2026, a new category of plug-in solar device became legal in the UK under the Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994 and Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations 2002 (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/848) — a capped 800W kit that connects via a standard BS 1363 plug rather than needing a hardwired connection. It was designed with flats and balconies in mind, but the underlying idea suits a static caravan's own hookup socket reasonably well for a low-cost, no-rewiring top-up to a mains-connected pitch. It is not a substitute for a full off-grid system if you have no mains connection at all — the DC input cap keeps output modest — but it's worth knowing about as an option that avoids both an MCS installer visit and asking the site owner to sign off on a permanent wiring change. See our full breakdown in plug-in and balcony solar in the UK for the technical limits and whether the numbers work out.

What to check before you buy

• Get written permission from the site owner or park operator — this is the actual gatekeeper, not council planning permission.
• Check your pitch agreement and site rules for any specific clause on roof alterations, especially on holiday-static sites.
• Confirm how your static is electrically connected — mains hookup via the park's network, or no permanent connection — before choosing between a grid-tied MCS install, an off-grid battery system, or a plug-in kit.
• Ask about export payments explicitly if you're hoping for Smart Export Guarantee income; a park-network connection often rules this out.
• Tell your caravan insurer about any roof-mounted equipment, in the same way you would for a house.

None of this makes a static caravan a bad candidate for solar — a stationary roof with a decent footprint is, if anything, an easier starting point than the compact, shaded roof of a touring caravan (see our campervan and motorhome solar guide for that comparison). The work is mostly paperwork: get the site owner's permission in writing, work out how your unit is actually wired, and pick the system type that matches it.