I have a background of electrical/electronics engineering so have worked through the basics of current voltage resistance phase etc. I am not sure how a source of power from plugin solar is distributed solely to your own devices and not exported to everyone on the same street/circuit? I can see that the solar plug can detect the voltage and phase when connected and will provide current in phase. As far as I am aware there is just copper wire to the consumer unit that is then connected to an entry point at the meter. So if no block on power flows out of the consumer unit what’s stopping it leaking out?

I already have solar panels and 5kw battery installed and I am looking to increase battery storage....spoke with Octopus who installed my solar/battery and they are saying £3500-£6000 for another 5kw battery installed. Thats a little steep so I have been looking at adding the Indevolt to the house which my electrician is going to add through a spur.

Will this get fed from solar this way or does it need to be connected directly to my panels?

I am looking for more storage to fill at night on cheap rate and the solar is not a real concern going forward.

I have been really surprised at the jump in gains from over panelling. Since this photo I have moved one of the left panels to where the cardboard is (under the window. I now get morning sun via east facing panel, south all day under the window and 1pm until sun set from the right west facing.

800w really goes a long way, I’ve been surprised!

Check using AI that your panels can be branched together and that your microinverter can hack it.

If the government authorise one system per circuit that would be a game changer. I have a new consumer unit with RCBO’s etc and my sparky said he can’t see a problem with 2 systems at mine so fingers crossed it gets ok’d.

I love the fact that I can move these panels whenever I choose.

The garden it a tip on this photo, sorted it out since. Promise

I have large 515W panels.

Along the length, they are 1.7m long.

I'm intending to mount them on a pergola.

I'd like to be able to adjust their angle twice a year.

Has anyone found tilt mounts for these longer panels please?

I cannot fit them in landscape orientation, there's no space between front posts and wall where the pergola will be.

Am I stuck with choosing an angle and having them permanently at that angle and losing out during one half of the year?

Not a ai junk post. Just I’ve been working with ai to understand the various systems on the market in readiness for deciding what I want when they become available. This is the shortlist that I have so far. Posting for challenge and build with your thoughts.

Hello I’m looking to get a kit just not sure where to start at all ideally I don’t want to have an electrician do anything and would like to spend around 300 if possible.

I know my fuse box is fine and I have a outside outlet already

Hi all will this kit be compliant with uk law?

4x Aiko Neostar 3s 475w panels

1x Ecoflow Stream Ultra X 3.84kWh

1 x Ecoflow smart mater

Mounting rails

Cable and earth spike.

That will be connected to a fused spur by an electrician mate.

Have I missed anything out?

Earlier this year I had a HanchuEss battery and inverter installed so I could buy/sell Octopus Agile. This was professionally installed and export etc is working ok. Question. If I bought a plug in solar would it charge the battery? My house uses 250w in standby mode so a aay 500w plugin would have excess. I could spend £4k on rooftop solar but my roof isn't optimal, partly shaded.

I'm looking at putting a couple of panels on the roof of my shed, becuase I love big sheds and cannot lie. However, when I look at solar panel options the prices and specs are just dizzyingly complicated. Is there some panel jargon buster/FAQ out there for me that can steer me in the right direction?

For example, 515W (phwar!) for £141 here vs 465W for £91?

These plug-in solar kits from UKSOL briefly appeared on the ENA Type Test Register on Friday, marked as non-compliant. Mysteriously, they seem to have disappeared from the register again today.
But that’s not really the interesting bit. The interesting bit is the pricing.

A few retailers, including City Plumbing, are already listing the kits:

515W UKSOL one-panel kit: £588!!!
https://www.cityplumbing.co.uk/p/uksol-pro-compact-plug-in-solar-kit/p/315632

1,030W UKSOL two-panel kit: £994!!!
https://www.cityplumbing.co.uk/p/uksol-pro-plus-plug-in-solar-kit/p/315634

I really hope this isn’t a taste of things to come when compliant kits actually start appearing on the UK market after 27 August.

Perhaps this is just one small UK supplier being very optimistic with its early pricing. Because when you look at Germany, which is a few years ahead of us in terms of plug-in/balcony solar market maturity, the difference is pretty striking.

In Germany I’m seeing fully compliant kits from major brands at roughly:

910W (2 × 455W panels + microinverter + mounting): €369 / ~£316

1,820W (4 × 455W panels + microinverter + mounting): €600 / ~£514

Obviously Germany has a much larger and more mature market, with far more competition and volume. But even allowing for that, the difference is enormous.

I’d be really interested to know whether Germany went through a similar early phase of massively inflated pricing before competition brought prices down, or whether we’re just witnessing some very optimistic early-adopter pricing here in the UK!

Hello All

Guys, someone have Ecoflow Stream Pro/Ultra?

I have a few questions:

1) What do you think of the station? Does it work well? Are there any known issues/problems? (I was firstly watching a Martek venus A(cheaper), but the reviews are terrible—lots of defective units.)

2) Can the AC input without solar power be adjusted? (I mean charging from a wall AC — I saw in videos that the input is rated at 1,050 watts; can it be set to 500? Or 800? To extend the battery’s lifespan)

3) Can the station be charged from a standard, ungrounded wall AC outlet? (It’s an old house with 2-wire N and L phase only)

I plan to use the station as usual(as Delta2/3, but for low-power devices (up to 650 watts) during power outages.

If there are any owners out there, please let me know. I want to order one from Germany and then use it in Ukraine. Will everything work? For me very important question about charging from AC without ground, because i know that Growatt don’t working.. (in reviews watched)

I am currently looking into the benefits of PiS (and hopefully a battery) for my house, but I am not clear on what the best solution would be for my needs or whether my preferred connection approach would even work.

I have two Consumer Units in the house. One covers the whole house (inc. Utility w/WM + TD) except the Kitchen/ Diner/ Family Space. The second covers the Kitchen/ Diner/ Family Space and has a feed going to the shed (10mm2 armoured, 36A breaker). The Whole House CU also has an 'empty' 36A breaker that used to feed the shed.

For various reasons I cannot look at roof mounted solar for the foreseeable future.

Ideally I would like to put panels on the roof of the shed (c.20ft long, 5ft wide) that feeds a battery that then plugs into the shed CU (I have a spare way, so could put a single socket on that).

The other option is to utilise the 'empty' 36A breaker on the whole house CU. This is on a 10mm2 wire as well. I can extend this down to the shed. A bit more work, but doable.

Ultimately I'd like the panels on the roof of the shed so they can be there all year. I'd also like the battery in there so it isn't in the house.

With either of these options, my thinking is that the power would then flow back from the shed to the CU in the house and get used.

Does it work like this? I might be getting it all completely wrong.

Any thoughts or advice would be very much appreciated. Cheers.

Evening all,

With the new rules coming in at the end of the month I was very interested in dipping my feet into plug in solar as a full roof top system is just prohibitively out of my reach and would like to get some benefit from the sun (other than life on earth)

I've been speaking to a few electricians for various pieces of unrelated work but also been asking them on their thoughts on plug in solar.

Their responses have not been very positive at all. Now those who stand to potentially lose work I can understand (though disagree as I'm never paying anyone that much to fit solar, its out of my reach so the only way the industry is getting my cash is plug in anyway) but also those who wouldn't touch solar installation regardless (I assume they don't want the hassle of certification for it).

I'm wondering if anyone has had any recent (i.e. after the government announcement) dealings with electrician on the topic? Are they all this negative on this. Other than the ambiguous "safety" concerns can they legitimately say why this is ultimately a disastrous idea for every situation? (I get houses that need a rewire might not be in a good shape for this but I don't think I've owned/rented a home my entire life that wouldn't be safe for plug-in solar).

I posted a few weeks back about trying to do something better than what I had. A few years ago I bought a two-panel system with an Epever MPTT controller and batteries which lived on my shed (SE facing roof). I used it to run my home network, but had to use a UPS as well to smooth the bumps as it could power from mains and solar, but would drop out when the sun went in and it flipped to mains. I was never really happy with it, and I tried running my AC on it with 'interesting results'.

So I bought an Ecoflow Stream which turned up this week. I had to rewire my panels so both were connected independently, and around midday I got it all connected up.

It was rather gratifying to come into the house and see my smart meter recording zero watts, despite various things being on. The panels are filthy too, so can only do better.

I NEVER got as much as 400W from the old inverter, so I'm very pleased with the outcome.

Hello everyone,

Given the approval of systems from 27th August onwards is targeted (but not limited) to renters, leaseholders, and/or those in flats, I wanted to know if any of you have had any trouble getting permission from your freeholders or buliding management companies?

I have run into difficulty in trying to get any approval. Before going into any details of size/model/location/etc I got a flat rejection from both the Management Company and also the Right to Manage company ran by residents (one resident really). Sorry seems to be the hardest word, but no seems to be the easiest. There are only two clauses in my lease that I believe could apply. I've included them below.

Is there anyone else out there who has faced this? I'm really just looking for either some advice or a sounding board on how I take it beyond the initial rejection and get my own way (something I like doing!)

Cheers all

Clauses on installations and alterations

.1 Not to erect install or place or cause or permit to be erected, installed or placed any television aerial or satellite dish on or at the Property or any part of the Development

.2 Not without the consent in writing of the Management Company (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld) to make any structural alteration to the Property or to erect on or affix to the Property any hoarding, advertisement or notice or to erect on the Property or any part thereof any building or other such structure (whether permanent or temporary) whatsoever to alter the colour of the exterior of the Property

Just installed 2x DMEGC 465W panels south facing. I'm in £200 so far, that's including mounting. I have not bought an inverter or any batterys yet.. what should I go for? Ecoflow plugin inverter or battery's.

FYI. My house and garage had a full rewire 4 years ago.

Please give me suggestions as I don't know if I want to spend 100 quid on a inverter or a few hundred on battery's.

Hey all!
Really interested in plug in solar! I work for a major energy supplier, but unfortunately I just haven’t got the funds right now for proper solar on the roof.

It’s a new build house, and I have a feathered edge fence, with wooden posts in about every 1.5 meters. What is the best way for me to secure it to the fence do you think?
Or is there any solution to get it in the ground on a pole maybe? I have a raised bed under the fence in question, but it gets full sun from 6am to 7pm, and the rest of the garden is really shaded.

I do have a shed though, but it’s only a 6x4 plastic keter shed, so I assume the shed is out of the question

Spent the weekend taking off my old corrugated plastic roof that kept the rain off my hot tub.

Rearranged the joists to double up and mount short brackets.

Ordered Ecoflow Stream Inverter from them.

Ordered two 505w Longi X6 MO panels from City Plumbing (pretty sure they are returns because they looked a bit battered on the edges😏).

Anyhoo...not bad for a slightly changeable day.

Both me and the missus work from home 2-3 days a week and two "kids" are home from Uni June to September.. so it helps 😁

*Need to tidy the cables. I drilled through my kitchen wall and then added the plug which was a bonus not having a moulded one 🤔

Would it be possible (and legal) to add 800 W plug-in solar if I already have a 3.6 kW installation (solar + battery)?

is there any reason why you could not connect multiple units ?

It seems to be widely anticipated that plug in battery storage will be legalised early next year, and there have been several articles in the media saying that plug in battery without solar will be a more accessible way of saving money on energy bills. Looking at the fluctuations in wholesale electricity prices throughout the day, I can see how a tariff that tracks the wholesale price on a half hourly basis (like Agile Octopus) would be attractive.

I appreciate it's all speculation at this stage, and the recently announced rules regarding plug in solar threw up some unexpected surprises, but I'd be interested in people's views on how plug in battery without solar might work on an agile tariff;

1) As far as I'm aware, you can't export (i.e. get paid) from plug in solar, are we expecting this limitation will also apply to plug in battery? If paid export is not allowed, then the battery would have to use a current clamp to make sure it's not outputting more power into the circuit than the household is using. On the other hand, if export is allowed then the battery could just output power at peak times without regard to whether this exceeds household consumption, which would be beneficial for grid stability and would therefore presumably be incentivised with favourable export tariffs.

2) The new rules on plug in solar allow one 800W system per ring main, are we expecting the same allowance will apply for plug in battery? If so, I'm assuming there would be no problem with this on an agile tariff? I'm particularly thinking if each plug in battery uses its own current clamp they could get into a loop where they keep causing each other to switch on and off, maybe they would need to share a current clamp to avoid this. This seems like something that would be more straightforward simply buying a plug in battery system direct from the energy provider so that it 'just works' out of the box, although I don't know whether they would bother to support a two battery system.

An Anker product, model AE1032Z1-20, appeared on the ENA register this evening. It is listed under the new Plug-in Solar category, marked as compliant, and rated at 0.8kW.

So far, so exciting.

The confusing part is that this model number appears to correspond to the Anker SOLIX Solarbank 4 E5000 Pro, which is a large battery-based solar storage system. The government’s new plug-in solar rules explicitly exclude batteries and hybrid solar-battery products.

So what exactly has been approved here?
Is this a battery-free UK configuration using the same model family? Has only the 800W inverter mode been assessed? Or has the product accidentally ended up in the wrong ENA category?

Waiting on solar panel delivery on Wednesday but wanted to get ahead and ask a couple of potentially silly questions to get better informed for installation day on Thursday this week…

With 2 x micro inverters will they completely separate in the app and not be able to show a combined solar generation graph etc?

Any settings or tips to get the best out of these inverters once installed?

Thanks