- Plug-in solar kits will become legal in Britain on August 27.
- UKSOL's first kits will start at £849 including VAT and delivery.
- The panels could appeal to renters, flat-dwellers and households with unsuitable roofs.
Going solar in Britain may soon no longer mean putting panels on your roof.
From August 27, plug-in solar kits will become legal in Britain, giving households another way to generate some of their own electricity without committing to a full rooftop installation.
UKSOL says it is the first solar company in Britain to have plug-in products listed as compliant in the Energy Networks Association's Connect Direct database. Its first two kits are due to go on sale from August 27, initially in limited quantities.
The Plug-In Solar Pro Compact 460W Ground Mount Kit uses one solar panel, while the Pro Duo 890W Ground Mount Kit comes with two.
The single-panel kit is priced at £849 including VAT and two-person delivery, while the two-panel version costs £1,199. The recommended retail prices are £699 and £1,089 respectively.
Unlike traditional solar installations, these systems are designed to be much smaller and can be placed on the ground in a garden or another suitable outdoor space.
Solar without the big installation
That could make the technology interesting for people who have been priced out of traditional solar or simply cannot install panels on their homes.
A flat may not have a suitable private roof, while renters may not want to invest in a permanent installation on a property they do not own. Some houses also have roofs that are unsuitable for solar panels.
The UKSOL kits come with a foldable ground-mounting frame, a ballast tray to keep the panels stable, an 800W microinverter and the cables needed to connect the system. Users can also monitor the system through a smartphone app.
The company is also preparing hybrid versions that can be mounted on the ground, a wall or a balcony. A 515W single-panel model and a 920W two-panel version are expected in October, although pricing has not yet been announced.
Other retailers and manufacturers are expected to enter the market as the new rules take effect, potentially giving consumers more choice.
The attraction is partly the lower commitment. Experts have estimated that plug-in solar systems could have a three-to-five-year payback period, depending on the system, household electricity use and energy prices.
But the panels are not something that can simply be placed anywhere and plugged in.
There are restrictions around installation, including rules affecting wooden balconies and fences because of safety concerns. Consumers will also need to check that the equipment they buy meets the relevant UK requirements.
A smaller step into solar
UKSOL chief executive Andrew Moore reportedly said consumers should pay attention not only to price but also to who manufactured the system, what testing it has undergone, its warranty and the technical support available.
That could become increasingly important as more plug-in products enter the market.
The new category is not designed to replace a full rooftop solar system. A couple of panels will produce considerably less electricity than a larger installation covering a suitable roof.
But that may not be the point.
For someone living in a flat, renting a house or unable to install traditional solar, a smaller system that can sit outside could offer a way into solar power that was previously difficult or too expensive.
