Plug-in solar panels will be legal in the UK from next month – here are 3 models to pre-order now
Your energy bills could be about to drop
QUICK SUMMARY
The UK government has announced that plug-in solar panels will be legal from 27th August.
Setups will be capped at 800W of output and won't be allowed to import energy from the home for storage and later use. However, the systems shouldn't require professional installation or planning permission.
The UK government has announced that plug-in solar panels will be legal in the UK from next month, following years of waiting for the rules to change. According to research conducted by the government, the move could help homeowners save around £70-£110 a year on their energy bills.
That said, there are a few requirements to note. Plug-in solar setups must be limited to 800W of output, and they can't currently "import electrical energy" from your home to store and use at a later date. The government has also said that you shouldn't need professional installation or planning permission, making these systems much easier to set up and potentially a great option for renters.
We're still waiting to see exactly when companies will start launching their plug-in solar kits in the UK, but after a quick look around, a few manufacturers have already got products on the way. I've listed the ones I've got my eye on below.
The EcoFlow Stream Microinverter is paired with two 400W rigid monocrystalline solar panels, providing 800W of total solar input to match the UK's legal plug-in solar limit. The panels offer up to 23% cell efficiency, are IP68-rated and feature pre-drilled mounting slots for easier installation. Measuring 172.2 x 113.4 x 3.5cm and weighing 21.8kg each, they're designed for permanent setups on balconies and flat roofs, garages, as well as ground mounts.
The Stream Complete Set S is sold by Svea Solar in partnership with IKEA, but it utilises an EcoFlow Stream 800W Microinverter alongside two 500W solar panels. Users can also add compatible mounting equipment to create a more permanent installation, including on a balcony. The Stream Complete Set S is currently available in Europe for $399, although we don't yet know when it will launch in the UK. Hopefully, it shouldn't be too long before we see it arrive here.
The UKSOL Plug-In Solar Pro Duo 1030W Kit is designed for homeowners who want a higher-output plug-in solar setup. It comes with two 515W high-efficiency TOPCon N-Type solar panels, paired with an 800W smart Microinverter that keeps its output within the proposed limit. You can monitor the system's performance via the accompanying app, and the system is also compatible with battery storage if that were to arrive in the future.
As mentioned, the current rules don't allow you to import energy from your home and store it for later use, suggesting battery storage could hopefully be the next big step for plug-in solar.
Aaron James Darvill, Strategic Sales Director at Anker Solix, explained that "Plug-in solar generates the most electricity during the day, but most households use the most energy in the evening. Without battery storage, consumers can't store surplus energy to use when they need it most, limiting the savings and flexibility the technology can deliver."
Anker Solix launched its Solarbank 4 E5000 Pro in Europe a few months ago as a combined solar and battery storage system. This makes it one of the more interesting options that isn't quite legal under the current UK rules, but hopefully that will change in the near future as plug-in solar becomes more widely adopted.
