Post #1020900

2026-03-27 13:53 UTC

I have a question about plug in solar panels 🙋‍♀️ Looking the ones available in Europe, the idea seems to be solar panels -&gt; micro inverter-&gt; plug into wall. I feel like I’m missing something fundamental about household circuits. Why / how does plugging a power source into a normal plug socket work? And second question, would it work the same in the UK? #solar #fediAsk #question

Replies (2)

@HeNeArXn@chaos.social 2026-03-27 14:00

@CurlyParakeet the inverters only supply power if they recognize they are connected to the grid and need to turn off immediately if disconnected (so if you unplug it there is no power on the plug and its safe to touch) and the power limit is chosen so legally compliant wiring won't be overloaded by accident. And then a lot of standardization process to create the rules making this actually legal.

Open ##1311595
@chloeraccoon@mastodonapp.uk 2026-03-27 14:07

@CurlyParakeet @PetraPhoenix There's no difference between plugging in an inverter and having one wired in, except for the socket. The way they work is the same, it's just a device that monitors the input (to sync to it, and for safety) and then injects electricity into the system. Other devices don't care where the power is coming from, just that it's there. So inverter/battery/mains, it's just electricity to the devices using it. The safety part the same for both systems, but for more reasons for a plugin unit. As someone else said, the device monitors the grid feed to make sure when you unplug it (and so it can't "see" the grid) it turns off it's output so you don't get a shock or worse.

Open ##1311596