When this is fully compliant with UK regs I can see it being very popular like it is in Europe.

Not sure if you guys in the US have it?

 

 

Edited April 15Apr 15 by martin-w

Its going to be sometime in the summer that proper kits will be available in the shops, apparently. Rather than the illadvised attempt by the guy in the video.

Waiting for the properly certified, legal kits is obviously the way to go.

 

"Plug-in solar panels (under 800W) are expected to be available in UK shops by summer 2026, following government announcements in March 2026 to update wiring regulations and allow DIY installation without an electrician. These panels, which plug into standard domestic sockets, aim to help households cut electricity bills. 

 

Key Details on UK Plug-in Solar Availability:

• Availability: Retailers are preparing to sell these systems in the coming months, with mentions of products being available soon in stores.
• Legality: As of late March 2026, the government is working with the Energy Networks Association and Ofgem to update BS 7671 wiring regulations.
• System Size: The regulations specifically target small-scale systems, typically under 800W.
• Benefits & Cost: An 800-watt system is estimated to cost around £500, potentially saving households £110 on electricity bills annually. 

It is important to ensure that any plug-in solar kit purchased is compliant with the updated British standards once they are fully implemented."

6 hours ago, martin-w said:

Not sure if you guys in the US have it?

Well, we don't rreally need it as our electricity costs 3 times less than yours.

I wonder why that is? 😁

Dave

7 hours ago, martin-w said:

Not sure if you guys in the US have it?

I normally have both of you on my ignore list because to be frank I think Martin and Dave are really the same account (different email and VPN) and you like to do bad cop good cop because the frequency of “Dave” appearing after a “Martin” post so many times starts to smell “fishy”.

I’ll entertain you just this once with more actual personal experience not made up want to believe gibberish:

1.  Solar panels be it DIY or thru a provider in CA.  If you go thru a provider and it’s essentially “free” install, the catch is the excess energy you contribute back into the grid, the solar panel provider takes that money from the grid provider.

2.  12kW / 7.68kWh kits can range from $4000 to $12000 pending how much battery storage you want with the kit.  You can self install and pending your state and if you plan to be a part of the grid, you need an inspection which can cost anywhere from $300-$750.  If you plan to stay entire off grid, then most states don’t require any inspection.

3.  During Schwarzenegger’s stint as Governor in CA, he tried to pass a bill (Million Solar Roofs Bill) that required all newly built homes and commercial buildings to include solar panels … that bill was quickly lobbied against by oil companies and died before it could see the light of day.  If passed it would have reduced CA power consumption by 40%, generate about 30,000 jobs and huge reduction in CO2 emissions.

4.  Grid electricity costs will vary from state to state (pretty significantly) … for example Washington state has lowest rates in the US at 10 cents per kWh due to their primary source of power generation is hydro.  Of course as the climate continues to change, energy consumption increases and snowballs.

5.  Not going to get into the Climate Change denial because anyone that believes 97F for 3 days in LA during winter is “normal” needs their head examined.  The frequency of these record breaking events increase every year.  It’s not me, it’s you.

6. Just waiting for Dave/Martin to get this topic closed.

Not going to be checking back to this thread, so best of luck good cop bad cop 😉

Edited April 15Apr 15 by SayAgain

1 hour ago, SayAgain said:

I normally have both of you on my ignore list because to be frank I think Martin and Dave are really the same account (different email and VPN) and you like to do bad cop good cop because the frequency of “Dave” appearing after a “Martin” post so many times starts to smell “fishy”.

 

🤣 That's hilarious. I just spat my coffee on my monitor. Not sure what you think the purpose of such deception would be. Trust me, I am not Dave, I'm far too sexy. Hence why Dave is attracted to me.

 I suspected that you were a former moderator I knew quite well, that once accused me of working for Noctua, is that not the case? 

 

From now on, me and Dave will be known as Mave. 😀

 

Edited April 15Apr 15 by martin-w

2 hours ago, dave2013 said:

Well, we don't rreally need it as our electricity costs 3 times less than yours.

I wonder why that is? 😁

Dave

 

Did you mean Jersey or UK? Our electricity is significantly cheaper than the UK. 

 

Apparently you do have plug in solar in the US...

 

Quote

Plug-in solar in the USA is an emerging, DIY-friendly, 200–1,600 watt solar option designed for balconies or yards that connects directly to a standard 120V outlet. While popular in Europe, wide adoption is delayed by utility regulations, though Utah passed the first legislation to allow them without burdensome approvals.

 

1 hour ago, SayAgain said:

I think Martin and Dave are really the same account (different email and VPN) and you like to do bad cop good cop because the frequency of “Dave” appearing after a “Martin” post so many times starts to smell “fishy”.

Interesting. Do you, by any chance, think you and I are the same account?

Hook

37 minutes ago, martin-w said:

Trust me, I am not Dave, I'm far too sexy. Hence why Dave is attracted to me.

Whoa, now that’s a loaded and interesting thought 🏳️‍🌈 🤣

Edited April 15Apr 15 by Mike A

2 hours ago, SayAgain said:

 Solar panels be it DIY or thru a provider in CA.  If you go thru a provider and it’s essentially “free” install, the catch is the excess energy you contribute back into the grid, the solar panel provider takes that money from the grid provider.

 

Thats not plug in solar, though. My question referred to "plug in" solar. Essentially you buy the kit and plug it into a socket. 

1 hour ago, LHookins said:

Interesting. Do you, by any chance, think you and I are the same account?

Hook

 

I've changed my mind, Dave and me will no longer be known as Mave, we have officially become.... "Dartin". The name is appropriate because we are very fast at replying to ourselves. 

Edited April 15Apr 15 by martin-w

2 hours ago, martin-w said:

 

I've changed my mind, Dave and me will no longer be known as Mave, we have officially become.... "Dartin". The name is appropriate because we are very fast at replying to ourselves. 

LOL 🤣

5 hours ago, SayAgain said:

anyone that believes 97F for 3 days in LA during winter is “normal” needs their head examined

First, mid-March isn't exactly Winter in southern California, but yeah, 97F is pretty unusual for that time of year.  I read it was another one of those heat domes.  Maybe it's something to do with La Nina and the Pacific Ocean warming, or maybe it's all the concrete, asphalt, and huge hordes of people living in that part of California that has contributed to the temperatures being higher there within the past 100 years, or maybe both, or maybe something else.  Fact is, nobody knows for sure. 

Second, accurate weather records only go back about 100 years and they get more inaccurate and sparse any further back in time than that, and then very quickly to the point where there are no records at all.  Neither you nor the most qualified, brilliant scientists on earth can know exactly what the temperatures were in a particular location throughout all of the planet's history, so all these "records" being set are merely the highest and lowest readings we have for the past 100 years or so, which on a time scale of hundreds of millions of years means almost nothing.

Dave

1 hour ago, dave2013 said:

and huge hordes of people living in that part of California

 

Let's make every attempt to stay clear of the taboo subjects please!

Maybe he went underground: