- Without changes, plug-in solar panels may render some protective devices, designed to stop electric shock, less effective.
- First-of-its-kind report raises proposals to address safety issues to ensure roll-out is a success.
- Swift action needed to better regulate online marketplaces to protect against substandard versions entering UK market.
More detail is needed on how potential safety concerns surrounding plug-in solar panels will be addressed amid a government planned roll out, a new report says.
The report, produced by consumer safety charity, Electrical Safety First, warns that plug-in solar panels feed electricity into a property’s wiring in a way it was not originally designed to accommodate, and that in some cases, this may render some lifesaving protective devices, such as RCDs, less effective.
Electrical Safety First is concerned that these considerations have not been fully evaluated to ensure the roll-out of the technology is both successful and mitigate against potential unintended risks.
RCDs – or residual current devices – monitor the flow of electricity in the home, switching off power within milliseconds in the event of a fault, to help prevent electric shock.
Now it is feared that without changes, these devices could, in some circumstances, be negatively affected by the introduction of plug-in solar panels.
The report sets out proposals for consideration to mitigate risks and to ensure the benefits of the technology do not unintentionally negatively impact safety devices in the home.
Luke Osborne, Technical Director of Electrical Safety First, said: “Whilst we support Government plans to enable people to be more energy independent and reduce their bills, safety must not be a consideration that is addressed later down the line. The Government has a chance to give clarity on how it will address these concerns now, so we can ensure the UK boasts the best and safest plug-in solar panel roll out in Europe. We know that consumer confidence in other new and green technology has been negatively impacted by poor regulation and we do not want to see a similar issue occurring here.”
Proposals
One such proposal to tackle potential risks outlined in the report is for these devices to be hard wired into a property, via its own dedicated circuit, to avoid the electricity generated by the device interfering with existing protective devices in homes.
Other proposals include these devices being connected by a specialist plug and socket, on a dedicated circuit, rather than a standard domestic plug.
The report also urges the Government to resolve a conflict in current standards that does not permit energy generators, such as plug in solar panels, from being connected via a standard household plug.
Germany
Germany is also often cited as having successfully rolled out plug-in solar panels. However, many variable factors must be considered when using the country as a comparison to the UK, the report states.
Whilst adopting different requirements for plug-in solar panels, Germany also commonly uses a different type of RCD that is less likely to be impaired by plug-in solar panels.
Guidance in Germany also recommends that installations are assessed by a competent electrician to ensure they are suitable and safe. Germany also has a different type of wiring system to the UK.
Futureproofing the safety of plug-in solar
Electrical Safety First’s report also raises concerns that no international or UK product safety standard currently exists for the complete assembly of a plug-in solar panel and that a standard should be introduced to ensure products are manufactured to a minimum safety standard.
Concerns are also being raised about the potential for plug-in solar panels to be exploited by unscrupulous sellers who may cut corners in manufacturing, producing cheap and potentially unsafe versions, to capitalise on the wide scale roll out of these products across the UK.
To better protect against this the charity wants to see online marketplaces legally responsible for the safety of goods sold via their sites as part of a separate government consultation currently open to submissions.