jennyjj01 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 05, 2026 6:45 pmHave any of our UK members any actual experience of Balcony systems? Or useful knowledge?
Just reading about 'guerilla' solar systems in the US: It seems that some/many are 'discretely' running balcony systems against state laws and regulations.
I wish these things could just get approved in the UK. I suppose that at any time they are generating more than the home is consuming, there would be upstream flow thorough the smartmeter to the grid. I just wonder if the smartmeter flags that as an irregularity. Any practical way to prevent such under-utilisation of generated energy?
There was talk on the government making them legal in a net zero winning way but it's all gone quiet again.. with a big report due out next month
The Arceio report on feasibility is due end of April. Another thing to look out is the publication by the IET of BS 7671:2018+A4:20 which is the amendment that would reclassify plug-ins as appliances. This is due start April. Both of these will give an indication if it is going ahead. However I expect the Arceio report to not be definitive - very likely to have lots of caveats and "well it depends".
One area that has not been looked at is how the insurance industry is going to respond. Have seen some comments that they will most likely want notification if you install one of these, plus changes to policies.
Have just read the efixx article, we have a small 240w system feeding 2 leisure batteries, we’re keeping the
system at 12v to recharge AA/AAA and USB’s, no regs or insurance company to worry about, keep it simple.
I would keep a balcony system simple, definitely would not plug in to the mains, leisure battery in weather
proof box, lead to panel with 12v lighter and USB sockets for charging, just my thoughts.
Just looking at the fine print relating to this change of legislation.
From what I can work out, any system has to be G98 compliant.
The (strong) recommendation is that the circuit that it is plugged into has to have a Type A RCD.
You need to tell you property insurer that you are using a "BS 7671 Amendment 4 compliant plug-in solar appliance."
You will need to inform your DNO that you have installed a G98 generating device.
GeraldTheBonzai wrote: ↑Mon Mar 16, 2026 12:12 pm
Just looking at the fine print relating to this change of legislation.
From what I can work out, any system has to be G98 compliant.
The (strong) recommendation is that the circuit that it is plugged into has to have a Type A RCD.
You need to tell you property insurer that you are using a "BS 7671 Amendment 4 compliant plug-in solar appliance."
You will need to inform your DNO that you have installed a G98 generating device.
Doesn't sound too onerous
. There will be plenty non compliant Chinese knock off kits.
I've in mind to build a system where panel generation well exceeds the capacity needed to feed as much as the inverter can manage
Graceful Degradation! Prepping's objective summed up in two words. Turning Disaster into Mild Inconvenience by the power of fore-thought
Can't understand the telling your insurance... You don't tell them when you put a new tumble drier in the kitchen or buy a new lamp standard and in the lounge
If your roughing it, Your doing it wrong
Lack of planning on your part doesn't make it an emergency on mine
Yorkshire Andy wrote: ↑Mon Mar 16, 2026 5:37 pm
Can't understand the telling your insurance... You don't tell them when you put a new tumble drier in the kitchen or buy a new lamp standard and in the lounge
From what i've read, it could be cited as a material change in risk, should something go wrong. Also, insurers may well regard this as a fixture and fitting. To be honest, this bit of it is all very sketchy at the moment. I bet most insurers wouldn't know what you are talking about, even when this goes through. But they would look for any reason should there be an issue.
Yorkshire Andy wrote: ↑Mon Mar 16, 2026 5:37 pm
Can't understand the telling your insurance... You don't tell them when you put a new tumble drier in the kitchen or buy a new lamp standard and in the lounge
From what i've read, it could be cited as a material change in risk, should something go wrong. Also, insurers may well regard this as a fixture and fitting. To be honest, this bit of it is all very sketchy at the moment. I bet most insurers wouldn't know what you are talking about, even when this goes through. But they would look for any reason should there be an issue.
It was bad enough years ago trying to declare a towbar on the car with the Indian call centre totally clueless
The European systems look great and are not permanent items... Be interesting with planning as currently legally you've got to jump through hoops to fit Solar panels to anything other than the house roof for some strange reason
If your roughing it, Your doing it wrong
Lack of planning on your part doesn't make it an emergency on mine
Yorkshire Andy wrote: ↑Mon Mar 16, 2026 5:37 pm
Can't understand the telling your insurance... You don't tell them when you put a new tumble drier in the kitchen or buy a new lamp standard and in the lounge
From what i've read, it could be cited as a material change in risk, should something go wrong. Also, insurers may well regard this as a fixture and fitting. To be honest, this bit of it is all very sketchy at the moment. I bet most insurers wouldn't know what you are talking about, even when this goes through. But they would look for any reason should there be an issue.
It was bad enough years ago trying to declare a towbar on the car with the Indian call centre totally clueless
The European systems look great and are not permanent items... Be interesting with planning as currently legally you've got to jump through hoops to fit Solar panels to anything other than the house roof for some strange reason
You can see how this could play out though. A fridge just sits in the corner and consumes electricity. With these plug in systems, Fred Single-Braincell picks up a Chinese knockoff from Lidl, takes it home and hangs the panels out of the spare room window, from a couple of zip ties. Plugs it into a couple of daisy chained extension cables for good measure. Wind comes up, panels come off and go through the conservatory roof.
And hadn't thought about planning. I guess it would fall under lawful development. Time will tell.At the moment, everything that I can see that is currently on the market as a kit is greater than 800W.
