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Solar plug in!

Featured Replies

  • Author
7 hours ago, charliearon said:

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

 

Bad Dartin. 😒 Naughty Dartin. Stand clear of your keyboard, Dartin and you may be considered for a cat point. 

  • Author
I'm curious how the micro inverters work, in terms of UK plugs. If it feeds power back into a socket, and there's a fault, the pins of the plug could be live. (Hot as you Americans say) I guess there would have to be a pretty robust safety mechanism as UK regs are very stringent. 
 
 
 
Quote

 

Key Details on UK Plug-In Solar (2026):
  • Legality and Safety: The government has updated regulations to allow systems under 800W, making it safe for DIY use in domestic sockets.
  • System Components: A standard kit typically includes panels and a micro-inverter to convert DC to AC power for immediate home use.
  • Cost and Retailers: Kits are expected to be available from major retailers like Lidl, with prices around £400. Specialized brands, including EcoFlow and Anker SOLIX, are considered top options.
  • Benefits: This technology reduces electricity consumption from the grid and can be ideal for renters as it requires no structural changes.
  • Limitations: These systems do not allow for payments from the grid for excess energy produced (unlike traditional solar) and generally offer lower savings than full rooftop systems.

 

I'm no solar expert but I do live completely off grid and have 1.3kW of solar panels and 14000Wh of battery bank with 2 of the 3 of them being EcoFlow power stations. Only thing I didnt like about the OP video, and while its not his duty to point this out, is the lack of protection from the solar panels to the inverter. I'd highly recommend and inline fuse connected as close to the panels as possible and then a circuit breaker between the panels and the invert. That allows ease of access to turn off the power coming in without having to unplug the panels from the inverter to do so. Runway DC power is no joke so fuses and breakers are low cost and great protection.

 i9-13900K O/C | ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero | 32GB DDR5 6000MHz Kingston FURY | RTX 4090 24GB | 2x SSD M.2 (2TB Samsung 990 PRO) 1x SSD (4TB Samsung 870 EVO) | Windows 11 Home | H20: HydroLux PRO:HardLine Tubing| 1000w PSU | Starlink WiFi 

Warm !

 

solar-panel-installation-from-cat-engine

 

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5800X3D, RTX4070, 600 Watt, one or two 1440p 32" screens, 64 GB RAM, 4 TB  PCle 3 NVMe, Warthog throttle, VKB NXT EVO stick, Honeycomb Alpha yoke, CH quad, 3 Logitech panels, 2 StreamDecks, Desktop Aviator Trim Panel. Crystal Light VR.

 

  • Author
12 hours ago, Ident said:

Runway DC power is no joke so fuses and breakers are low cost and great protection.

 

True... his set up was perhaps dubious in some ways.

When the official plug in solar kits are available in the UK for purchase, I'm sure the regs will ensure they are equipped with all necessary safety devices.

12 hours ago, Fielder said:

Warm !

 

solar-panel-installation-from-cat-engine

 

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Solar powered cat!  Although it reduces power production for you, the cat gets a good recharging. 🤣

My computer: ABS Gladiator Gaming PC featuring an Intel 10700F CPU, EVGA CLC-240 AIO cooler (dead fans replaced with Noctua fans), Asus Tuf Gaming B460M Plus motherboard, 16GB DDR4-3000 RAM, 1 TB NVMe SSD, EVGA RTX3070 FTW3 video card, dead EVGA 750 watt power supply replaced with Antec 900 watt PSU.

On 4/17/2026 at 6:04 AM, stans said:

the cat gets a good recharging. 🤣

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Hook

Larry Hookins

 

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;

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