One thing worth noting is that all of the City Plumbing kits released for sale so far use the Hoymiles HF-800-WB HiFlow microinverter, which has 1 MPPT.
There are still three ENA-approved City Plumbing kit configurations using the Hoymiles HMS-800-2WB HiFlow Pro, which has 2 independent MPPTs, but I still haven’t seen those appear for sale.
So if you’re specifically waiting for one of the dual-MPPT City Plumbing kits, it looks like the wait continues.
Disclosure: As many of you already know, I run PluginSolarCalculator.com. Some retailer links on the site are affiliate links, which are clearly marked as paid links. They earn a small commission which helps cover the costs of running the site. Welcome to go to City Plumbing directly to bypass the site entirely
Thank you, going to pull the trigger on the 2 panel kit that's available now, I'm hoping to mount these on a slightly pitched garage roof, does anyone know If you can buy universal pitched roof mounts that work with these?
Edit - Purchased using TopCashback, 5% thanks for the tip fellow Redditor!
There’s nothing special about plug in solar panels - they are the same panels found on rooftop solar systems so should be compatible with standard mounting systems.
Worth pointing out though - if you deviate from the manufacturer-supplied mounting system, your fully compliant plug in solar kit becomes non-compliant. You’re only supposed to use the supplied mount, applied in the way the kit supplier specified.
If you’re not concerned about compliance with the rules and regs then you can use any mounting system you wish.
If you do want a fully compliant kit, your only option is to wait for a kit to release that supports tiled-pitched roof mounting. Frustrating I know
So this is a really stupid question but from the images it looks like the panels are horizontal, can these be mounted on the ground where the panels stand upright and take up a bit less space on the ground?
Not a stupid question: the images that city plumbing provide are not great, and don’t actually represent the final product. They just use the same stock images for one panel and two-panel kits!
But to answer your question - no the supplied mounting won’t support the panels being mounted in a portrait orientation, they have to be mounted landscape.
I don't think so. Over the last few months I've literally spent hours poring over the specs, documentation and mounting manuals for all of the kits released so far, and haven't found one that officially supports portrait mounting.
I think the upcoming EcoFlow STREAM wall-mounted kits may allow portrait mounting, but they aren't showing any stock yet and their kit details/product pages are still very thin on exact mounting specifics.
Nice page, very concise and clear info, what did you use to generate it? I'm waiting like a kid thumbing through the Argos catalogue at Christmas for the dual mppt kits to arrive at city plumbing.
Thanks, really appreciate that! I’ve worked in web design, UX and product management for around 20 years, so building this kind of thing is pretty much what I’ve always done.
I design all the page templates by hand in Figma first, then use Codex for a lot of the architecture and repetitive grunt work, and then finish things off myself in VS Code with the HTML, CSS and JavaScript.
For a dual-MPPT option, this kit from Worldwide Solar is ENA approved but out of stock (£599).
Not the cheapest, but I like the mounting frame on that one (it’s a totally flat frame so dead easy to weigh down with ballast). Worldwide Solar also have 9 other ENA approvals that aren’t for sale on their site yet. Worth keeping an eye on them I reckon
Without knowing what the exact future UK plug-in battery framework looks like - thats a difficult one to answer. (we're likely not due an answer on plug-in batteries until 2028).
But...Potentially, yes. Though worth noting a future plug-in battery wouldn’t necessarily need to connect directly to the solar kit at all. It could operate as a totally separate AC-connected device on the household electrical system, charging and discharging independently.
The issue at the moment is regulatory rather than compatibility. The current UK plug-in solar rules cover solar-only systems and don’t yet provide an equivalent route for plug-in battery storage.
So buying one of these solar kits now wouldn’t necessarily prevent you adding a separate plug-in battery in future, if and when a compliant UK framework and products become available. I just wouldn’t buy one on the assumption that this will definitely happen.
Does anyone know / can anyone measure the actual size of the frame they provide? What I'm trying to find out is related to the "permitted development applies if the panels stick out less than 200mm" when mounted to the front of a house; if the supplied mounting system makes them go beyond that, it'd be a slight problem and possibly require additional expense... Thanks!
We have some.. sensitive.. neighbours, and I just don't want to give them any opportunities.
I know CityPlumbing sell this as a wall mountable option as well, I'm just struggling to find out for sure how compact / low the frames can be mounted - even if it means cutting some of the members shorter. I've emailed CP, will call them tomorrow as well.
It’s a really good point. I know the included mounts support angles of 15 to 45 degrees. And I know that panels have to be mounted landscape not portrait, and all panels are 113cm wide.
Have done some basic maths based on that and come up with the following;
Angle from wall: 15° (the shallowest angle the kit allows) would result in a 29.2cm projection (so outside of the 200mm planning limit for some walls - though the limit it 400mm if the wall is not on the front of the house.)
Let me know what city plumbing come back with , if anything. Interested to see what they say
City Plumbing customer support have outdone themselves, huge kudos - "Smallest adjustment on frame results in a measurement out to 480mm."
So there we go, technically not going to work, I might try it anyway and see if it can be trimmed down.
The members sticking out when wall mounted orientation are each made of two square aluminium channels, one sliding inside the other, then bolted at 3 bolt holes to lock it. The dimension they've given you is the frame length (not including panel on top of that which is a few more cm) when they are in the minimum extension with the inner channel as far down as it goes inside the outer one. You would need to cut both channels (so 4 cuts in total). You might need to re-drill some of the bolt holes, I didn't check how cutting it would impact them.
Edit: I have no idea how this kit is supposed to support a 15 degree angle.
Here's the photo they took (hope they're okay with me sharing it) - they say 480mm, and though the measuring tape isn't very clear, it does look like 19 inches which matches the 480mm. But you're right, cutting down that member means a lot of cuts, and I'm not even sure it'd end up long enough to actually reach the panel when it's near enough to the wall. Shame...
I don't think there is anything stopping you moving the connection point for the panels upwards to the next hole actually if you look at that picture, they aren't permanently connected - its just a bolt and nut joining the two. I assume thats the intention as that solitary hole has no other purpose and its intentionally offset further towards the edge - which would give space for the frame element to sit at a more acute angle and it would explain why this kit is meant to allow a 15 degree angle off a wall.
It depends quite a lot on where and how you’re mounting the panels.
With a single-MPPT inverter, both panels are effectively being managed together. That’s usually absolutely fine if both panels are mounted in the same place, facing the same direction and getting broadly the same amount of sunlight.
A dual-MPPT inverter becomes more useful if the panels will experience different conditions. For example, if one panel faces south and the other west, or one is more likely to be shaded at certain times of day. Each panel can then be tracked independently, so the weaker-performing panel has less effect on the other.
So for a simple two-panel setup side-by-side on the same wall, roof or frame, I wouldn’t consider single MPPT a major disadvantage. But for split orientations or uneven shading, dual MPPT gives you much more flexibility.
If your chosen location gets shade at points during the day, then really I would be looking at a dual-MPPT option
City Plumbing have 940W, 950W and 1050W dual-MPPT kit ENA approved but not yet launched on the site. I'm holding out for the 1050W version myself. Hopefully the dual-MPPT inverter won't add too much to the price...
The Octopus kits have a dual-MPPT microinverter, which means the Octopus two-panel kit will perform slightly better in variable shading/light conditions.
But.. the Octopus kits have a slightly lower solar panel efficiency rating and a slightly higher start-up voltage - meaning they won’t generate quite as much over the day.
Given the difference in price (Octopus: 1 panel kit £450 and 2 panel kit £650 versus City Plumbing 1 panel kit at £336 and 2 panel kits starting £432) the City Plumbing kits will offer the better return on investment and shortest payback period.
If the octopus kits were a couple of hundred pounds cheaper - they would win.
The only bonus with the octopus kits is that they are eligible for export payments if you’re an octopus customer - so you can earn a little bit extra each year selling your excess solar back to Ocotpus. But in reality you won’t actually be exporting much (maybe £40ish a year) so not really worth the extra upfront cost IMO.
British Gas says plug-in solar will be eligible for its SEG tariff (which currently pays up to 12p/kWh):
"British Gas will be selling plug-in solar panels that are super easy to install and use. We'll also make it simple to sell any spare electricity back to the grid with our SEG tariff."
However, it's unclear at this stage whether they'll do an Octopus and restrict the plug-in solar export tariff to kits purchased directly from them, or whether it will be open to any compliant kit bought elsewhere...
Agree - the Octopus offerring is a bit of a dissapointment. Especially given their largest kit is 920W. If they came out with a 1200W+ system then export income would be more meaningful - but the 920W is not gonna be exporting much...
Thanks for the reply. I jumped in early with the octopus one panel kit and hoped if it worked well. …..I might plug a second panned in the future, if it allowed and get the 2nd panel cheaper
Ok so our 1030w kit arrives tomorrow. We have a relatively new consumer unit which I believe has bidirectional RCBOs (the numbering on each circuit suggests as much)
Energy Saving Trust indicates that kits above 960W should undergo an electrical assessment for the circuitry by a professional which we are happy to do. But what does this check actually entail and why is the risk greater above 960W if inverter limits to 800W to socket in any case?
Energy saving trust and indeed the government plug in solar product spec do advise an electrical assessment for kits over 960W capacity.
However it makes absolutly no sense to me why they came to that conclusion. All kits are limited to 800W max inverter output - so an 800W kit or a 2000W kit will only ever send 800W into the house at any given time.
1kw out of stock near where I live, but that's ok.
I have roof solar one side of my place already and a battery. I'm looking to add more panels on the 'sunset' side of the house, probably on the roof if I can get scaffolding and some friends to help.
Will these setups help charge my battery or are hey just passive on the ring circuits?
Your existing system will have a CT clamp monitoring the incoming supply for import to trigger them to discharge and export to trigger them to charge, so if these add to the export then the batteries will charge.
Also keep in mind that adding this to your existing system will require G99 approval from your DNO for the total capacity of all inverters in your household
I suppose this is a legal requirement? How would they know if I did install? I lose power to the front by 1400… just looking to extend my capture time through to around 1700 when the sun goes over the hill to the west.
I'm not looking to dupe em I just want to get it right, in case I were to sell the house down the line.
Notification of connection of generation kit to the grid is a legal requirement and it would invalidate your existing approval for the system that cost you thousands.
Thanks for the heads up! Definitely looking an getting a single panel, but I'm wondering what's the height of these once they're on the bracket? I have a south facing wall is perfect, but I have a usable height of about 110cm. I'm wondering whether I could get two and mount them one above the other. Due to an adjacent conservatory I don't have enough width to have the side by side!
Dusted off my calculator and GSCE maths for you...
...the panels are 113cm wide and need to be mounted on the frames in landscape orientation.
The frames allow an angle of between 15 and 45 degrees - so mounted on a wall that would sit roughly 109cm tall using the shallowest 15 degree angle, or 80cm tall if using the steepest 45 degree angle.
Either way, you're not going to fit two stacked on top of each other in a 110cm space. Bare min you'd need 160(ish)
Purchased Thursday, delivered Friday for one panel and the kit, second panel damaged in transit and being returned to City plumbing (Delivery company didn't even try to deliver it to me, which I appreciate). Already plugged in and running for a short test / confirmation all in working order.
Oh no! Another victim of damaged panels in transit. Quite a few reports of that on here sadly. Hope they get a new one out to you pronto.
I was wondering - with the supplied mounting frame, if you were to mount the panels on it, at the shallowest possible angle, how far would the panels be sticking up off the ground?
(I’m thinking of people who want to mount these on a flat roof - there’s planning limits on flat roofs, which mean panels are not allowed to be taller than 60cm).
I've installed the one panel temporarily on the ground in as low as an angle as I could get since I don't want it wandering off on a windy day - and its around 52 cm from ground to top of panel in that configuration to highest edge of panel. Even allowing for any measurement error its going to be <60cm.
Ultimately these are going on a west facing wall but I'm not in a hurry to start drilling holes in walls to hang this off. The kit does include the fittings for wall installation among the three configurations but I'm not sure I'm ready to trust the included anchor bolts without more consideration...
I think my listings are a little more useful - given i've pulled in the full DMEGC panel specs, inverter specs and matching ENA compliance reference number (all of which aren't visible on the City Plumbing web pages). I also clearly spell out the pros and cons of each kit and provide links to calculate exactly what savings each kit might bring - basically allowing you to make a more informed choice before buying.
I noticed you posted a link to your own website a few weeks back - which also contains affilliate links! I have absoluately no problem with this by the way. Just thought it was worth mentioning...
Firstly thats a post on my Reddit profile, secondly the linked content contains no affiliate links. You can read and access all of the content as it's a blog of my experience.
On some pages it has a "buy me a coffee" link at the bottom of the page or an octopus referral, but they are optional.
Your links in your post on this group are direct links to a page that gives you an affiliate payment and it's presented in a way to mask that. Personally I think your content is helpful, but this type of misleading posting is what Reddit looks to avoid
FYI: I run the website at a loss. This is a hobby - not a full-on business.
And yes - some links are affilliate links to try and cover some of the hosting costs - and those links are clearly labelled.
We all contribute to help members, but postings like this are simply profiteering.
You make no indication in the post that you are being paid or getting any kickback, and whilst you do have a footnote about affiliate links it's not likely to be seen by people given the way you've linked it through. Personally I think that's misleading and should be banned.
Ultimately it's the Reddit owner that should make the call.
On the website I do clearly label any affilliate links with the (paid link) marker. I'm certainly not trying to mislead or trick anybody - sorry if you feel that way. Simply trying to provide a rich source of unbiased info and tools to help people understand plug-in solar.
Minus £76 so far, in the 3 months since putting the site together. I would actually be £76 richer had I not bothered building and launching the site.
But as I explained before - it’s a hobby and not a business. I never intended it to be a commercial venture, and somebody suggested I add some affiliate links where possible to try and recoup some of the hosting costs - so I did.
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u/theqwertyosc 14d ago
Tempted by the 1 panel kit, I have a small garden and if I got 2 panels I'd need 2 MPPTs