There was a burst of extra energy at this year’s Labour Party Conference in Liverpool – and we don’t mean PM Andy Burnham’s rousing speech to the party faithful yesterday.
One of Britain’s newest clean energy technologies was also in attendance – a plug-in solar panel helping to power an outdoor bar in the Liverpool conference zone.
The new UKSOL plug-in solar panel was installed at the venue’s pop-up outdoor bar inside the secure conference zone, helping to power the space and giving thousands of delegates the chance to see the technology in action.
Thankfully, given the location, the new panels don’t need wall-to-wall sunshine. They generate electricity from daylight, including on cloudy days, although brighter conditions mean more power.
Plug-in solar only arrived in Britain this summer, following new rules allowing compliant systems to connect directly to a suitable mains socket.
Unlike traditional rooftop solar, the technology is designed to be simple and accessible. A panel can be positioned in a suitable outdoor space, with a microinverter converting the electricity it generates into power that can be used by the building.
Systems can provide up to 800W of power. The government estimates that, in a home, that could provide up to 20 per cent of an average household’s electricity use and save up to £110 a year.
The technology could be particularly useful for hospitality businesses, where terraces, gardens and other outdoor spaces could offer new opportunities to generate clean electricity and help cut running costs.
Katie White OBE MP, Minister for Climate Transition (pictured pouring pints), said: “From cafés and pubs to restaurants and hotels, plug-in solar could be a game-changer for hospitality, turning unused outdoor space into cheaper, homegrown power with something as simple as a panel and a plug.
“And whatever the Liverpool weather throws at us, it doesn’t need blazing sunshine to work. That’s why I’m so excited to have one here at conference, so thousands of people can see this brilliant new technology in action.”
Eddie Dos Santos, director of operations and venue management at Liverpool Experience Campus, said: “Our campus is about bringing people together and creating spaces where new ideas can be experienced first-hand. Hosting one of the UK’s first demonstrations of plug-in solar technology at Labour Party Conference is a great example of that. It’s a simple but innovative solution, and we’re proud to help showcase how clean energy could become part of everyday operations across the hospitality and events industry.”
Jennifer Hammond-Langley, commercial lead for new products at UKSOL, suppliers of the panel, added: “Plug-in solar is designed to make clean energy more accessible than ever before. If you have a suitable outdoor space, generating your own electricity can be as simple as positioning a panel and plugging it in. Plug-in solar offers a simple way to make suitable outdoor space work harder, generating up to 800 W to help offset everyday daytime loads such as refrigeration, lighting and tills, and reduce the amount of electricity imported from the grid.
“We’re proud to be bringing one of the UK’s newest energy innovations to the Labour Party Conference and showing how small changes can make a meaningful difference to energy costs and sustainability.”
Plug-in solar became legal to buy and use across Great Britain on 27 August 2026. Compliant plug-in solar systems can connect directly to a suitable mains socket,
making it possible to generate solar electricity without a traditional rooftop solar installation.
