Plug-in solar - Types of system
This page tries to outline the various types of Plug-in systems. It's not comprehensive, however it should give some context when looking at your options
Plug in Solar on its own
As the name suggests - this is solar panels, connected to an inverter, plugged into a power socket. Apart from the panels needing some mounting (either on the ground, wall or fence), there isn't much else to it.
First and foremost - and it may seem obvious but it needs stated - a solar system only saves money if the sun is shining, and you're using an appliance when the sun is shining 😁. Anything you don't use goes to the grid and you may or may not get paid for it.
The angle and aspect you put your panels on can significantly effect performance. Lying them flat on the ground or a flat roof would be great if you lived near the equator, but here in the UK they perform best at an angle of 30 to 40 degrees. They will also generate best with an unobstructed view of the sun - so pointing due south is generally the best.
Secondly the amount of solar generated depends on the size of the system and any limits of that (eg the inverter size). So a 2kWp array has the potential to reduce grid consumption by up to 2kw, however if the inverter is only a 1kw inverter then that limits generation output to 1kw.
Plug-in battery on its own
This section is for information only
These types of system are not certified for use it the UK as Plug-in devices
In the same way as you can Plug-in solar on its own, there are Plug-in battery systems which can be installed without solar. These systems only provide benefit from their ability to store energy from the grid at off-peak times. This requires access to an off-peak tariff with a lower off-peak rate, typically around a third of the price of the peak rate tariff. This allows you to charge the battery off-peak and use it during peak time instead of the grid peak rate, reducing the cost of energy used from the battery instead of the grid by around two thirds.
Some battery systems also provide the ability to provide a backup power supply in the event that the grid goes down. If the grid is unavailable, it does not feed power to the house through the power socket connection when the grid goes down. Instead there is a power socket on the battery and when the grid goes down you can plug your appliances into this socket and run them as long as the battery has power and as long as the limits of the inverter can meet the demand of the appliance. Worth noting that if this is the normal way your appliance is connected (ie it is always plugged into the power socket on the battery) then there is the possibility that the battery will act as an Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) and continue powering the device uninterrupted if the grid goes down.
Solar and battery
This section is for information only
These types of system are not certified for use it the UK as Plug-in devices
Whilst you could have both a stand alone solar and stand alone battery system installed, there are combined Plug-in battery and solar systems (often described as a Hybrid system).
As with the stand alone battery, this can also store energy from the grid at off-peak times. Unlike stand alone battery systems, these systems also allow unused solar that might have gone to the grid to be stored for later use. So if you had a 3kWh battery and your solar generated 4kwh, if you used 1kwh you could store the extra 3kwh in your battery for later use. Again, this is free electricity. Without a battery this extra generation would have gone to the grid for free (unless you were being paid for export which is unlikely with plug-in solar).
In the same way stand alone battery systems, some hybrid battery systems provide the ability to provide backup power supply (EPS or UPS) in the event that the grid goes down. However again there a benefit of a hybrid system over a stand alone battery - it can be topped up from solar if the grid is down. This gives the potential for longer duration of running with the grid down.
If this blog has helped and you go on to installing a solar or battery solution, please let me know by leaving a comment and sharing this page as I really like to know I've been able to help.
If you're considering a move to Octopus to charge your batteries in the darker months, please consider using my referral link below (click on the Octopus) as it will give each of us £50 off our Octopus bill.
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