Brilliant news!

[zymurgic@mastodon.online]

@sheddi @revk @Walrus @Edent isn't that why the DNOs are currently suggesting to lower the official supply voltage in the UK to a lower voltage, to closer to the official 230v from the traditional 240v ish, to create more headroom?

[balkonsolar@freiburg.social]

@sheddi @Edent Don’t buy them at LIDL. Please not.

[christo_459@mastodon.me.uk]

@Edent
Thanks

[edent@mastodon.social]

@balkonsolar @sheddi

OK. Want to give a reason why?

[phoerious@mastodon.social]

@Edent @OneInterestingFact Plug-in solar is usually not enough that feeding into the grid is actually worth it (mostly depends on how many forms you have to fill, but you are usually also not paid enough). The main reason you want to have a solar panel on your balcony is to cover your own consumption. Add battery storage to it and you can be quite independent of the grid for a large part of the year.

[phoerious@mastodon.social]

@fishidwardrobe @Edent You plug it into your wall and it makes your meter run more slowly or in reverse. Plug-in solar inverters also often come with apps to track your production.

[inkomtech@infosec.exchange]

@Edent power / sec nerd here. How does this not energize intentionally-deenergized lines? Mustn’t cook line repair crews.

[edent@mastodon.social]

@InkomTech because an inverter matches the frequency it sees from the grid. If there's no frequency, it doesn't output.
That's how all solar inverters work.

[nowster@fedi.nowster.me.uk]

@sheddi@mstdn.party @revk@toot.me.uk @Walrus@toot.wales @Edent@mastodon.social There were mutterings recently of dropping the substation voltage to nearer the lower end of the tolerance band to accommodate more domestic PV contribution.

Nominally we are 230V but most British¹ domestic supplies are still 240V when measured.

__
¹ Northern Ireland is a separate grid and might be doing their own thing.

[xaxat@mastodon.social]

@Edent They are also making headway in the US. Now if someone would incorporate them into ventanas, roll down sunshades, used in every sunny country. You can thank me later.

[pmdj@mstdn.social]

@InkomTech @Edent Just like any grid-tied PV inverter, it constantly monitors for loss-of-main on the AC side and has to switch off within a certain number of milliseconds when cut-out is detected. This is one of many prerequisites for the device getting regulatory approval for grid connection.

[deadliftbear@mas.to]

@Edent I’ve seen these in Germany and it discombobulates me to think that I can feed electricity into my house the “wrong” way.

[pmdj@mstdn.social]

@phoerious @fishidwardrobe @Edent These things have been permitted and widely available in Austria for 5 years or so, but only if you have a smart meter (even running in "dumb" mode) which counts outflow separately from inflow. The energy suppliers don't like meters running in reverse. If you have a feed-in contract, you'll be paid for what you feed back into the grid (typically much less than energy you buy from them); if you don't, you won't.

[gundersen@mastodon.social]

@Edent this does not say of there are any requirements for the plug-in solar. The main objections here in Norway is the potential for shock from touching the prongs on the plug, from something else plugged into the same circuit and from anyone working on the main powerlines, since the panels produce power even if there is no power from the grid. Are these things considered in the UK?

[edent@mastodon.social]

@gundersen no, we just let people die.

Of course they are considered. All inverters continually check for the presence of the grid's frequency. If the frequency is lost, it immediately de-energises.

[phoerious@mastodon.social]

@pmdj @fishidwardrobe @Edent Most modern digital meters should be able to do that even if they don’t come with a smart gateway.

[pmdj@mstdn.social]

@phoerious @fishidwardrobe @Edent Yes, I think the rollout here was straight from analog to smart, and you can opt into or out of the smart functions.

[kimlockhartga@beige.party]

@Edent ooooooh! I want these!

[raymaccarthy@mastodon.ie]

@Edent
Better to have batteries too or your solar can't be used at night or during power cuts.

Solar UPS systems have been sold for years and legal everywhere. They have an MPPT controller to charge the LiFePO4 batteries, an inverter to give 230V AC from the 12V to 48V nominal batteries and a mains charger to recharge the batteries if not enough sun.
Can be used to "move" cheap night time electricity to daytime in winter.

Far better than simply feeding solar power to the grid. This is a sop.

[po3mah@mastodon.social]

@sheddi @Edent And for doubters: I doubted it too.
Then I bought 2 panels + micro inverter and generated 800kWh per year.
Even a back-pocket country like ours (Slo.) allows it without any special permit (600W grid output max., no selling).
But beware: this is an entry drug. When you taste it, you will want more.