Plug and Play
Home Batteries

Yes. Plug-and-play solar systems are legal in the UK under Engineering Recommendation G98, which governs the connection of small-scale generators (up to 3.68kW single-phase) to the distribution network. For systems below 800W, many installers operate under a simplified self-notification process — in some cases, no formal notification is required at all.

Our kits are designed to comply with G98 from the outset. Every micro-inverter includes automatic anti-islanding protection, which shuts the system off instantly if the grid goes down — a legal requirement that protects engineers working on power lines.

Yes, and in fact a smart meter makes the system work better. A SMETS2 smart meter (the current standard in UK homes) records both import and export in half-hour intervals. When your solar panel generates more than you're using at that moment, the surplus is logged as an export — and if you're registered with the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG), your energy supplier will pay you for it.

If you add a home battery (like the Zendure SolarFlow or Marstek Venus), you can store that surplus instead of exporting it, using it later when the panels aren't generating. A smart energy monitor like the Everhome EcoTracker lets the battery know in real time exactly how much power your home is drawing, so it can discharge precisely what's needed — no waste, no over-export.

Solar panels contain photovoltaic (PV) cells made from silicon. When sunlight hits them, it knocks electrons loose, creating a flow of direct current (DC) electricity. On its own, DC power can't run your kettle — your home runs on alternating current (AC) at 230V/50Hz.

That's where the micro-inverter comes in. Built into every plug-and-play kit, it converts the panel's DC output into 230V AC electricity in real time. Plug the inverter into a standard socket, and the power flows straight onto your home's circuit — your appliances draw from it first, before pulling anything from the grid. Your meter effectively runs slower (or backwards on a smart meter with SEG enabled).

A kilowatt-hour (kWh) is a unit of energy — one kilowatt of power used for one hour. To put it in everyday terms: boiling a kettle uses roughly 0.1 kWh. Running a fridge for a day uses about 0.5–1 kWh. A typical UK household uses 8–12 kWh per day in total.

For a plug-and-play setup, the question is how much of your evening demand you want to cover from solar stored during the day. A 2.5 kWh battery (like the Marstek B2500) would cover a typical household from roughly 6pm to 10pm. A 5 kWh battery extends that through most of the night. Pair two units and you're covering most of a household's off-peak needs.

Time-of-use (TOU) tariffs — like Octopus Go, Agile, or EDF's GoElectric — charge different rates for electricity at different times of day. Overnight rates are often 7–15p/kWh, compared to 24–28p during peak hours (typically 4–9pm).

Our battery systems can be programmed to charge automatically during cheap overnight windows and discharge during expensive peak periods — even without any solar panels at all. For households on an Agile or dynamic tariff, the Eniris SmartgridOne controller takes this further, making charge/discharge decisions in real time based on half-hourly spot prices, weather forecasts, and your household's consumption patterns.

In a well-optimised TOU setup, savings of £200–£400/year are achievable from the battery alone, on top of any solar generation savings.

All products in our range carry the certifications required to be legally placed on the UK market:

UKCA marking — the UK's post-Brexit equivalent of CE marking, confirming conformity with UK safety, health, and environmental requirements. Required for all electrical products sold in Great Britain since January 2023.

CE marking — the EU conformity mark, still recognised and accepted in Northern Ireland and as evidence of standards compliance in Great Britain.

G98 compliance — all inverters are certified under Engineering Recommendation G98 for connection to the UK distribution network at under 3.68kW.

IEC 62109 / IEC 62116 — international safety standards for PV inverters and anti-islanding protection respectively, both required under G98.

Yes, with LFP chemistry batteries (which all our systems use). LFP cells do not produce toxic or flammable off-gassing under normal operation and have a stable electrochemical structure that resists thermal runaway — the failure mode behind most lithium battery fire incidents, which typically occur in NMC or NCA batteries under abuse conditions.

The Marstek Venus E and Zendure SolarFlow battery modules are both IP65-rated (dust-tight and jet-water resistant), operate across a wide temperature range (–20°C to +55°C), and include multi-layer battery management systems (BMS) that monitor cell voltage, temperature, and current in real time, shutting the system down if any parameter goes outside safe limits.

They are designed and certified for indoor domestic installation — living rooms, utility rooms, garages, and hallways are all appropriate locations.

No — since February 2024, the UK government extended its 0% VAT relief to include standalone battery storage systems, making batteries eligible for zero VAT whether purchased alongside solar panels or independently as a retrofit.

Solar panels and their associated equipment (mounting hardware, inverters, cables) have carried 0% VAT since April 2022. This relief applies to residential installations and is set to remain in place until March 2027, after which the standard 20% rate would reapply unless extended.