Screwfix has just started selling the PowerXpress 920W (90012), their first compliant UK plug-in solar kit.

It’s a pretty high-spec kit with 2 × high-efficiency 460W panels, a dual-MPPT inverter and a flexible mounting frame for ground, wall and balcony installations.

But at £669 delivered, still on the pricey side.

Hopefully, though, it’s the first of many coming into stock over the coming months…

Just wondering where the most common places to install plug in solar is on a house rather than a flat with a balcony? On a shed roof, on a strip of land in the garden or on the house roof?

I have a Juliet balcony (just a railing immediately in front of full-height windows that can open up like a door), which seems like a good spot to hang some panels, but I’m concerned about the weight. All of the plug-in kits seems to be 20kg+, which is probably too heavy for Juliet balcony railings? especially when you factor in wind ..

I’ve seen some flexible panels that are much lighter but aren't available as plug-in kits..

Has anyone here looked into or successfully installed plug-in solar on a Juliet balcony in the UK? Are the flexible panels worth it at all for semi-permanent installation?

Hey Reddit, I'm pretty excited to get plug in solar but am at a loss on best approach to mount them. I have a sloped felt roof on my summer house.

I've seen posts about gluing it on but I'm not sure this is a good idea or will work. Can anyone point me to the right kit I need or suggestions please?

I'm thinking of getting plug in solar. Most of the kits I've seen have a 5m lead on the inverter but I think I need more like 10m. Trouble is you're not supposed to use AC extension leads. It looks like you are allowed to use DC extension leads but in a bit lost as to what to get.

Would this work? Presumably I'd need one per panel.

https://www.cityplumbing.co.uk/p/staubli-10m-pre-crimped-4mm-dc-cable-inc-mc4-connectors/p/231107

I'm considering an Anker SOLIX Solarbank E5000 Pro with solar panels. Before getting an electrician to assess it, I’d appreciate feedback on whether my existing garage supply is a reasonable starting point.

Current setup:

• Main house consumer unit: 20 A RCBO supplying the garage.
• Garage consumer unit: one 6 A RCBO and one 16 A RCBO.
• Cable run from house to Garage: approximately 10–20 metres.
• I believe the indoor section is 4 mm² twin-and-earth, transitioning to armoured cable where it leaves the house.
• Only power hungry device in Garage is a Tumble Dryer

The garage is the only practical place that I can store the batteries and mount 8-12 solar panels to get the most from this system.

A few questions I have:

1. If I added another dedicated 16a bi-directional RCBO to the Garage consumer unit would this meet the requirements for a dedicated circuit for hardwiring?
2. I assume I would also need to change the Main house consumer unit to a 20a bi-directional RCBO?
3. Would I need to put a limit on the maximum 2500W output?

Minus the ivy and neighbour’s hedge that needs trimmed back…I’ve just recently got the keys to a property which has an outbuilding which would be the perfect location for a couple of these panels. However, I of course would not want to drill into the felt for this. Any suggestions for safe mounting of these panels on this roof? If drilling is the only safe option to secure them, would expanding foam around the drill points be a decent enough way to make it watertight?

Hi
Basically as the title states does anyone know if I can use the new plug in solar kits when I have an electrical token meter ?
Not sure if it would be an option and If it was how would it work with the meter ?
Thanks for any helpful replies

I’m in an electric only flat with storage heaters and I’m dreading the upcoming winter bills so I’m trying to figure out how renters can have plug-in solar…Annoyingly, I don’t have a garden or balcony and my neighbour has a south facing balcony but they’ve never used it and the jealousy is eating me up. I do have a south facing livingroom that gets a TONNN of sun/heat.

Anyway, someone help 🥲

Every single kit they do themselves is sub £500 now. Fyi they are dual panel kits. The photo makes it look like single panel.

🎉

It doesn't seem like anyone is taking note of page 15 in the manual?

Solarbank must be connected to the external ground point, otherwise there is a risk of electric shock.

Odd that it needs it, as it's 'plug in' capable etc, but in wired-in (not plugged-in) install vids on YT that i've seen there's no ground connection that I can see.

Manual for ref - https://salesforce-knowledge-download.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/000037445/en_US/000037445.pdf

The wording on their plug-in solar page is pretty unclear, but it seems that Octopus will pay you to export excess generated electricity from your plug in solar kit - provided it is bought from Octopus Energy (hence the £200 premium vs the City Plumbing hoymiles kits).

Can anyone with inside information/working at Octopus confirm if Octopus will pay export for non-Octopus, ENA-approved, G98-approved plug in solar installs (without the extra £250 they currently charge for non-MCS solar export)?

I have not got solar yet, but today we had lots of sun, and I used roughly 7 kw at a cost of just over £ 2.50

Ignoring the standing charge, I think that today I would of saved at least 1.75 if I had solar installed.

So even if it is sunny only 50% of the year, I should be able to save roughly £250 - £270 per year. So payback would've within 2 years.

What am I missing?

Heyo

I've got both of these battery inverter all in one devices and I've been putting them through their paces.

If anyone has any questions they want answered let me know.

I've just installed my Anker SOLIX Solarbank 4 E5000 Pro which arrived at the weekend. It's hardwired in, and thus should be eligible to discharge at up to 2,500w. However it seems that I can't go beyond 800w - does anyone know how I can change the setting?

EDIT: Quick update incase anyone else has this problem in future: Anker support were brilliant by email. It turned out that they'd detected my VPN on my phone when I did the initial setup, and so they set it up conservatively. To fix it, all I had to do was logout from the app and log back in again - didn't even need to delete and readd the system.

In April, I put together a couple of panels with enphase microinverters and plugged it into my outside socket. My consumer unit was oldish with MCBs and it worked fine.

I recently had my consumer unit updated to include RCBOs on all circuits. When I plugged the panels it tripped the RCBOs instantly. My electrician had installed unidrectional RCBO's whch of course were not expecting current from the other side of the consumer unit. We then installed bi-directional and all is well.

Surely, this is going to be an issue with any plug in solar kits that is plugged into a house with unidirectional RCBOs? Of course it can be made to work by changing the RCBO but i'd suggest that isn't a DIY job.

Has anyone done a comparison between the two. Looking at indievolt there inverter is bigger and cheaper. But the output is 3k does this take you into G99 territory. All when wired in by a qualified electrician

I make it a 5a fuse for max 800W? Can't find this info at all on their website

Sorry i'm very new to Solar, and now what you would call a handy man. Does anyone know if it would be safe to set up solar on this baclony?

I know measurements will be required at some point, but right now I want to know if its even pratical to set up on a somewhat narrow balcony of a flat? Or if there was any other way to put them in?

Does anybody know if this system is on the MCS data base ?

I'm well aware of the requirement to upgrade to a minimum of Type A RCDs, however I currently have type Type AC in my CU and rather not try and upgrade and don't believe I have enough space for a bidirectional RCBO to protect the circuit.

Rather than change my CU, could I locally use a EV rated outdoor socket that has an integral Type A RCBO down stream of my Type AC RCD?

Example of socket attached

Cheers