Wed, 19 Aug 2026 03:50:26 +0100 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/ Lussumo Vanilla 1.0.3 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=18430&Focus=310680#Comment_310680 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=18430&Focus=310680#Comment_310680 Sat, 16 May 2026 10:39:24 +0100 djh Posted By: WillInAberdeenIt's no different from if you have 16 panels and a bunch of microinverters on your roof, if the mains goes off they all trip.When we installed ours there was a length of SMA coming down from the roof and lying in a coil for a while. The installer said I could put the end of the cable in my mouth and be quite safe. I was never that brave but I did check the voltage on the end of the cable - nothing.]]> https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=18430&Focus=310683#Comment_310683 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=18430&Focus=310683#Comment_310683 Sat, 16 May 2026 15:59:30 +0100 WillInAberdeen
Interesting comment, prompted weekend reading! (Sorry this is off topic:)

France, Germany, UK and most of the world all use the same MCBs, designed to IEC60898.

In France they will be labelled NF EN 60898, in UK they are BS EN 60898, in Germany DIN EN 60898, so on. But same device.


Like light switches, you can get multiples of the same MCB stuck together to give single pole, double pole, single pole +neutral, 3-pole, so on.

France apparently likes to use 1p+n for domestic MCBs where Germany and UK just trip L and leave N connected. There are good historical reasons for both setups. In some places eg UK hospitals we disconnect both L+N.

Similarly RCBs/RCBOs are 1p+n in France, but elsewhere they can be either kind : leave the neutral connected, or disconnect both L+N. The ones in my house disconnect both L+N.



Unlike the mains, plug-in solar microinverters don't have one connection grounded to Earth so they don't really have a L or N connection polarity as such, either connector could be L or N. Their Schuko plugs can safely be plugged in either way round in countries with reversible sockets.

You can disconnect the inverter on either the live and/or the neutral side and the inverter will stop, as unlike the mains it cannot circulate current through Earth, or through somebody standing on Earth.]]> https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=18430&Focus=310865#Comment_310865 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=18430&Focus=310865#Comment_310865 Wed, 17 Jun 2026 08:57:05 +0100 WillInAberdeen
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/plug-in-solar

"We are proposing changes to the Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994 (PSSR). The aim is to allow consumers to connect plug-in solar systems (without batteries) directly to a standard mains socket, provided products meet defined safety requirements."

"DESNZ is also proposing an interim product specification to ensure that only safe and compliant products can be placed on the UK market during a transitional period, while enduring standards are developed"



They also commissioned some laboratory testing that tested some plug in solar systems on UK circuits in every combination of faults they could think of. The much-discussed areas were fine (ring circuits, anti islanding, breaker masking etc) but some surprises about radio interference
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/plug-in-solar-electrical-safety-study]]> https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=18430&Focus=310869#Comment_310869 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=18430&Focus=310869#Comment_310869 Wed, 17 Jun 2026 13:32:37 +0100 Doubting_Thomas
https://www.windfallenergy.com/windfall-battery

2.5kWh, £1,200 RRP

Which is aimed at the rental market as a small format 'plug-and-play' battery. The idea is you charge up during cheap rate periods and then use it to offset peak energy usage.

Looks like it could be compatible with the plug-and-play solar panels, but they aren't committing to that yet.

They also state 'one battery per household' but I wonder how you could even begin to control that.]]> https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=18430&Focus=310871#Comment_310871 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=18430&Focus=310871#Comment_310871 Wed, 17 Jun 2026 17:04:46 +0100 revor
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Na4LTD1M6nw]]> https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=18430&Focus=310874#Comment_310874 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=18430&Focus=310874#Comment_310874 Wed, 17 Jun 2026 20:19:59 +0100 GreenPaddy
Charge 2.5kW every night @ 7pence
Displaces 2.5kWh every day @ 30 pence
Saving 0.23 x 2.5 = £0.58 per day

Cost of £1200 div by £0.58 = 2070 days = 5.6 years to pay back at today's elect prices.]]> https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=18430&Focus=310875#Comment_310875 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=18430&Focus=310875#Comment_310875 Thu, 18 Jun 2026 07:36:53 +0100 revor Posted By: GreenPaddyjust checking "out loud" that my calcs make sense...considering payback for for the Windfall battery

Charge 2.5kW every night @ 7pence
Displaces 2.5kWh every day @ 30 pence
Saving 0.23 x 2.5 = £0.58 per day

Cost of £1200 div by £0.58 = 2070 days = 5.6 years to pay back at today's elect prices.

Nothing wrong with the sum but you need to include the efficiency of conversion AC to DC and DC back to AC and if you are lucky 90%.( I presume this is what is claimed by the battery round trip of 90%) My experience with a "PowerStation" it can be as low as 50% if you only have a low wattage load. Thing like fans and the electronics take up power. The windfall battery to me is like a power station except in the case of something like an Eco Flow you plug the appliance into that whereas with the Windfall you plug that into your house circuit.
The efficiency comes from using a solar panel as DC to DC is the most efficient way to charge a battery and the sun is free but then there is the cost of the panel to take into account.
I am not sure how easy it is to get night tariff if you have an EV it is quite easy. A neighbour has just had a solar plus battery install and is having difficulty getting the tariff. Things may change when plug in devices become more mainstream.]]> https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=18430&Focus=310878#Comment_310878 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=18430&Focus=310878#Comment_310878 Thu, 18 Jun 2026 09:12:17 +0100 WillInAberdeen

My main head scratch about this small battery is that my peak time loads are either very small (fridge, TV, router, 10W each) or very large for short time (cooker, kettle, 2kW each). This 2.5kWh battery is limited to 800W, so is too big for fridge and yet also not powerful enough for the cooker!

Ideally I would have about three of these for 2400 W, but that's beyond what should be 'plugged in'.]]> https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=18430&Focus=310880#Comment_310880 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=18430&Focus=310880#Comment_310880 Thu, 18 Jun 2026 15:22:49 +0100 revor Posted By: WillInAberdeenIdeally I would have about three of these for 2400 W, but that's beyond what should be 'plugged in'.

What are you trying to achieve reduce you bill or cover outages?. Have you or can you get the night time tarriff. If you can do without the capability of getting up to 800 W out of every socket a portable powerstation could be the answer they have several 13A plug outlets and you could run extension leads off them. I have 2 such devices the 1st I bought is 1500 Wh and will deliver 3000W for 30 mins. I bought this for using 230V tools outside where no power access available. It is permanenty in use, since getting night tarriff it sites next to the TV and powers it for a few days before charging at night. I take it outside every so often to power mains tools. It weighs 16kg so goes in a wheel barrow for transport! The other is 600Wh and powers LED lights in a shed or anything else within its spec. Whilst you can get large capacity power stations and add to extramodules to them they will struggle to power a cooker for long and delivering the kW depends on the capacity of the inverter. Even though following upgrading our solar PV and adding 35kWh of battery the inverter at 6kw is the limiting factor in terms of powering the house.]]> https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=18430&Focus=310881#Comment_310881 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=18430&Focus=310881#Comment_310881 Thu, 18 Jun 2026 20:44:22 +0100 WillInAberdeen
That would be something like 2-4 kWh and a couple of kW and would have to be under £1k, pro installed at that kW rating.

Unfortunately that's not going to happen soon..!

Maybe the next best would be to cover only the steady state loads (fridge etc) - say 0.5 kWh, 0.2kW, under £300 installed. Obvs an electrician cant install something for that price but maybe a DIY plug-in device from a supermarket could come along before long, fingers crossed. I could even add a plug in solar kit if it includes that kind of battery as the solar would fill the battery for free.

Still vaguely hoping for vehicle- to- home to happen

Am on Agile, it usually has two cheap periods day and night and an expensive peak in the early evening.]]> https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=18430&Focus=310888#Comment_310888 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=18430&Focus=310888#Comment_310888 Sat, 20 Jun 2026 07:05:51 +0100 revor https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=18430&Focus=310895#Comment_310895 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=18430&Focus=310895#Comment_310895 Mon, 22 Jun 2026 14:34:18 +0100 WillInAberdeen
No word on kW (guessing it will only be 0.8) or price

Possibly they do clever remote controls like they do with Intelligent Go


Claiming a short payback period!]]> https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=18430&Focus=310896#Comment_310896 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=18430&Focus=310896#Comment_310896 Mon, 22 Jun 2026 18:35:38 +0100 Doubting_Thomas
https://fox-ess.uk/miniqube/

If true, that appears to offer up to 1.2kW output and is modular up to 10.5 kWh

I'm waiting to see the price...]]>