Why have we made plug-in solar so complex?
Plug-in solar panels are an opportunity to show the benefits of the energy transition to a whole new section of society. However, the Energy Geeks have concerns that the process to get up and running is so opaque that consumers will either give up or skip the admin. Maxine Frerk gives her view.
One of the consistent themes championed by the Energy Geeks is the need to put consumers at the heart of the energy transition. That is why, for consumer facing devices, we have proposed (in our Highway Code) a QR code registration with data flowing to all the required bodies. There should also be an advice portal for consumers covering everything from electric vehicles (EVs) through to balcony solar panels, with the journey designed around the customer, reducing friction and frustration.
This couldn’t be more important in relation to plug-in solar panels.
The recent fanfare around plug-in solar positions it as a consumer focussed initiative. But, scratch beneath the surface and it is clear that, in practical terms, it is far from consumer-centric. It’s early days but there’s a chance to learn lessons for both this and other elements of the transition.
At its heart it’s a great idea that enables a much wider cross-section of society to participate in the transition. It’s badged as “balcony solar” aimed at the 25% of the population who live in flats as well as those without a suitable roof space for conventional solar. The ability to take it with you when you move makes it more appealing to those in rented properties. And the sense that you can pick them up from the aisles in the supermarket, plug in and go makes it all sound very easy. If only.
The central change made by the Department for energy security and net zero (DESNZ) on 26 August was to the Plugs and Sockets etc (Safety) Regulation and ESQCR that previously banned people from plugging in devices that generate rather than consume electricity. This ban has been lifted for plug-in solar panels, provided they comply with the interim product specification and are on a list of compliant products. There were then consequential changes to IET Wiring Regulations, Engineering Recommendation G98 (on the DNO connections process) and planning legislation.
Maxine Frerk is a former senior partner at Ofgem and currently a director at Grid Edge Policy, and a Sustainability First associate. The Energy Geeks are a thinktank partnering with Utility Week on key issues of energy policy. They are: Eric Brown; Maxine Frerk; Roger Hey; Laura Sandys; Steven Steer; Alan Whitehead
Maxine Frerk is a former senior partner at Ofgem and currently a director at Grid Edge Policy, and a Sustainability First associate. The Energy Geeks are a thinktank partnering with Utility Week on key issues of energy policy. They are: Eric Brown; Maxine Frerk; Roger Hey; Laura Sandys; Steven Steer; Alan Whitehead
One of the consistent themes championed by the Energy Geeks is the need to put consumers at the heart of the energy transition. That is why, for consumer facing devices, we have proposed (in our Highway Code) a QR code registration with data flowing to all the required bodies. There should also be an advice portal for consumers covering everything from electric vehicles (EVs) through to balcony solar panels, with the journey designed around the customer, reducing friction and frustration.
This couldn’t be more important in relation to plug-in solar panels.
The recent fanfare around plug-in solar positions it as a consumer focussed initiative. But, scratch beneath the surface and it is clear that, in practical terms, it is far from consumer-centric. It’s early days but there’s a chance to learn lessons for both this and other elements of the transition.
At its heart it’s a great idea that enables a much wider cross-section of society to participate in the transition. It’s badged as “balcony solar” aimed at the 25% of the population who live in flats as well as those without a suitable roof space for conventional solar. The ability to take it with you when you move makes it more appealing to those in rented properties. And the sense that you can pick them up from the aisles in the supermarket, plug in and go makes it all sound very easy. If only.
The central change made by the Department for energy security and net zero (DESNZ) on 26 August was to the Plugs and Sockets etc (Safety) Regulation and ESQCR that previously banned people from plugging in devices that generate rather than consume electricity. This ban has been lifted for plug-in solar panels, provided they comply with the interim product specification and are on a list of compliant products. There were then consequential changes to IET Wiring Regulations, Engineering Recommendation G98 (on the DNO connections process) and planning legislation.
Trying to get my head around what is required highlighted how hard it was to find out. A myriad of websites offer advice but all tell a partial story. The official website gov.uk points you to is run by the Energy Saving Trust (EST). It is comprehensive – but will customers ever find their way there? Argos gives a link on its website but buried in among its own guidance.
Lesson one – You need a good communications strategy not just a website.
Then running through what the EST says you need to do:
1. Check you have the necessary permissions
You are told to check with your landlord / freeholder; to check planning legislation (noting that in England it is a permitted development so doesn’t need planning permission); to check with the local authority “about any building, fire or electrical safety concerns or legal requirements”; and to check with your insurance company. I am already thinking of giving up. Hopefully government is continuing to work to remove potential blockers – and to be clear what really matters.
Lesson two – Don’t pass all the aggro onto consumers.
2. Check your electrics are suitable including having an outdoor socket
This must be weatherproof and professionally installed. Most websites recommend getting your wiring checked by an electrician but this adds quite a lot to the cost. There are safety risks as highlighted by the IET but these shouldn’t be an issue in a modern property. The EST highlights that you should have wiring checks every ten years anyway and to talk to an electrician if you are not sure if your wiring is safe. Tick.
Lesson three: Treat consumers like grown-ups.
3. Check that the kit you are buying is compliant
The EST points you to an Energy Networks Association (ENA) website that is pretty clunky and simply lists all the products (currently 48) that are approved as well as some that are badged as not compliant. Presumably that list will grow over time. It is also hard to reconcile with the much shorter list on the registration portal (of which more later). Why can’t there be a simple logo that makes clear that equipment is compliant when you buy it? And a single source of truth if you want to double check.
4. Install it safely
With panels installed at height it’s vital they don’t fall or blow off. As well as making that point the guidance talks about not attaching panels to wood, getting advice on the load the roof / building can bear, taking care when drilling holes to avoid damage to the membrane, avoiding trip hazards etc.
All good points but do customers need them spelled out when many of the same issues arise if you are installing an air conditioning unit or simply hanging out the washing?
Lesson four: Think about where government advice is really needed.
The electrical safety requirements cover not using extension cables, no daisy-chaining (ie multiple sets of panels). There’s also guidance on how to test your consumer unit – advice that is relevant to the question of whether you need an electrician, which you need to think about upfront.
Lesson five: Keep thinking about the customer journey and what customers need to know when.
5 Notify your DNO
“What’s a DNO?” my neighbour asked. Initially most websites pointed you to an ENA run website for installers that required you to know your Meter Point Administration Number etc – or even just gave you a list of DNO websites.
The EST website (and some others) now point you to a tailored portal myplugin.solar (developed by the ENA) that only requires an email, your address and for you to pick your device from a list. It looks very easy and rightly, the joining up with DNOs is done behind the scenes. The EST site doesn’t mention DNOs – it doesn’t need to – but makes clear that registration is a legal requirement and ensures the energy network can handle the extra electricity flowing into the system.
That is all great but will customers find the portal? Shouldn’t the need to register be obvious when you buy the kit? Ideally with a QR code on the equipment (which provides the make and model so that’s one less thing for the customer to enter)?
Lesson six: Digital interfaces need to be as easy as pie (and QR codes are key to that as set out in our Highway Code).
That’s it.
The question is whether all of this complexity will put customers off or if they will simply ignore much of it and just buy the kit and plug it in? Will we see intermediaries trying to make money out of helping customers navigate what should be a simple exercise? What plans have DESNZ / EST / ENA got for tracking customer experience? What proportion will actually register their equipment? Do DNOs really need to be notified or can smart meter data and LV monitoring be used instead? Will regulations be reviewed once it is clearer what impact these devices actually have on the system?
Lesson seven: Keep looking to improve the customer experience.
It’s clear that DESNZ does see plug-in solar as a customer-motivated initiative and the involvement of the EST was clearly an effort to help consumers navigate their way through. It’s early days and how the information is presented continues to evolve.
However, it’s not clear how far the customer journey was really thought about in advance, including what the role of the product manufacturers and retailers might be beyond simply selling kit.
Lesson eight: Think about this as a systems integration exercise where all the parts need to join up.
The product isn’t the panel but a safely installed panel in someone’s home, visible to the wider energy system.
Fingers crossed that this develops into a great consumer offering with lessons learned for other product developments as part of the transition. Aside from the process challenges the kit itself is still evolving. Most panels are still pretty huge (and heavy) but it’s clear that industry is working hard to make compliant panels that are smaller and more affordable.
Getting this right could get millions of households engaged in the transition and more aware of how and when they use electricity. This matters because plugged-in consumers are key to us meeting our clean power goals.
