UK households can install plug-in balcony solar panels from August 27
6 reported
British households will be able to buy plug-in solar panels from August 27 after the government changed the law, according to legislation passed last week. The panels, known as Balkonkraftwerk in Germany, can be plugged into a three-prong wall socket and do not require professional installation. Retailers including Currys, B&Q, Asda, Screwfix, Wickes, and Amazon met the government earlier this summer to discuss guidelines for the sale of these systems. The panels are expected to retail for at least £400 and could reduce energy bills by up to £110 a year. Plug-in systems typically have a capacity of 800 watts, about one-fifth the size of a standard rooftop solar system. The legal change is expected to bring clean power to households without rooftop access, such as those in flats or rented homes.
What’s reported
The law change allows plug-in balcony solar panels to be sold in the UK from August 27.
Panels plug into a standard three-prong wall socket and do not require professional installation.
Retailers Currys, B&Q, Asda, Screwfix, Wickes, and Amazon discussed guidelines with the government.
Systems are expected to cost at least £400 and save up to £110 per year on energy bills.
Plug-in systems have a capacity of 800 watts, one-fifth of a typical rooftop solar system.
A record 269,000 solar installations were completed in the UK last year, a third more than the previous year.
Key figures
Chris Hewett, chief executive of Solar Energy UK
Rob Hallifax, co-founder of Windfall Energy
Sources: The Guardian
