Plug-in solar panels may not be available in British supermarkets in time for this summer due to safety concerns, experts have warned.
Ministers have promised to change safety regulations to make plug-in solar available in retailers such as Lidl and Iceland within the coming months, but some experts are concerned the lightweight panels may not be suitable for older houses in the UK.
Plug-in solar panels are already widely used in other countries, but differences in the way UK homes are wired could leave residents exposed to electric shocks or fires, the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET) has warned.
The Government is currently conducting tests and said the initial results have shown the panels are safe to use in UK homes. However, The i Paper understands it could be recommended that residents of older properties have an electrician check their system.
Plug-in solar is a type of lightweight panel that can be plugged directly into a plug socket to provide free solar energy.
Panels cost around £400 and could save households up to £110 per year on their bills, according to Government estimates.
The UK Government is hoping to follow in the footsteps of Germany, where millions of households have installed plug-in solar on their roofs, balconies and garages.
However, the IET, the largest professional engineering society in Europe, has warned differences in electrical wiring between UK and German homes means the rollout may face additional hurdles in the UK.
The differences relate to Residential Current Devices (RCD), an important safety feature on fuse boxes, which cuts off electricity when it detects a leak of current.
Mark Coles, technical director of the IET, said plug-in solar, which works by pushing electricity into the mains, requires “bidirectional RCDs” that direct leakages of electrical currents in either direction.
Bidirectional RCDs have been mandated in Germany since the 1980s, however, many UK properties, particularly older buildings, still use older RCDs.
According to Coles, these older RCDs are not suitable for electricity flowing back into the circuit, raising the risk of them malfunctioning and potentially leading to electrical shocks or fires.
“We’re not looking to frighten anyone, but what we’re looking to say is: be careful. Get your installation checked because there could be a dormant issue just sitting there waiting for the right circumstances,” he said.
Coles said these concerns mean he believes it’s unlikely a product standard would be approved in time for them to become available over the summer.
Luke Osborne, Technical Director at the charity Electrical Safety First said they had “concerns surrounding how, without changes, plug-in solar panels may negatively impact protective devices such as RCDs”.
“Whilst the Government sets its sites on an ambitious roll out of this technology it’s important these potential risks are addressed,” he said.
The Government has commissioned a study to inform the changes to the safety regulations, which is looking into the issue of RCD devices.
The Department for Net Zero and Energy Security (DESNZ) has not provided an exact timeline on when the new safety regulations will be published.
The IET has urged consumers to have their electrical system checked by a competent professional before using plug-in solar, adding that it risks compounding any pre-existing electrical safety issues.
Coles added: “Consider my mum, she’s 86; she’s not had a lot of electrical work carried out over the years. Is her installation safe for the plugging in of these devices? When is the last time she had her circuit tested? Have there been mice chewing through the installation of the cables? Has she had somebody in to add another light, another socket outlet? Has it been done properly?
“Going and buying something off-the-shelf from [a] hardware store is brilliant, but bringing it home and plugging it [in] – we don’t know what’s there.”
Other experts were optimistic about the potential of plug-in solar.
“It’s a great and flexible system as long as it’s done properly and well,” said Chris Hewett, chief executive of Solar Energy UK, a solar energy trade association.
He said he was waiting on the results of a safety study commissioned by the Government but saw no reason why plug-in solar can’t work in the UK or be ready by the end of the summer.
“[Plug-in solar] broadens the market and is more accessible. It’s not just about cost, but about putting solar on different types of buildings.”
A DESNZ spokesperson said: “Our tests have shown plug-in solar is safe to use on UK domestic circuits. All products will need to meet the UK’s high product safety standards, and we have commissioned an independent study to inform further regulations ahead of their sale.”
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