Brilliant news!

[jpwsutton@mastodon.social]

@Edent Makes complete sense. I guess I'd just never considered that would be fine on a type G plug too, but no reason why not I suppose!

[edent@mastodon.social]

@matthewcroughan
See my answer at
https://mastodon.social/@Edent/116233685137748142

[matthewcroughan@social.defenestrate.it]

And finally, the next question, where's the objectively best place to get the best solar panels that isn't lidl, in the UK, at the moment? :P

[photo55@mastodon.social]

@OneInterestingFact @Edent
The ideal is that you have an immersion heater at the bottom of a tank.
The 3kW rating is a limit, not a requirement. 200W makes warm water if that's what you have. We occasionally get up to 1.1kW into it.

Retrofitting instantaneous gas systems probably isn't worthwhile, but there's a gadget more used in Ireland with a small cylinder and heater, which you could use to preheat.

In truth though, small flats etc can just ignore the few watt hours that escape.

[edent@mastodon.social]

@matthewcroughan
Knock on your neighbours' doors. Ask them who installed their solar and whether they'd recommend them.

[matthewcroughan@social.defenestrate.it]

Oh, I'm in Birkenhead, there's no solar anywhere around here. I haven't seen a single installation. I find it funny that you think it's that common, you have no idea how thirsty I am for solar.

[matthewcroughan@social.defenestrate.it]

For balcony solar, you're probably going to want the absolute best panels in order to get the most out of the limited surface area, that's what I'm curious about.

[sheddi@mstdn.party]

@bloor @Edent I know someone (definitely not me, no siree Bob) with four used 250W panels and a secondhand inverter who's doing something similar.

[wellsitegeo@masto.ai]

@Edent
Don't forget the battery bank, inverter, control box.
Oh, and a balcony.
Or a roof.
Or even a garden.

[edent@mastodon.social]

@WellsiteGeo You don't need the battery bank. That's the point. If you have no space, you can literally hang them out of a window.

If you live somewhere without windows, you have bigger problems!

[penguin42@mastodon.org.uk]

@Edent Hmm, I've not got a balcony, but...hmm I wonder where we could put this in the back.

[nick@shore.me.uk]

@jpwsutton@mastodon.social @Edent@mastodon.social its also limited to 800W so unlikely to cause problems on the physical plug/socket

[liquidlamp@hachyderm.io]

@sean @Edent Solar fences are gaining in popularity, althoughly mainy in rural land. They use "bifacial" panels, i.e panels that have solar cells on both sides.

You dont get double the power, but if a one sided panel would get 400w, a bifacial will normally get something like 550w. They have other plus sides too, in that being placed vertically means they dont overheat like angled single side panels, so they keep producing steadily when its hottest even when normal panel efficeny starts to fall. They also do slightly better in winter, as they are ideally placed to catch "bouncing" sunlight from snow/etc.

The downside? Cost, but again its not 2x, more like 1.25x. Also the fence mounting systems all seem to be intended for commerical/industrial installers, with basicslly no residential options.

Still, if you need a new fence and are solar curious, DIY is likely still easier than a DIY roof install. Ive been looking at using standard notched fence posts and steel zipties, but havent taken the leap yet.

[ianturton@mapstodon.space]

@Edent @OneInterestingFact how would that work, I currently have a second meter on a feed from the inverter to export power and I get a lower price than I pay to import. It doesn't sound like plugin solar will have that and if it just runs the meter backwards then they are getting a better deal than I do.

Plus my system has to automatically disconnect from the grid in a power cut so as not to electrocute power workers.

[ianturton@mapstodon.space]

@revk @Edent I think it's 4kw now (or at least in Scotland)

[alex@social.alexhyett.com]

@Edent finally the UK government doing something right!

[jwildeboer@social.wildeboer.net]

@Edent I concur. My solar panel (400W, absolutely not ideally positioned) does cover the base load of my apartment easily on most days when delivering power. That has reduced my electricity bill by around 15% compared to the year before. So it basically pays itself back in around 3 years. Good enough for me. @raymaccarthy

[radundtat@berlin.social]

@jwildeboer @Edent @raymaccarthy As someone who has been happily using plug-in solar for the last five years in not-so-sunny climes I can confirm they can easily cover 10-15% of my household electricity needs. The below graph shows production from a single 450W panel in 2025. It gets almost no direct sun in Nov-Feb. Sure, a battery would be grand, but the money is better spent on efficient appliances that can be set to exploit the midday glut.

#climate

[photo55@mastodon.social]

@Edent but we know the correct answer.
(I think any observer would assume the panels on the balcony were plugged in. Occasionally they'd be wrong and it would be direct heat etc

[photo55@mastodon.social]

@Edent I wrote to my MP recently suggesting telling the panel to get on with it.