Plug-in solar is coming – how dangerous is it and is it worth it?

Plug-in solar panels can easily be installed on balconies imageBROKER.com / Alamy Stock Photo The global surge in solar power is nothing short of extraordinary. Over the past 15 years, the cost of installing a solar system has dropped by 90 per cent and the technology now accounts for over 80 per cent of the world’s new electricity capacity each year . So when oil and gas prices soared as a result of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, solar was the obvious place to look for relief for many countries. But in the UK, it wasn’t just a case of advocating for more of the same – the UK government has said that it will legalise a currently illegal form of solar. So-called plug-in kits will be available “within months” from high-street shops and supermarkets. These kits are DIY in nature, you simply bring home some panels, place them in a sunny spot and plug them in. There’s no cost of installation and you can start using the sun’s energy to power your home immediately. If you move, just pack up your panels and bring them with you. Solar energy has seemingly been made even cheaper and available to even more people. Many countries have already taken to plug-in solar and there are reasons to be excited about it on a global scale, but can it really help alleviate energy price rises? How cheap is it? And is it actually safe? Despite the rapid decreases in cost, installing a traditional solar system isn’t cheap. For an average UK home, estimates for a 4-kilowatt system to cover most energy needs is around £7000 . In the US, the average home uses roughly double the energy and the cost of installing a solar system to cover it is around $20,000 . These costs include having the panels professionally mounted and a registered electrician installing the system and making alterations to the electricity meter so that excess power can be sold back to the grid – lowering bills or perhaps even generating profit. Read more Why solar power is the only viable power source in the long run Free newsletter Sign up to The Weekly The best of New Scientist, including long-reads, culture, podcasts and news, each week. Sign up to newsletter Plug-in solar is a simpler proposition. The kits are smaller than a full-scale install, so you might expect to purchase an 800-watt system for around £400 and hope for it to cover something like 20 per cent of an average UK home’s energy needs. Installation is free because it is nothing more than tying the panel to balcony railings, a garden fence or a garage roof and plugging a cable into a wall socket. Once you’re plugged in, you can start using any energy that is generated. With plug-in solar, excess energy ends up back in the grid but without a professional installation you can’t earn money from it. “Ultimately that energy just gets used by the next-door neighbour,” says Mark Golding at UK solar panel installer Spirit Energy. Plug-in solar is already an established technology outside the UK. More than a million plug-in solar systems we