Plug in solar inverters. What brands should I test?

Been down this rabbit hole recently for the motorhome when we're on hookup and I want to supplement with solar rather than just drain the leisure batteries.

The ones I've been looking at seriously:

• Marstek – seems to be getting decent reviews lately, reasonable app integration
• Deye – popular in the solar community, solid reputation for reliability
• Hoymiles – probably the most established for micro-inverters/plug-in units, good monitoring portal

The cheaper no-name units from Amazon worry me a bit. Grid-tie equipment really does need proper anti-islanding protection and CE marking you can actually trust, not the questionable stuff that just stamps the logo on.

One thing worth checking before you buy anything – your DNO (Distribution Network Operator) notification requirements. Anything under 3.68kW should be fine under G98 without prior approval, but you still need to notify within 28 days of installation. Worth doing it properly.

I've not personally pulled the trigger yet because I'm still uncertain whether my property's setup makes sense for it (south-facing but awkward roof pitch). Running a clamp meter on the incoming supply to understand actual consumption patterns first seemed sensible.

Anyone here actually running one of these long-term? Curious whether the savings stack up against the £200-400 outlay for a basic setup, and whether anyone's had issues with their energy supplier kicking off about export.

Would be particularly interested in Hoymiles vs Deye comparison if anyone's done both. The monitoring software seems to be where they really differ from what I can tell.

Great topic @HO_Marine! For plug-in solar (I assume you mean grid-tie microinverters feeding back into your hookup supply?), the names that keep coming up are Hoymiles and Enphase at the quality end. Hoymiles HMS series in particular gets solid reviews for reliability and the DTU monitoring is decent.

Worth also looking at APsystems — their DS3 dual-input units are interesting if you're running two panels.

One thing to flag for motorhome use specifically: check your site hookup agreement before you start feeding back into the supply. Some sites aren't keen on it and a few EHU pedestals genuinely don't play well with export. Might be worth clarifying whether you're actually feeding back or just offsetting your own consumption through a more direct arrangement. Changes the whole approach really.

What panel sizes are you working with?

Worth clarifying what you're actually trying to do here @HO_Marine — proper grid-tie microinverters (APsystems, Enphase, Hoymiles) are designed to feed back into a mains supply, which is fine if you're on hookup and the site's supply can accept it. But a lot of UK campsites use transformers or have limited capacity supplies that don't play nicely with feed-in.

In a van conversion context I've found it simpler to just run the solar into a Victron MPPT and let the batteries handle the buffering, rather than messing about with microinverters. Less faff, more control.

If you're set on the plug-in route though, Hoymiles HM-300/HM-400 seem to be the most popular starting point — decent app, reasonable UK availability. Just check your hookup supply situation with the site first before you commit.

@WhatsAFuse raises a fair point but I suspect @HO_Marine means something simpler — running appliances directly from a panel via a plug-in inverter rather than proper grid-tie kit.

Done something similar in the van. Had a Victron Phoenix feeding off a small array, plugged into a trailing socket. Works, but you're really just offsetting load rather than "feeding back" anything meaningful.

If that's the actual goal, the inverter brand matters less than getting your wiring sorted properly. A dodgy extension lead carrying sustained solar output is asking for trouble.

That said — if you genuinely want grid-tie into hookup supply, that's a different beast entirely and you'll need something properly MCS-adjacent or at minimum verify your site's EHU tolerance. Most UK campsites won't be thrilled.

What's the panel wattage you're working with?

Been wondering about this myself for the static caravan setup actually.

@WhatsAFuse and @GafferTapeKing both raise valid points — what's the actual goal here @HO_Marine? Because the answer changes completely depending on whether you want to:

• Feed back into the hookup supply properly (grid-tie territory, DNO notifications, G98/G99 etc.)
• Just run stuff directly from panels during the day

For the static I've been looking at whether a Victron SmartSolar feeding into a proper inverter-charger setup makes more sense than any plug-in solution. Might be relevant for motorhome hookup situations too?

Also curious — what panels are you running currently and what wattage are we talking? That'd narrow down whether a microinverter approach is even worth the hassle or whether something like an APsystems unit would actually handle the load properly on a typical hookup supply.