The price of plug-in solar panels is expected to drop to under £600 in the weeks ahead, with more retailers beginning to sell the home renewables kits.
British company UKSOL, selling its one-panel kit for £699, has become the first supplier to meet regulatory compliance for the devices.
The 460W panels are on sale for delivery through Argos, and for pick-up and delivery with City Plumbing – a builders’ merchant with 350 branches.
More retailers are expected to make plug-in solar products available in the coming weeks, after new rules allowing their sale in the UK came into force on Thursday.
Wickes and Currys join plug-in solar rush
Wickes said it would be making plug-in solar available to its customers “in the coming weeks”.
Currys said it was working to make these products “available to UK households as soon as possible, including through both our website and larger stores”.
Lidl, Asda, B&Q, Screwfix and Amazon have all expressed interest in the self-install kits and are expected to join the roll-out soon. But none of the firms had any update on when they might be available.
Andrew Moore, UKSOL’s chief executive, said they had pre-orders in the “low thousands” for the company’s single-panel kit at £699 and two-panel kit at £999.
The prices of the kits – also available from UKSOL’s website directly – include VAT but not include home delivery, which may cost more.
“There’s been huge interest,” said Moore. “We can ramp up quite quickly. I think it could take off quite quickly.”
UKSOL plans to launch another four more models in October. A slightly cheaper single-panel kit will be available from £599, said Moore.
Energy minister Martin McCluskey said the Government expects the price of single panel kits to “settle” at between £400 and £600 as more retailers roll them out.
“We saw this with solar across the board over the last 10 years. The price of solar has dramatically reduced. With any new product coming onto the market we would expect the price to settle a wee bit.”
Gareth Simkins, a spokesperson for industry body Solar Energy UK, previously said that as demand is fulfilled and supplies increase, “prices would be expected to fall over time”.
Other plug-in solar manufacturers are expected to meet the new plug and socket compliance rules soon.
One manufacturing source previously told The i Paper that it was “close” to having its products ready for sale with major retailers.
How much you can save each year
The Government has estimated that plug-in solar users will be able to cut their energy bills by £70 to £110 a year.
“We think with a two-panel system could give you more than that [£110 a year],” said UKSOL’s Moore. “But it’s difficult to say how much more. There are so many variables, like shading, location and the weather.”
Matt Parry, of the Renewable Energy Association (RNA), backed the Government estimate of savings. “If devices start being sold at £400 to £600, it could take only four to six years to pay back, which is a really good investment,” said the renewables expert.
“Once it takes off, more products will become available and prices could come down a bit.”
It might be possible to save more than £110 with two-panel systems, Parry added – though performance levels are not well established yet.
Electrical expert Matt West started using plug-in solar panels over the summer in the hope of reducing his energy costsMatt West, an electric vehicle (EV) expert with a background in electronics and engineering, has already set up plug-in solar panels that he bought online in July.
West, who runs the Matt Goes Electric YouTube channel, told The i Paper that he is on course to save £300 a year – higher than the Government estimates.
Tenants could face barriers to balcony use
The first UKSOL plug-in kits to go on sale are designed to be set up in gardens rather than clipped onto balconies.
However, a wider range of kits are set to become available in the weeks ahead. The tech is promising for people in flats who have struggled to benefit from traditional rooftop solar in the past.
Plug-in solar panels are already popular in Germany (Photo: Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg)Many renters will still have to get permission from their landlords to use them – but McCluskey urged landlords not to stand in the way.
The Government has written to the National Landlords Association, making clear that it expects the kits to be looked on “favourably”, said the energy minister, adding: “I don’t see a reason why a landlord should needlessly withdraw consent or not provide consent for that when the safety case is robust.”
Decisions on whether to approve residents’ requests are still a matter for landlords, building freeholders or councils.
A study commissioned by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) found it was “uncertain” whether plug-in panels attached to balconies or walls would need planning permission.
The charity Electrical Safety First (ESF) has concerns that plug-in solar panels may damage an older generation of residual current devices (RCDs) – the switches protecting people from an electric shock.
Plug-in solar buyers should still “consult a competent electrician” if they are unsure if they have an appropriate RCD, said ESF’s technical director Luke Osborne.
The charity also urged people not to connect plug-in solar through extension leads or adapters. It raises the risk of devices overheating.
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