FAQ

Frequently asked questions about plug in solar:

Plug-in solar is a small grid-connected solar system designed to supply electricity directly to a home through an approved socket connection.

A typical system contains:
- One or two solar panels
- A compliant microinverter
- An AC connection cable
- Mounting equipment
- An app or monitoring system

The panels produce direct-current electricity. The microinverter converts it into grid-compatible alternating-current electricity. Appliances in your home use the solar electricity first, reducing the amount purchased from your electricity retailer.

Our indicative prices, including GST, are:

400 W kit without a battery: approximately NZ$800–$1,000.
800 W kit without a battery: approximately NZ$1,300–$2,000.
800 W kit with around 2 kWh of battery storage: approximately NZ$2,500–$3,000, if batteries are permitted under the final New Zealand rules.

These are preliminary estimates, not confirmed offers. A 400 W kit won't necessarily cost half as much as an 800 W kit because both need an inverter, cabling and mounting equipment.

Final prices will depend on equipment, compliance requirements and mounting options. Delivery, specialist mounting or electrical work may cost extra. We'll clearly explain what's included before orders open.

Not yet.

The existing 2012 prohibition prevents the manufacture, importation, sale and use of inverters fitted with a lead and plug that supply electricity into an installation through a socket outlet. WorkSafe says the prohibition does not apply to conventional inverters connected through the main switchboard. WorkSafe inverter prohibition

Cabinet agreed in August 2026 to progress amendments enabling plug-in solar, but the existing prohibition remains in effect until the necessary legal and technical changes commence. Ministry for Regulation implementation update

Yes. Cabinet agreed on 10 August 2026 to progress the Solar Regulatory Review's recommendations, including legalising plug-in solar.

The work includes:

Amending or replacing the inverter prohibition
Developing a suitable safety standard
Amending the Electricity (Safety) Regulations
Establishing technical and connection conditions
Determining how systems will be registered or notified

This is a firm policy direction, but it is not the same as the new rules already being in force.

The Government has agreed to enable plug-in solar. Officials are developing the safety standards and regulations, with implementation currently expected during 2027. No final commencement date has been announced.

Using the Government's modelling assumptions:

Annual production: 1,040 kWh
Self-consumption without battery: 50%
Variable electricity price: $0.26/kWh
Export price: $0.16/kWh
System price: $1,500

Estimated annual value is approximately:

520 kWh used at home × $0.26 = $135
520 kWh exported × $0.16 = $83
Total = approximately $218 per year

That produces a simple payback of approximately 6.9 years at $1,500, or 6.4 years at a $1,399 purchase price.

A reasonable customer-facing range is approximately 5–10 years, depending heavily on price, sunlight, installation, electricity tariffs and daytime self-consumption. It is an estimate, not a guaranteed return.

Germany is the leading example. Its Federal Network Agency recorded approximately 436,000 new plug-in systems during 2025, following about 446,000 in 2024. More than one million systems have been registered overall. German Federal Network Agency statistics

German systems generally use:

Certified microinverters
An 800 W inverter-output limit
Simplified online registration
One or two panels
Balcony, wall, roof or ground mounting

Yes. Great Britain legalised qualifying plug-in solar from 27 August 2026. The Government says kits may produce up to 800 W and could supply up to 20% of an average home's electricity use, with potential savings of up to £110 annually. UK Government announcement

Great Britain is a valuable regulatory comparison, but it is too early to describe its market as mature.

Unless the eventual rules expressly permit a particular connection arrangement, assume no.

The safest likely requirement is direct connection to a suitable fixed socket, without:

Multi-boxes
Double adaptors
Coiled extension leads
Damaged sockets
Loose or weather-exposed connections
Unapproved plug adaptors

The supplied cable should not be modified.

Not unless the final rules expressly allow it.

Multiple systems on one circuit could increase reverse current and undermine the assumptions supporting an 800 W limit. The eventual framework may impose a maximum per household, electricity connection or circuit.

That will depend on the final rules and product design. Any outdoor connection must have appropriate weather and RCD protection.

WorkSafe notes that RCD protection is critical for outdoor plug-and-socket connections and that equipment exposed to weather needs an appropriate ingress-protection rating. WorkSafe outdoor electrical-safety guidance

Fire risk can arise from poor-quality connectors, damaged cables, loose electrical contacts, overloaded circuits, incompatible components or badly installed equipment.

Risk reduction should include:

Traceable panels and inverter
Independently verified electrical certification
Compatible factory connectors
Correct cable sizing
No customer-made AC or DC adaptors
Secure ventilation around the inverter
Periodic visual inspection
Immediate shutdown after storm or impact damage

The purpose of the proposed framework is to enable qualifying systems to be simpler than permanently installed rooftop solar. However, the final NZ rules will decide when self-installation is permitted.

An electrician may still be needed where:

The property has old or questionable wiring
No suitable socket or protected circuit exists
A new socket is required
The switchboard requires work
Earthing or RCD protection is uncertain
The system falls outside the simplified category

The Government's cost-benefit analysis assumes approximately 1,040 kWh per year from an 800 W system—equivalent to 1,300 kWh per installed kilowatt annually. Solar Regulatory Review cost-benefit analysis

Actual generation will depend on:

Region
Panel direction and angle
Shading
Season
Weather
Dirt and salt deposits
Inverter efficiency
Whether output is curtailed

A well-positioned system will usually produce much more in summer than winter.

No. An 800 W system reduces the background and daytime load rather than powering everything independently.

At any moment it might help supply:

Refrigeration
Internet equipment
Computers and monitors
Lighting
Television
Washing machine
Dishwasher
Dehumidifier
Heat-pump base load
Hot-water or pool equipment

High-power appliances will still draw additional electricity from the grid.

A standard grid-connected plug-in system will normally shut down during a power cut for safety.

It will provide backup power only if it includes a specifically designed battery and isolated backup outlet or another approved backup arrangement. A normal grid-connected socket must not remain energised during an outage.

Surplus production may flow to the grid. Whether you receive payment will depend on:

The final connection and registration rules
Your meter configuration
Your electricity retailer
Your export plan
The time electricity is exported

The Electricity Authority has reported solar buy-back rates varying at approximately 8–17 cents per kWh. Retail tariffs and export arrangements can change. Electricity Authority local-generation analysis

Use electricity while the panels are generating. Helpful strategies include:

Running the dishwasher during the day
Scheduling laundry for late morning or early afternoon
Heating water during solar hours
Charging devices, tools or an EV during the day
Operating pool pumps and dehumidifiers in daylight
Using smart plugs or timers
Orienting panels to match your consumption pattern

A west-facing system may generate less energy overall than a north-facing system but can sometimes better match late-afternoon household use.

Not necessarily. A battery increases self-consumption by storing daytime generation for later, but it also adds substantial upfront cost.

The Government model assumes:

50% self-consumption without a battery
75% with a battery
Around $1,500 for a non-battery kit
Around $2,500 for a kit with a battery

A battery may be attractive for convenience, evening use or limited backup capability, but the standard non-battery system is likely to offer the simpler financial proposition.

Yes. Higher variable electricity prices increase the value of each solar unit used in the home. Lower buy-back rates make exported electricity less valuable.

Fixed daily electricity charges normally remain payable and are not avoided by generating solar electricity.

Likely beneficiaries include:

People working from home
Retirees and households occupied during the day
Families with daytime appliance use
Homes with electric hot water
Properties with pool pumps
Small home businesses
Renters unable to install permanent rooftop solar
Owners unable to justify a full-size system
People with sunny garages, sheds, patios or decks
Households wanting to start small and learn about solar

The economics may be weaker where:

The site is heavily shaded
Panels face an unsuitable direction
Nobody uses much electricity during daylight
Exported electricity earns little or no credit
The customer expects whole-home backup
Mounting is complex or expensive
A larger rooftop system would be more appropriate
The customer expects to move somewhere without a suitable installation location

Possibly, subject to the final eligibility rules. Small offices, workshops, cafés, dairies and other businesses with steady daytime demand could achieve high self-consumption.

Commercial customers should confirm their electrical installation, lease terms, network requirements and insurance position.

Plug In Solar NZ will only release grid-connected plug-in systems once the applicable New Zealand rules are in force and the product's compliance pathway has been documented. Final certification details will be published on each product page before sale.

Yes. Products purchased from Plug In Solar NZ will be supported in New Zealand. Customers will not be expected to negotiate directly with an overseas marketplace seller for an eligible warranty claim.

An 800W system will likely have 2x 400W panels each measuring roughly 1.7m x 1.1m and 30mm thick, plus a micro-inverter that's around 250mm x 180mm x 35mm.

No. "Balcony solar" is the European nickname, but suitable systems may potentially be mounted on:

Balconies
Decks and patios
Garage or shed roofs
Exterior walls
Carports
Low house roofs
Fences, where structurally appropriate
Purpose-built ground frames

Any installation must comply with the final NZ rules, the manufacturer's instructions, property restrictions and applicable building requirements.

The final process has not been determined.

New Zealand may adopt a simplified system similar to "connect and notify," under which a compliant system can be connected without prior approval but must be registered or notified afterward. Alternatively, the rules may require prior confirmation from the local electricity distributor.

Do not assume that purchasing an approved product will remove every property-specific or network-related requirement.

It can be safe when the product, household circuit, connection method and mounting system meet an appropriate regulatory framework.

The Ministry for Regulation concluded that international experience shows the risks can be managed through:

Certified inverter design
Anti-islanding protection
A low output limit, commonly 600–800 W
Circuit-level safeguards
Appropriate connection rules
Product certification
Secure structural mounting

It also found no evidence of widespread electrical failure or fire incidents in Germany when these controls are present. Solar Regulatory Review

That does not mean every imported kit is safe. Only products approved for the final New Zealand framework should be used.

The existing electrical system and standards were designed around generation connected at the main switchboard—not generation entering a household circuit through a wall socket.

The concerns include:

Reverse power flowing through household wiring
Potential cable overload
Interference with circuit breakers or residual-current devices
Multiple systems being placed on one circuit
Compatibility with New Zealand's multiple-earthed-neutral electrical system
Older or damaged household wiring
Unapproved inverters continuing to energise a circuit after grid failure

The Government review concluded these risks can potentially be controlled, but an NZ-specific regulatory pathway is needed first.

Anti-islanding protection makes the inverter stop producing AC electricity when the grid supply is lost or moves outside safe voltage and frequency limits.

This is important during a power cut. A compliant inverter must not continue energising household or network wiring when electricity workers expect it to be dead.

Anti-islanding is not a marketing extra. It should be a mandatory, independently tested feature of any lawful NZ plug-in inverter.

A compliant product should disconnect its AC output rapidly when it loses a valid grid connection. The final NZ standard should specify the required disconnection time and testing method.

Customers should never use:

A homemade cable
A double-ended male "suicide lead"
An overseas plug with an adaptor
An inverter without verified grid-loss protection
A product whose certification cannot be traced

The risk depends on circuit design, protection, existing electrical loads and where generation enters the circuit.

Although 800 W is a modest amount of power—approximately 3.5 amps at 230 V—generation and grid electricity can enter a circuit from different directions. That is why regulators are considering output limits and circuit safeguards rather than treating the system as an ordinary appliance.

Customers must follow the final rules concerning circuit condition, power boards, extension leads and permitted sockets.

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FAQ

Frequently asked questions about plug in solar: