Plug-in solar
A plug-in solar kit is one or two panels, a small inverter and a cable that goes into an ordinary socket. This section explains the technology, the limits that apply, where to mount the panels and how to estimate yield and payback for your own balcony.
6 pages
In this section
How plug-in solar works: panels, inverter and socket
How a plug-in solar kit turns sunlight into mains power for your home: panels, microinverter, plug and what happens to the electricity you do not use.
Microinverters for plug-in solar compared
What to compare when choosing a microinverter for plug-in solar: output, inputs, grid protection, certificates, monitoring and offline operation.
Mounting plug-in solar: balcony, wall, roof or garden
Where plug-in solar panels can go, how orientation and tilt change output, and what to check on wind, weight and permission before fixing anything.
Plug-in solar for renters and flats: what to check
Plug-in solar suits flats and rented homes, but fixing panels outside usually needs consent. What tenants and leaseholders should check and how to ask.
Plug-in solar yield and payback calculator
Estimate what a plug-in solar kit produces and how long it takes to pay back, using your location, self-consumption, electricity price and kit cost.
The 800 W limit for plug-in solar explained
Why plug-in solar is capped at 800 VA, why the cap applies to the inverter rather than the panels, and how the limit differs across the UK and Europe.
Other sections
Batteries and home storage
When a battery makes sense next to plug-in solar, how the systems differ, how zero export with a smart meter reader works and how big a home battery should be.
Backup power
Portable power stations compared on their data sheets, and what really keeps the lights, the fridge and the router running during a power cut.
Plug-in solar rules by country
Registration, power limits, plugs and landlord rules for plug-in solar across Europe, from Germany and the newly opened UK market to France, Benelux and the south.
Tariffs and self-consumption
How dynamic electricity tariffs work with a battery, and whether exporting solar power or using it yourself pays more.
Power plants and the grid
How thermal power plants work, how flue gas cleaning removes dust, sulphur, nitrogen oxides and mercury, Europe's electricity mix and how home batteries join virtual power plants.