Plug in solar

TroubledTarts

So, looking at your links, you didn't really find any widespread issues and the percentages are extremely low.

In essence you are promoting a very risk adverse philosophy, which is good as some will want to know if something is 100% safe (spoiler nothing is!!). For some people this could be termed a tin foil hat outlook on solar panels either on roof or plug in. Especially since there is a massive industry setup around roof top solar and soon to be plug in solar.

I think that's absolutely fine for you as an individual that you have these concerns and are sharing them for those similarly minded but the opposing view is no riskier than most other electrical items in the house.

lohr500

Well in my opinion the relevant authorities do appear taking the p** over the mountain they seem to be making over the plug in solar approval process!!!

I'm nearly two months into my experimental PIS journey and so far, there has been no spontaneous combustion, no panels flying off the garage roof in the strong winds we had last month, no apparent issues with the consumer unit and a reported 155kWh of generation from the 800W system.

Scot_39

Well in my opinion the relevant authorities do appear taking the p**
over the mountain they seem to be making over the plug in solar approval
process!!!

The whole point of regs is to make it safe for all to use.

Your OK so far - others have not been.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82041844#Comment_82041844

its not my risk - nor is it one that i am opposing others taking.

Ive done my maths as a mental exercisewhen others claimed paybck times etc - based on my typical sun light hours consumptiipon and they dont make sense for me in any case.

My ihd reading as low as 18W just after lunchtime - peak solar time arguably.

Many flats unoccupied during the day - probably not much more at times.

Its just one that needs to be considerd.

And Im sorry if IEC technical experts are as the Germans self support / lobby group clearly fear - minded to ban their use - I'll trust them over our politicians anyday.

Just as I have had to comply with all their other electrical safety regulations professionally.

And ones that certainly should have been considered before raising expectations on an early release.

martyp

Please can I just check in on my thoughts with this for advice please as I'm not an electrician by any means so just like the idea of shaving a something off my electric bill with a project.

I'm not too comfortable with big heavy solar panels and wondered about the light and flexible ones you can buy? I like the idea of something more portable that I can use for plug in solar? Can I get a solar panel like that and then get the other bits needed separately to plug it into a 3 pin mains socket?

I tend to use about 200-500W most of the time with the exception of shower, oven etc. I just like the idea of something I could just use on sunny days and plug in without needing outside sockets installing so with the back door open etc.

Is that kind of idea possible? I have no plans for any major battery setup just something I could plug in some days that'll reduce the consumption like plugging in any household device?

QrizB

Is that kind of idea possible?

Yes, and using lightweight flexible panels is something I've seen in articles and videos from Germany.

The main drawbacks I can see with your suggestion are:

• Smaller panels are generally more expensive per watt than larger ones.
• If you only put the panels out on good days, you miss out on the benefits from bad days
• You need to remember to put them out!

None of these are necessarily deal-breakers, but they need to be kept in mind.

martyp

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82042143#Comment_82042143

Great, thanks. I'll put them out as often as possible if I do get them. I'll look up some of those articles. I think it was determined also that using an extension lead wasn't a good idea and they need to be plugged directly into a wall socket so thinking I'd need a decent length of cable to the plug too.

Qyburn

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82041854#Comment_82041854

I'm nearly two months into my experimental PIS journey and so far, there has been no …

I'm going to guess that you haven't measured DC leakage to confirm it's insufficient to blind or even damage an upstream RCD, or tested any RCD to make sure it still works to . But even if you had, the approval process needs to dig deeper than testing just one sample.

Martyn1981

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82042128#Comment_82042128

There are also lighter weight rigid panels, but as QrizB mentions, they will cost more per Wp. Here's just an example, which looks to be about 2x the price of a typical conventional panel (per Wp).

lohr500

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82042295#Comment_82042295

Fair comments.

The only testing I have carried out is to press the test button on the RCD in the consumer unit a couple of times over the past two months. On both occasions it tripped and then reset without any obvious faults.

It is a type AC RCD but I have established from the specifications that it is bidirectional.Not that this helps with DC leakage detection, but it does alleviate concerns over it being damaged by current flowing back to the Powerwall battery at times of excess generation.

I don't think I have any suitable test equipment to check for DC leakage and I suppose even if I did, it may not show up anything unless monitored over an extended time period.

I've tried wading through these various standards that the APSystems EZ1 inverter claims to meet, to try and find out what the requirements are for DC leakage, but it isn't easy going!

EN/IEC 62109-1; EN/IEC 62109-2; EN IEC 61000-6-1; EN IEC 61000-6-2;
EN IEC 61000-6-3; EN IEC 61000-6-4; EN IEC 61000-3-2; EN 61000-3-3;
EN 55011; EN 62920; EN 50549-1; EN 50549-10; NF EN 50549-1; NF EN 50549-10;
PN-EN 50549-1; IRiESD; CEI 0-21; VDE-AR-N 4105; UTE C15-712-1; VFR 2019;
UNE 217002; RD 647; RD 413; RD 1699; G98; G99; G98/NI; G99/NI

I guess for greater piece of mind, the best bet is to install a type B RCD either in the Consumer Unit, or directly on the mains output from the inverter.

So far, I haven't been able to find an integrated type B RCD plug or inline RCD that I could attach to the inverter mains cable. Best I can find are type A RCD integrated plugs, 13A sockets or inline units, which may be better than nothing. But as I understand it, type A will only detect pulsing DC, not smooth DC.

The existing Type AC RCD in the CU is a 2 slot unit rated at 80A. I have no room for a three slot RCD in the CU.. Finding a 2 slot 80A Type B RCD is also proving challenging. I'm going to look at all the circuits on the affected CU and see if I could downgrade the RCD to 63A.

I may sit tight for a few more months and see what, if any, conclusions/recommendations come out of the current approval discussions.

martyp

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82042322#Comment_82042322

Great, thanks. Can I opt to get any solar panels then and then buy the rest of the plug in solar kit elsewhere? I seem to only be able to find a whole plug in solar kit including the panel(s)? I wasn't sure if there was variation in the connections from solar panels to go to the rest of the plug in solar kit?