A shed doesn't need a buried armoured cable and a call to an electrician to get power. One panel, one battery, and a couple of small parts in between will run lights, chargers, and hand tools straight off the roof — completely off-grid, with no G98 notification and no mains connection required.
Because a shed system typically runs its own standalone circuit rather than connecting to your home's mains supply, it falls outside G98/G99 entirely. See our G98 notification guide if you're ever unsure whether a specific setup counts as grid-connected.
How the system works
Every off-grid shed system follows the same wiring order: panel, charge controller, battery, inverter, then whatever you're plugging in. Click a block below to see what each part does and what to look for when buying one.
Solar panel
The energy source. A rigid monocrystalline panel is the standard choice for a shed roof — 20–25% efficient and compact. A 100W panel runs roughly £40–£70, a 200W panel £70–£120. If the roof has no usable angle or space, a ground-mounted panel on a folding stand works just as well.
Charge controller
Sits between panel and battery, regulating voltage so the battery charges correctly and never gets overcharged. Two types exist: PWM (cheaper, roughly 75–80% efficient) and MPPT (roughly 96–99% efficient). On a small system the price difference is minor — MPPT is worth it.
Battery
Stores energy for use after dark. Lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO₄) is now the standard: 3,000–6,000+ charge cycles and roughly 80% usable capacity. Older AGM lead-acid batteries cost less upfront but only last 500–800 cycles and should only be run to about 50% capacity — meaning you need a bigger, heavier battery for the same usable power.
Inverter
Converts the battery's stored DC power into the 230V AC that mains-plug tools and chargers expect. Size it to the highest single load you'll ever run at once, not your total daily use, and add roughly 25% headroom. A 300–600W inverter covers lighting and electronics; 1,000–1,500W covers power tools.
Loads
Whatever you're plugging in — LED lights, a phone or laptop charger, a radio, a cordless-tool charger, or (on a bigger system) corded power tools. Everything downstream of the inverter draws from the battery, so this is where sizing starts.
Size your system
Tick what you'll actually run out there. These are rough daily-use estimates, not exact device ratings — a phone charger and a table saw don't need the same math, so treat this as a starting point before buying.
| Tier | Panel | Battery | Inverter | Covers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lighting only | 50–100W | 50–100Ah LiFePO₄ | Optional, 150–300W | LED lighting, phone charging, small radio |
| Weekend workshop | 200W | 100Ah LiFePO₄ | 500–1,000W pure sine | Lighting, laptop/phone charging, radio, occasional 230V hand tools |
| Power-tool workshop | 400W+ (array) | 200Ah+ LiFePO₄ | 1,000–1,500W+ pure sine | Everything above, plus regular corded tools and short heavy-draw bursts |
Continuous heavy-draw tools like angle grinders and large table saws still drain a battery quickly — size for how long you use them, not just their wattage.
Kits by tier
One representative kit per tier, so you can see actual specs and price before you commit.
100W Panel + 20Ah LiFePO₄ Battery Kit
100W panel · PWM controller · 20Ah lithium battery. Covers LED lighting, phone charging, and a small radio.
amazon Check Price on Amazon →200W Panel Kit + 100Ah Lithium + 1000W Inverter
2×100W panels · 20A MPPT controller · 100Ah lithium battery · 1000W pure sine inverter. Covers lighting, charging, radio and occasional 230V hand tools.
amazon Check Price on Amazon →400W Panel Array + 100Ah+ Lithium + 1100W Inverter
4×100W panels · 40A MPPT controller · 100Ah+ lithium battery · 1100W pure sine inverter. Covers everything above, plus regular corded tools and short heavy-draw bursts.
amazon Check Price on Amazon →LiFePO₄ vs. AGM lead-acid
This is the one component worth spending a little more on. Depth of discharge matters as much as the Ah rating printed on the box.
| LiFePO₄ (lithium) | AGM (lead-acid) | |
|---|---|---|
| Cycle life | 3,000–6,000+ cycles | 500–800 cycles |
| Usable capacity | ~80% of rated Ah | ~50% of rated Ah (draining further shortens life) |
| Upfront cost | Higher | Lower |
| Weight | Roughly half, for the same usable power | Heavier for equivalent usable capacity |
A 100Ah AGM battery gives you about 50Ah of usable power before it's unhealthy to drain further. A 100Ah LiFePO₄ gives you about 80Ah — so it does the job of a much larger, heavier lead-acid bank. Browse LiFePO₄ batteries on Amazon →
Solar vs. running mains power
Trenching a cable
Buried armoured cable typically runs £10–£25 per metre, before a consumer unit, RCD protection, and either a confident DIYer or a qualified electrician to sign it off.
Panel + battery kit
No trench, no consumer unit, no electrician for a basic off-grid setup. A single panel, a battery, and a few connectors get lighting and charging running the same afternoon.
Check local rules first
In the UK, panels on an outbuilding are normally permitted development if they don't protrude more than 200mm and the building isn't listed or in a conservation area. Confirm with your local planning authority if in doubt.
Three things not to compromise on
MPPT, not PWM
The efficiency gap (96–99% vs 75–80%) pays for the price difference within the first year on most small systems.
Pure sine wave inverter
Cheaper modified-sine inverters can damage sensitive electronics and some chargers — pure sine wave is the safer default for anything with a motor or a microchip.
Matched components
A kit sold as one system, with panel, controller, battery, and inverter rated to work together, is worth more than the cheapest box of parts that technically add up.
A shed setup like this is off-grid by design. If you're after grid-connected solar for your home, see our guide on current UK rules for plug-in solar, or our battery storage comparison for balcony and grid-tied systems. Powering a beach hut instead? See our beach hut solar guide for the coastal-specific considerations.
Summary — the key facts
- A basic shed system needs just four parts: panel, charge controller, battery, inverter
- Off-grid shed setups are exempt from G98 since they don't connect to the mains grid
- LiFePO₄ batteries outlast AGM lead-acid by 4–8x in cycle life and use more of their rated capacity
- MPPT controllers and pure sine wave inverters are worth the small extra cost over PWM and modified-sine alternatives
- A lighting-only kit starts around £60–£120; a full power-tool workshop setup runs into the several-hundred-pound range
- Most sheds fall under permitted development for solar panels in the UK — always confirm locally if the building is listed or in a conservation area
Once it's wired up, there's no ongoing paperwork, no notification, and no bill — just free power for lighting, charging, and tools, straight off the roof.