How Garden Spaces Can Power Your Home: Ground, Wall and Vertical Solar Solutions
Date added: Tue 17 Jun 2025
How Garden Spaces Can Power Your Home: Ground, Wall & Vertical Solar Solutions
When most people think of solar panels, they picture rooftops. But not every home has the perfect roof for solar. North-facing orientations, unusual angles, excessive shading, or heritage planning restrictions can all limit your options, hinder performance or require complex planning. That’s why a growing number of UK homeowners are looking to the ground - literally - or more specifically turning to their gardens for growing their energy independence.
Unlocking the Power of Your Garden
Outdoor installations can be every bit as effective as roof-based systems. In fact, your garden could be transformed into a quiet powerhouse with the right system design and support. Ground-mounted solar is a highly efficient alternative. These systems can be optimally angled and oriented, often outperforming poorly placed rooftop arrays. They’re easier to clean, maintain, and expand—and best of all, they don’t require roof access or structural modifications which is ideal for homeowners who want flexibility without structural disruption.
Whilst more uncommon, vertical solar panels can be mounted on fences, walls, or outbuildings. We typically don’t recommend these arrays as they are usually less efficient than a ground mount system design, however in winter, when the sun sits lower in the sky, these setups can still capture the light. Plus, vertical panels accumulate less snow and dirt, reducing maintenance and preserving efficiency.
Planning Permission: What You Need to Know
While many garden solar installations fall under permitted development rights, some setups may require planning permission, especially in conservation areas or when exceeding height or surface limits. For example, if your ground-mounted solar array exceeds 9 square metres, is installed in front of your principal elevation, or stands taller than 4 metres, formal approval is likely needed. Similarly, vertical installations attached to garden walls or outbuildings may trigger restrictions in heritage zones. At The Natural Energy Company, we’re experienced in navigating these requirements. We provide clear advice during your home energy survey to ensure compliance with local authority guidelines while maximising your system’s energy potential. Our goal is to make your journey to solar independence as smooth and informed as possible, even when planning constraints apply.
The Return on Your Investment
Placing solar in your garden or outbuilding doesn’t just make use of unused space but it offers a flexible energy solution that helps you future-proof your home against rising energy costs and secure a meaningful return on your investment. Whether you opt for a traditional on roof array or a ground-mounted in your garden or outbuildings, these systems are all eligible for the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) — a government-backed scheme that pays homeowners for any surplus electricity exported back to the grid. There are no restrictions on the style of solar installation, as long as your system generates less than 5MW of electricity. That includes the vast majority of domestic systems, such as 4kW, 5kW, or 6kW setups often installed in gardens. To qualify for SEG payments, your system must be MCS certified (or hold equivalent certification), and your installer must also be certified for systems under 50kW. Financially, these systems can often pay for themselves within 6 to 10 years through bill savings and export earnings, with decades of clean, low-carbon power to follow.
Trenching, Cabling and System Integration
When installing solar panels, batteries, or heat pumps in a garden or outbuilding, one of the most important technical factors is how the system connects back to your main property. This usually involves underground trenching to lay armoured cabling between the external installation and your home’s consumer unit. As a general guide, outbuildings up to 50 metres away can typically be connected efficiently, though longer distances may require thicker cables or voltage drop assessments to maintain performance. We carefully plan all trenching routes for our customers to minimise disruption to your garden or hard landscaping. All cabling is securely hidden for a clean, discreet finish. Whether you're powering a garden studio or running solar from a ground array, our expert installers ensure everything is done safely, neatly and in line with current electrical regulations.
Ground-Mount vs Vertical vs Rooftop: What Performs Best?
In the UK, and particularly in Scotland, solar efficiency is shaped by roof angle, orientation and weather. South-facing rooftop panels tilted between 30–40° are considered ideal, delivering maximum output year-round. But when that’s not possible, alternatives shine. In Scotland, this optimal angle becomes even more valuable due to lower winter sun angles and shorter daylight hours. However, many homes - especially in conservation areas or those with north-facing or shaded roofs—simply don’t offer this ideal orientation.
Ground-mounted solar systems offer a performance advantage by allowing panels to be precisely angled for optimal sun exposure and adjusted throughout the seasons, which is something fixed rooftop arrays can’t achieve, especially when poorly oriented. Vertical panels, while typically producing 60–70% of the annual output of south-facing, optimally tilted arrays, are surprisingly effective in winter and in Scotland’s low-angle sunlight. Their ability to capture diffuse light makes them a smart choice where direct sunlight is limited. Advances in solar technology, such as bifacial panels that absorb light from both sides, micro-inverters and high-efficiency monocrystalline cells, further enhance output, enabling even north or east-facing systems to deliver solid performance when designed correctly. At The Natural Energy Company, we factor in all these variables to build the most effective solution for your space and location.
Custom Energy Systems
We don’t believe in one-size-fits-all systems. We assess your entire property, including gardens and outbuildings, to design a tailored energy solution that fits your space and lifestyle. We’ll advise on trenching, shading analysis, planning regulations and performance optimisation. Some of our customers are already offsetting 70–100% of their electricity usage with garden-based solar installations.
Ready to think outside the roof?
If your rooftop isn’t solar-ready, don’t worry—your garden might be. From ground-mounted solar to mini heat pumps and outdoor battery setups, we can design a bespoke system that works for you. To see what this looks like in practice, check out our customer testimonial on the website and watch our YouTube video, Solar Panels, Heat Pump and Battery Storage | Customer Testimonial—a real-life example of how we helped one family transform their outdoor space into an energy powerhouse.
Solar Panels, Heat Pump and Battery Storage | Customer Testimonial - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuDNljUS6iI