UK legalises plug-in solar panels but safety standards remain unresolved
The UK recently legalised plug-in solar panels to encourage renewable energy, but engineering experts say the move was rushed and lacks proper safety standards. Concerns include malfunctioning residual current devices and the risk of power feeding back into the grid during outages, potentially endangering maintenance workers. The Institution of Engineering and Technology had raised these issues before the decision but says they were not addressed.
Plug-in solar kits, legal since 27 August, let renters and homeowners generate power without professional installation. The IET had flagged two specific hazards before the decision: UK residual current devices may not handle bidirectional current, and multiple kits could create "islanding" during outages, keeping lines live and endangering repair crews. The government says independent testing found the products safe, but the IET argues no formal standard was developed, leaving trip times unverified against the 40-millisecond requirement for household RCDs. The department's consultation ended 30 June, yet the IET claims its warnings were ignored.
This legalisation could affect millions of households, especially renters seeking cheaper bills, but the unresolved safety gaps may introduce rare but serious electrocution risks for both users and grid workers. If incidents occur, public trust in renewable incentives could erode, slowing adoption. Conversely, if the devices prove safe in practice, they may accelerate distributed generation. The outcome hinges on whether the government's testing matches real-world conditions, and whether future standards close the identified gaps.