Plug in solar

Qyburn

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82043505#Comment_82043505

This bit? He races through it but my reading is that "everything on" only applies if you can't meet either of the first two cases.

tfhnota

The guy talked about it on the "last" video (not today's video which has just come out)

Qyburn

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82044045#Comment_82044045

OK another guess was it "Why Your Solar Panels Pass Every Test But Still Fail" 4 days ago?

TroubledTarts

I am surprised this thread isn't full of electricians spouting doom and gloom like other platforms where plug in solar is mentioned.

prowla

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82039905#Comment_82039905

It's either that or BS (Balcony Solar)!

prowla

Regarding insurance, I called my house insurer to ask them if I needed to tell them about a solar installation (a full install, not plugin) and they said no.

prowla

You can plug in as many as you like, but I think only one will ever be legal.
800W is ~3A, so a 13A cable would be capable of supporting four of them, but I don't think that would be endorsed.

OTOH, you can plug several into a battery, which would give you power when the Sun has gone down, but the output would/should still be limited to 800W. I'm in the process of setting up something like that as an off-grid supply to a detached garage which has no power to it.

My full solar system's export is approved at 5kW (with 12kWh of battery), but I don't think any plugin would run to that. My system can deliver 3.5kW to my immersion heater.

I was chatting with a colleague and he's having an 80kWh EV battery installation done; it's residing in an out building, so if it goes up in smoke it won't take the house with it.

So plugin solar is a low-end adjunct and isn't intended to be a full-house operation.

Martyn1981

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82048961#Comment_82048961

My full solar system's export is approved at 5kW (with 12kWh of battery), but I don't think any plugin would run to that. My system can deliver 3.5kW to my immersion heater.

You are right, but just pondering that you could do similar. My suggestion being 3x 4kWh PnP batts, daisy chained through one socket, and about 3kWp maybe 4kWp of PV. That way you'd avoid clipping so long as batts aren't full, and 800W being exported.

Then you'd have about 6kW of A/C from the A/C out sockets, but limited to ~2kW from each of the 3 batts. I know some powerstations have a Y connector available where you can effectively double the A/C out by combining units. But I don't know of any PnP units yet that do this(?)

Sounds a bit messy, but if you have places, such as fences to slap the PV up on, and rent, or plan to move, then maybe an idea.

Regarding the friend and the automotive batt. That sounds fun, I've seen some of those on Youtube vids (not in the UK), and typically come fully intact, so the car/batts electronics still run/manage everything. Sounds great.

Another option might be to get an older BEV, and V2G charger, though these are still taking forever to progress. Lots of trials, but I don't think any openly available yet. But you get a 'free' car thrown in. ;-)

Or a BEV with V2L, as there are more of these, and directly take power for a device (not home consumer unit), as a part way solution.

[V2G - vehicle to grid, V2H - vehicle to home, V2L - vehicle to load, V2X term to cover any and all V2 situations.]

Qyburn

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82048961#Comment_82048961

You can plug in as many as you like, but I think only one will ever be legal.

in the consultation the government is considering whether the limit should be one per household, or one per circuit. Allowing multiples on one circuit would defeat the purpose behind an 800W (or any other) limit.

lohr500

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82049123#Comment_82049123

Trouble is,would most householders even know which sockets are on which circuits? (Even though there may be some labels on the Consumer Unit).

It will probably get dumbed down to one 800W kit per household, if it ever happens!!!!
Or possibly a higher capacity of panels plugged into a battery storage unit which limits output to 800W and complies with the anti islanding and other plug in solar requirements.