I’m generally against rooftop solar, particularly in the U.S. Much of the residential market is based on leased systems, which can be detrimental to the homeowner, especially when the home is eventually sold.
In general, I also recommend putting a new roof on before installing solar. Otherwise, replacing the roof later can mean additional costs and complications with the solar system. And the payback period can be longer than the length of time many homeowners actually own their homes.
There’s another fundamental problem: in both the U.S. and UK, it can be difficult to install enough rooftop solar to meet a home’s actual electricity demand, particularly during periods of peak heating or cooling. The times when energy demand is highest are not necessarily the times when a rooftop array produces the most electricity. That can make the system less useful—and potentially a liability when selling the property.
As a consultant, I almost always recommend ground-mounted solar when the property allows it. It avoids many of the structural, roofing, maintenance, and resale issues associated with rooftop systems while providing much greater flexibility in system placement and orientation.
In my view, there are very few disadvantages to properly designed ground-mounted solar, while many of the supposed advantages of rooftop solar are really advantages of having solar—not advantages of putting the panels on the roof.
What I’m totally in favor of, however, is plug-and-play solar. Plug-in solar, balcony solar, or other plug-and-play systems can connect directly to an existing electrical outlet, making solar dramatically simpler and less expensive to install. Great Britain has now established a legal framework for these systems: updated regulations taking effect August 27, 2026, created a legal category for plug-in microgenerators and allow certified systems to connect to standard 13-amp domestic sockets, subject to safety requirements, output limits generally up to 800 watts, and notification to the local electricity network operator. Unfortunately, the situation remains much less straightforward in the U.S., where regulation is largely state-by-state. At present, plug-in solar is legal in only nine states: Utah, Colorado, Maryland, Maine, Vermont, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Virginia, and New Jersey.