Helios – what plug-in solar could generate for any address in Britain
Plug-in solar panels (no electrician needed) have just become legal in the UK and will go on sale soon. Helios estimates how much electricity a typical installation could generate at a given address and what that's worth against your tariff. It uses UK government LIDAR data to reflect the actual skyline, so it knows whether there's a building or a hill blocking the sun. Caveats: - Outside LIDAR coverage (most of Scotland and Wales) it falls back to a synthetic horizon (less accurate). - Trees and recent developments (post-2022 or so) may not be in the data, and some address placements could…
Helios – what plug-in solar could generate for any address in Britain launched on May 30, 2026 with 126 votes, #216 of 20,538 launches that month and more than 95% of that year's launches.
In plain words
Helios estimates electricity generation from plug-in solar panels at any UK address, using government LIDAR data to account for buildings and hills that block sunlight. It calculates potential output and financial value based on your electricity tariff. The tool covers most of England and parts of other regions with detailed terrain data, though Scotland and Wales rely on less accurate synthetic horizons. Results may not reflect very recent developments or trees added after 2022. It is for anyone considering plug-in solar installation in Britain.
written from the facts on this page · September 2026
From the sources
Address-specific yield estimates for plug-in solar in Great Britain. Built by South London Scientific.
Plug-in solar panels will be available in the UK soon, letting you generate electricity from your balcony without expensive installation fees or planning permission. Enter your postcode and house or flat number to see how much energy you could generate, and whether it’s likely to be worth it. We resolve your address against open address data (OpenStreetMap), ray-trace the surrounding buildings from LIDAR — Environment Agency for England and Welsh Government / NRW for Wales, with an honest clear-horizon fallback elsewhere — then ask PVGIS for an annual yield given the shading we found. We have no database — your address isn't stored. Postcode is required. House number or flat is…from helios.southlondonscientific.com
In the maker’s words, at launch
Plug-in solar panels (no electrician needed) have just become legal in the UK and will go on sale soon. Helios estimates how much electricity a typical installation could generate at a given address and what that's worth against your tariff. It uses UK government LIDAR data to reflect the actual skyline, so it knows…
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