The Cut: Plug-in batteries need the same status as panels

• The solar industry is buzzing about the potential of plug in
• The government needs to go further and make plug-in batteries legal as well
• You can find all the videos from Solar and Storage on our YouTube channel

The Eco Experts went to Birmingham for Solar and Storage Live this week. For those of you don’t know what Solar and Storage Live is, and in fairness unless you’re as absorbed in the clean energy world as we are, you probably haven’t heard of it, let us explain.

In short, it’s one of the biggest events in the solar industry with some of the biggest companies in the sector from across the world.

We’ve been going to Solar and Storage Live in Birmingham and London for a few years, but this year there was a definite buzz about the event that we haven’t seen in previous years.

The reason? The introduction of plug-in solar panels, which came into place on the 27th August. More retailers are stocking them and the number of choices for households is growing.

There was a lot of praise for the government’s swift decision to legalise plug-in solar panels, but it needs to go further.

The same legislation that has allowed plug-in solar panels needs to be made for plug-in batteries, because then households will be able to not only cut their reliance on the grid but will be able to easily store the surplus solar energy they’ve generated.

Plug-in power has huge potential to protect homes from volatile in gas prices, which as we know is the reason our energy bills are as high as they are.

The example of Germany, where more than a million plug-in solar panels have been installed since 2024, shows how much potential the technology has if the government makes it as simple and easy as possible to buy and install.

For all the interviews from Solar and Storage, make sure to visit our YouTube channel.

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Written By

Maximilian Schwerdtfeger Deputy editor

Max joined The Eco Experts as content manager in February 2024 and became deputy editor in 2025. He has written about sustainability issues across numerous industries, including maritime, supply chain, finance, mining, and retail. He has also written extensively for consumer titles like City AM, The Morning Star, and The Daily Express.

He has represented The Eco Experts on national television several times, including the BBC’s Sunday Morning Live and ITV Tonight .

In 2020, he covered in detail the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) legislation on sulphur emissions and its effects on the global container shipping market as online editor of Port Technology International.

He also explored the initiatives major container ports and terminals have launched in order to ship vital goods across the world without polluting the environment.

Since then, he has reported heavily on the impact made by environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices on the supply chain of minerals, with a particular focus on rare earth mining in Africa.

As part of this, in 2022 Max visited mines and ports in Angola to hone in on the challenges being faced by one of the world’s biggest producers of rare earth minerals.

His most recent sustainability-related work came much closer to home, as he investigated the eco-challenges faced by independent retailers in the UK, specifically looking at how they can cut emissions and continue to thrive.

Max lives in South London and is an avid reader of books on modern history. He has also recently learned to play the game Mahjong and takes every opportunity to do so. He is also yet to find a sport he doesn’t enjoy watching.

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