In the United Kingdom, solar panels that can be plugged into a standard socket will go on sale for the first time from Thursday. Such systems will enable apartment residents, tenants and other households without access to roofs for installing traditional panels to generate electricity.
As The Guardian reports, Argos will become the first major retailer to sell such kits. They are also expected to be available from Amazon, Currys, B&Q and Screwfix in the coming weeks. Depending on their capacity, the systems will cost an estimated £400 to £500.
The panels can be installed on a balcony, terrace, shed roof or in another open space. The electricity they generate will flow directly into a home’s internal electrical network and power household appliances, reducing the need to buy electricity from the main grid.
Similar devices have already become widespread in Spain and Germany, where they are called Balkonkraftwerk, or a “balcony power plant”. Each such system must be registered so that the UK’s National Energy System Operator can assess the panels’ cumulative impact on the need for gas generation or electricity imports.
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The kits planned for sale will have a capacity of 800 watts, approximately one-fifth of a typical rooftop home system. They cannot fully supply a house with electricity, but may reduce the annual bill of an average household by about £110.
Actual savings will depend on the orientation of the panels, the weather and whether the household uses electricity at the time it is generated. The new legislation that made it possible to begin selling such panels does not cover energy storage units. Therefore, using electricity during sunny weather, including running a washing machine or dishwasher, may affect the amount saved.
Emily Seymour, energy editor at the consumer organisation Which?, warned that the systems will not be suitable for every home. Before purchasing, permission under planning rules or the building owner’s consent may be required; the suitability of old wiring and the safety of the panel mounting should also be checked.
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