Frequently asked questions

Why Choose Prixonsun Plug In Solar over a 'Conventional' Solar System?

Prixonsun Plug In Solar has a number of advantages over a ‘conventional’ solar system:Low Cost – Small Investment
No Labour Costs – Do it Yourself
Simple DIY Assembly
No EPC Inspections Necessary
No MCS Certification Required
Plug In Solar can be expanded at any time
Choose your own location for your Prixonsun Plug In Solar installation

[1] All electrical work must comply with The IET Code of Practice for Grid Connected Solar Photovoltaic Systems, and the 18th Edition of the IET Wiring Regulations.

Earthing equipment is not supplied (but is required as per the IET Code of Practice for Grid Connected Solar Photovoltaic Systems)
*Surge protection is embedded into the Enphase Micro-Inverters, but you must ensure that any additional surge protection is provided (if necessary) to meet the IET Wiring Regulations.

What Size Plug In Solar Kit Do I Need?

There are 3 key areas to consider when choosing the correct size Prixonsun Plug In Solar Power kit.

· How much electricity do you / will you use?

· How big is the area where the panels will be installed?

· Your budget?

How much electricity do you / will you use?

The most reliable point of reference for a retrofit solar kit will be the existing electricity bills for a property. Each home has a ‘base load’, which is the amount of energy used in an average day/week/month to power all the appliances in the property. You can work this out for your property by looking at your own electricity bills, or keeping records using your electricity meter.

According to OFGEM, an average household with medium energy consumption uses around 2,700 kWh per annum: More information here: Ofgem Average Electricity Usage

Dividing by 12 (for months of the year), the result is an average 225kWh per month.

This would mean that 6 x 500W Solar Panels, making up a 3.00kW (3000W) Solar Kit, would be required to cover 100% of the total electricity costs for the average household.

A 3.00kW (3000W) Solar Kit is estimated to generate 2,763kWh per year.

Please note, these are independent National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimates based on 30 years of previous weather patterns in a London, UK location. They are intended to give an indication of the performance you might see from your Solar PV Kit. They are not a guarantee of performance, and do not constitute financial advice. They assume you would use 100% of the energy you generate.

How big is the area where the solar panels will be installed?

Plug-In Solar kits can be installed on Tile/Slate On Roof or Tile/Slate In Roof, Metal/Wooden Roofs, Flat Roofs, or Ground Mounts. The number of panels you can install may be limited by this available area, but please ask us for help with designing your system, so we can help you achieve the biggest possible system for your needs.

What size solar power kit will fit the available budget?

Your budget will ultimately dictate the size of the solar panel kit that can be purchased. A lower budget will require a compromise on the number of panels you can install. This means that the percentage of the energy costs covered by the panels will also be lower, but you will still make savings.

As Plug-In Solar kits are modular in nature, it is possible to buy the kits incrementally, starting off small and building up a to bigger kit. This also helps spread the cost across a few months/years. However, if the budget is higher and space allows, it is worth considering increasing the number of solar panels. This will maximise the levels of energy that the solar panels will generate for the property, resulting in bigger savings.

What Is Plug In Solar?

Plug In Solar is a Do It Yourself (DIY) solar power system, which allows you to generate your own free electricity that you can use to power your appliances.Our kits are ‘out-of-the-box’ DIY Solar Kits, which include everything you need for your installation.

Plug In Solar Kits offer a simple plug and play installation (all AC Cabling), and enable each solar panel to operate to its maximum potential by reducing the impact of shading.

Plug-In Solar kits include all you need to start saving money on your electricity bills.

What's the difference between your Plug In Solar Kits and your DIY Solar Kits?

Our Plug In Solar Kits allow you to have a small Solar system (1-2 Panels), that you can simply plug into a plug socket. No need for an electrician or installer. Usually these kits are installed on the Ground or Wall.

Our DIY Solar Kits are larger Solar Kits (up to around 20 panels), and can be installed in a wide variety of locations (Balcony,On Roof, In Roof, Ground Mount, Flat Roof, Tiled Roof, Corrugated Roof etc).

These kits have been designed so the majority of the installation can be undertaken by a competent DIYer/on site trades.

However under the UK’s current IET wiring regulations the final connection to the grid must be made, and signed off, by a qualified electrician who must create a dedicated circuit for the Solar Kit in your existing consumer unit/new sub board with the appropriate protections.

What are the new Regulation about UK Plug in Solar?

Plug In Solar is now legal (from 27th August 2026).

From that date, a fully ENA compliant plug-in Solar kit (solar only, no Battery Storage), may legally be connected via a standard 5A socket in England, Wales and Scotland.

These new regulations will allow up to 2,000W (2kW) of Solar PV power, connected to a Micro-Inverter with a maximum output of 800W.

Connecting Solar Panels with a larger rating than the Micro-Inverter is common practice in the UK and is known as the DC:AC Ratio.

You can see more information on our Plug In Solar Kits here: Plug In Solar Kits. All the kits we sell are fully ENA Compliant and listed on the ENA Register.

How Does Plug In Solar Work? How do my Appliances know to use the Free Electricity?

The electricity generated by the solar panels is fed (via the Micro-Inverters) directly into your mains electrical grid on the load side of the meter. The Micro-Inverters slightly exceed the national grid voltage in order to push the current to your mains grid. When there is solar energy being produced, the national grid recognises that no power is required, until the voltage from the Inverters drop again, at which point the National Grid provides the power.

This means the appliances will always use the energy generated by the solar panels first, before going to the National Grid. If you are using more energy than you are generating, the solar kit will provide as much energy as it can and the remainder will be supplied by the grid. In the event you are generating more energy than you are using, this excess energy will be sent back to the National Grid. This is completely normal, and legal. The two energy sources work in harmony, without any manual switching required. By reducing your electricity use in this manner, you save money on your energy bills.

How Much Money Could I Save with a Plug In Solar Kit?

The bigger the Plug In Solar kit, the bigger the saving.

As an example, a 1kW Solar Kit is estimated to generate 921kWh per year. The average UK electricity price is 24.67p per kWh.

This means a 1kW Solar Kit could save you £227.21 per year.

Please note, these are independent National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimates based on 30 years of previous weather patterns in a London, UK location. They are intended to give an indication of the performance you might see from your Solar PV Kit. They are not a guarantee of performance, and do not constitute financial advice. They assume you would use 100% of the energy you generate.

How Much Free Electricity Will My Plug In Solar Kit Generate?

The bigger the kit, the bigger the energy saving. As an example, on average, a 1kW (1000W) Plug-In Solar Kit (which consists of 2 x 500W panels) will produce enough energy, in one year, to power***

Washing Machine:1 cycle per week (52 times per year)

Dishwasher:1 cycle per week (52 times per year)

LED TV:3 hours per day (for 365 days per year)

Electric Oven:2 cycles per week (104 times per year)

What Happens To Electricity I Generate But Don’t Use? Will My Electricity Meter Go Backwards?

Any excess electricity generated by a Plug-In Solar kit and not used by appliances will be sent back to the National Grid. This happens automatically, and is completely normal and legal. If you have an old rotary meter it may spin backwards but newer meters sometimes flash red to indicate reverse power. This is normal but we advise informing your electricity supplier if you are installing a Plug-In Solar kit.

We also sell energy saving devices to help you use your power more wisely, such as Immersion Diverters or Battery Storage Please ask for more information.

You can apply for the Smart Export Tariff (SEG) with Octopus, even if you have self installed one of our kits, and you can apply for this Tariff here: Octopus SEG Tariff Application

Can I Add More Solar Panels To My Plug-In Solar Kit in the Future?

Plug In Solar kits are fully modular and upgradable. You can add to your Plug In Solar kit by simply plugging the kits together. The system is completely adaptable to suit your needs for now and in the future. Just Plug and Play.

Please see our Solar Panel Pagefor available Solar Panel upgrades and prices.

Do I Get The Feed In Tariff With Plug In Solar?

The Feed-In-Tariff was a government based scheme that applied to solar installations that were undertaken by MCS accredited installers. The Feed-In Tariff ended on 31st March 2019.The current Smart Export Tariff (SEG) pays around 15p per kWh of exported energy. The components that make up the Plug-In Solar Kit have the relevant MCS accreditations and G98/99 Certifications to be suitable for an installation for the Smart Export Tariff.You can apply for the Smart Export Tariff (SEG) with Octopus here: Octopus SEG Tariff Application

Can I use a Plug-In Solar Kit Off Grid?

No. Plug-In Solar Kits, are Grid-Tied Solar Kits, and therefore require an active 230V/50Hz mains grid in order to operate.If you would like to be able to run Off Grid, you would need to use a Enphase IQ Battery 5P – 5kWh with Full House Backup (Kit Bundle)

Can I Monitor My Plug In Solar Kit?

Our kits come with individual Solar panel monitoring via a Web Browser or the Enphase App. This is Free to use.More details on this can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siN1ViCOG8o

How Long Does The Plug-In Solar Warranty Last?

The Plug In Solar guarantee is based on manufacturers standard warranties. These are 25 years for the Solar Panel (plus 20 year 80% power performance guarantee), 25 years for the Enphase Micro-Inverter, and 10 years for the mounting system. All warranties are available on request.

What Certifications Does The Plug In Solar Kit Have?

The Plug In Solar certifications are based on the manufacturers standard certifications. The Solar Panels and mounting system are MCS certified (Micro-Inverters do not require MCS certification) and the Solar Panels and Micro-Inverters are both G98/99 and CE certified (mounting systems do not require a G98 certification). All certifications are available on request.

Do I Need Planning Permission For My Plug In Solar Kit?

The large majority of Plug In Solar installations will not need planning permission as they fall under ‘permitted development’, unless the property is a listed building or is situated in a national park or area of outstanding natural beauty.

It is your responsibility to check whether or not you need planning permission for your solar installation. If in doubt contact the planning department of your local authority for more information, or visit the solar section of the planning portal here: Planning Portal

Do I Need To Inform the DNO or My Electricity Company of My Plug-In Solar Installation?

Yes. Once you have installed, inspected and tested your Plug-In Solar kit, it is a requirement that you complete and return a G98 Engineering Recommendation Form to your Distribution Network Operator (DNO) within 28 days. You can find your DNO by entering your postcode using this website: https://www.ssen.co.uk/about-ssen/who-is-my-distributor/

The Plug-In Solar installation manual provided with your kit will guide you through this process, and if you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Do The Plug In Solar Kits Store Any Electricity I Generate?

Plug In Solar kits do not store any energy. When the sun is out the panels will supply energy to the house mains circuit and be used to help power appliances.

In order to store any energy you would need a Battery system. We sell two types of Battery Systems suitable for use alongside our Plug In Solar Kits:

· Fox ESS 5.18kWh Battery Kit (Bundle)

· Enphase IQ Battery 5P – 5kWh Battery Module (Kit Bundle)

If you would like more detailed information on battery and energy management systems please contact us.

What Happens In The Event Of A Power Outage?

Plug In Solar kits will turn off in the event of a power outage. This is to ensure that no power is being fed into the grid whilst it is inactive. This is a requirement under the G98 regulations.

There are some Battery Systems that enable you to run appliances directly from the Battery in the event of an outage. This is known as an Emergency Power Supply (EPS). Please ask us for more information on this.

Can I Use a Plug-In Solar Kit in other places in Europe?

Yes, but you must be aware of, and abide by, the local grid regulations in the country in which you are planning to use the Plug In Solar kit. The Enphase Micro-Inverters can be programmed on site for specific grid locations. Please check with your network operators to find out the grid regulations in your country for Plug In Solar.

What Payments are Accepted At The Online Shop?

You can pay by Paypal, Debit or Credit card in our online shop. Unfortunately we no longer accept payments over the phone, but you can request a payment link via our Stripe online portal. This allows you to pay by Credit/Debit Card/Apple Pay/Google Pay/Revolut/Klarna or American Express. You can also pay by Bank Transfer using the details found on the Invoice issued to you.

How are Plug In Solar Kits Delivered?

We’ll be sending you your Plug In Solar Kit by courier, safely packed on a Pallet. Please supply your phone number when you purchase your kit, as the courier may need to contact you. You’ll find all the parts along with easy-to-follow assembly instructions.

What Is Your Returns Policy?

You can see all information related to returns and refunds here: Returns Policy

Any Other Questions.....?

If you have any further queries about the Plug In Solar Kit, or any of our other products, please do not hesitate to contact us on 01444 672005 or info@pluginsolar.co.uk.

Non-notifiable electrical installation work must still be designed, installed, inspected, tested and certificated in accordance with BS 7671.
*Calculations undertaken using the government’s SAP calculator which are based on industry averages and are used for guideline purposes only.
***Appliance age and energy rating will affect energy consumption. These figures are based on estimates and are for guideline purposes only. Estimates are based on A rated appliances or higher. Appliance consumption information from Center for Sustainable Energy (www.cse.org.uk)