Plug-in solar could be one of the best things to happen to Britain’s home energy market by giving far more people their first experience of generating their own electricity.
Jon Skinner, founder of home energy company Glow Homes, believes the technology should be seen as an accessible first step towards greater energy awareness rather than a threat to traditional rooftop solar.
Plug-in solar systems, sometimes described as balcony solar, use a small number of panels to generate electricity for use within the home. Their lower cost and simpler installation could make solar generation accessible to people living in flats, properties with limited roof space or households that are not yet ready to invest in a complete home energy system.
While these smaller systems serve a different purpose from a permanently installed rooftop solar and battery system, Skinner believes their greatest value could be the way they change people’s relationship with energy.
“Plug-in solar could be one of the best things to happen to the solar industry because it gives millions of people their first taste of generating their own electricity” said Mr Skinner. “For the first time, households can see themselves producing power, understand when that electricity is generated, recognise when they are using it and experience the benefit directly. That could create Britain’s first generation of genuinely energy-aware homeowners. Instead of energy being something that simply arrives through a meter and generates a bill every month, people begin to understand it as something they can produce, manage and make better use of.”
Skinner compares plug-in solar with using an umbrella during a rain shower: it is useful, affordable and accessible, but should not be mistaken for a permanent solution. Glow Homes also believes the increased interest created by plug-in systems could encourage more homeowners to explore rooftop solar, battery storage, EV charging, heat pumps and other forms of domestic electrification.
“An umbrella works” Mr Skinner added. “It keeps most of the rain off you, it is affordable and you can use it immediately. But you wouldn’t mistake it for properly weatherproofing your house. Plug-in solar is similar. It can be genuinely useful in its own right and a very good introduction to renewable energy, but it isn’t the same as designing permanent energy infrastructure around a home. The important thing is that we don’t confuse an introduction to solar with a complete long-term home energy system. Both can have value, but they serve different purposes. Once somebody starts seeing when they produce electricity and how they use it, the natural next question is: what else could my home do? That opens the door to a much bigger conversation about storing electricity, charging a car, preparing for a heat pump and designing a home that is ready for growing energy demands. The solar industry should welcome anything that helps people become more engaged with energy. The important thing is to start with the home and the household, not the hardware. For some people, plug-in solar could be exactly the right answer. For others, it could be the thing that starts a much bigger conversation about how their home produces, stores and uses energy. Plug-in solar will not replace permanent home energy systems, but it could inspire a great many more people to take their first step towards one.”
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