What a microinverter does
Solar panels make direct current. Your sockets run on 230 V alternating current. The microinverter sits between them and does four jobs:
- Conversion: it turns the panels' DC into AC that's synchronised with the grid, so your home uses the solar power first and draws less from your supplier.
- MPPT: maximum power point tracking adjusts the load on each panel as light and temperature change, to get the most out of it. Two MPPT channels let two panels facing different ways work independently.
- Grid protection: if the grid goes down, the inverter stops feeding, so it can't power a circuit an electrician thinks is dead. Our electrical safety guide explains why that matters on a socket circuit.
- The output cap: in a UK plug-in kit, the inverter is what holds output to 800 VA. Our inverter types guide covers how microinverters differ from string and hybrid inverters.
Can I buy a bare microinverter and plug it in?
Generally no. The DESNZ Interim Product Specification v2 (July 2026) defines a plug-in solar device as “at least one PV module, a grid-following inverter, a factory assembled connection line fitted by the manufacturer with a plug designed to BS 1363 ... associated DC cables and connectors ... and a mounting system”. It says a mounting system “shall be supplied as part of a complete plug-in solar kit”, and that manufacturers must register the device on the ENA Type Test Register and get it confirmed compliant before selling it: “A device being submitted for registration shall not, in itself, be regarded as demonstrating compliance.”
So the thing that gets verified is the whole kit. When you pair a bare inverter with panels you already own, you've assembled a device nobody submitted, and there's no record for it. The register bears this out. For each bare inverter on this page, the maker's only record is the PV type: G98 type testing for a fixed installation by an installer. The verified Plug-in Solar records are kits that name a panel, such as City Plumbing's “CPS 1x DME-465W-BW-1 + Hoymiles HF-800-WB Plug-In Solar Kit”.
The one exception: Voltacon's HF-800-WB
A kit can be verified while the same inverter sold bare isn't on the plug-in route at all, and the same inverter can pass in one kit and not in another. The Hoymiles HMS-800-2WB, for example, is named in 26 Compliant records and 3 Non-compliant ones. Verification is per submission.
Which microinverters the verified kits use
Counted from the 164 Plug-in Solar records on the register at our 13 November 2026 check, where the record's model text names the inverter. 79 of the 145 Compliant records don't name one, so these figures are a floor, and we don't guess the rest.
| Microinverter | Compliant records | Non-compliant | Cheapest kit we found on sale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hoymiles HMS-800-2WB | 26 | 3 | None priced |
| VaySunic VM800WE-P2 | 19 | 0 | None priced |
| Hoymiles HF-800-WB | 11 | 2 | None priced |
| Zendure SolarFlow 800 | 6 | 0 | None priced |
| EcoFlow EF-PS-800 | 2 | 0 | None priced |
| MX800lite | 1 | 0 | None priced |
| Octopus M1-800-E | 1 | 0 | £450, Octopus Energy (checked 11 November 2026) |
| Not named in the record | 79 | 14 | See the 800W kits list |
Model by model: register status, specs and UK sellers
Register status as read on 8 October 2026. Specs are from each maker's own page or datasheet. Retailer prices are as listed on the day, and we don't show Amazon prices.
EcoFlow STREAM Microinverter (EF-PS-800)
Register: Bare unit: ECOFL/17537/V1/A1, PV type, Compliant, published 7 May 2025. There's no Plug-in Solar record for the bare EF-PS-800. EcoFlow's kits: ECOFL/21128/V1/A3, the STREAM plug-in kits for flat roof, facade and pitched roof (Compliant), and ECOFL/21606/V1/A1, “EF-PS-800 + SPDG505-N108R12 Plug-In Solar Kit” (Compliant). Third-party kits built on it: VALE's VALEG/21503/V1 (Compliant) and hdm solar's HDMSO/21245/V1/A3 (Compliant).
Key specs: 800 VA rated grid output, 3.48 A maximum grid output current, two MPPT channels, 600 W maximum input per channel, 65 V DC maximum input voltage, 16 A maximum current per MPPT.
UK sellers: EcoFlow UK sells the bare unit and a two-panel bundle without brackets; both were in stock on 8 October 2026, and every bracket bundle was out of stock. The bare unit was £129 (list £179) on EcoFlow UK at our 14 November 2026 read. We couldn't confirm that the box's “BKW DIY-Cable” carries a BS 1363 plug.
EcoFlow PowerStream
Register: No record has “PowerStream” in its model name. EcoFlow holds PV records for the EF-PS-600, 800 and 1000 and for “EFWN511; EFWN511B” (ECOFL/10021/V1/A2); we can't confirm which of these is the PowerStream.
Key specs: Not checked on 8 October: there's no UK product page to read.
UK sellers: Not on uk.ecoflow.com. Every PowerStream address we tried returned “not found”, and the store's search found no PowerStream product.
Hoymiles HF-800-WB (HiFlow)
Register: Hoymiles' own record HOYMZ/18074/V1/A3 is PV type. The inverter is named in 11 Compliant Plug-in Solar records and 2 Non-compliant ones, mostly City Plumbing kits. One of those is Voltacon's VOLTD/21572/V1/A2 (Compliant), which names the inverter and nothing else.
Key specs: 800 VA rated output, one MPPT, 100 V maximum input voltage, 16 A maximum input current.
UK sellers: Voltacon £119.00, in stock, quoting register reference VOLTD/21572/V1/A2; Electricals Online £118.80 inc VAT; Maplin £119.99. All checked 8 October 2026. The Voltacon record is Voltacon's submission, so it doesn't cover the same inverter bought from another seller. City Plumbing's inverter-plus-UK-cable listing returned “not found” on 8 October.
Hoymiles HMS-800-2T
Register: HOYMZ/03493/V1 and HOYMZ/03494/V1, PV type, Compliant (2021), plus PV-type G4 variants. No Plug-in Solar record.
Key specs: 800 VA rated output, 65 V maximum input voltage, 2 × 12.5 A maximum input current. Hoymiles' page lists one MPPT but also describes independent MPPT, so treat the MPPT count as unconfirmed.
UK sellers: No UK retailer page found on 8 October.
Hoymiles HMS-800W-2T
Register: HOYMZ/14926/V1, PV type, Compliant (5 June 2024). No Plug-in Solar record.
Key specs: 800 VA rated output, two MPPTs, 65 V maximum input voltage, 2 × 14 A maximum input current. The W model has Wi-Fi built in. Hoymiles' page says it ships with a Schuko-plug cable (CEE 7/7).
UK sellers: One UK listing we found describes a different model in its page text, so we haven't quoted it.
Hoymiles HM-600
Register: HOYMZ/03083/V1/A1 and HOYMZ/03092/V1/A1, PV type, Compliant (2021). No Plug-in Solar record.
Key specs: 600 VA rated output, two MPPTs, 60 V maximum input voltage, 2 × 11.5 A maximum input current (Hoymiles manual).
UK sellers: We didn't check UK sellers.
APsystems EZ1-M
Register: ALTEN/12127/V1/A1, PV type, Compliant (24 November 2023). APsystems' Plug-in Solar records are kits: ALTEN/21303/V1, Premium Set Dual-1020W (Compliant), and ALTEN/21341/V1/A1, Premium Set Single-510W (Compliant). We can't confirm which inverter those sets use.
Key specs: 600 VA or 799 VA maximum continuous output (the datasheet says the factory setting could be 600 VA by default), two input channels with independent MPPT, 60 V maximum input voltage, 20 A × 2 maximum input current. The optional cord in the datasheet has a Schuko plug.
UK sellers: Maplin £119.99, with the APsystems Y3 4 m UK three-pin plug cable sold separately at £22.99, both checked 8 October 2026.
Zendure SolarFlow 800
Register: Named in 6 Compliant Plug-in Solar records, all kits with two panels and brackets. No bare SolarFlow 800 record of any type.
Key specs: 1,200 W (2 × 600 W) of MPPT input. Zendure calls it a smart microinverter that works without a battery. Its AC output figure is unclear (the product text mentions 900 W; the register records 0.8 kW).
UK sellers: Not on Zendure's UK store on 8 October (the product page returned “not found”); sold out on its EU store. With a Zendure battery attached it becomes a battery system, outside the plug-in route.
Deye SUN-M80G4
Register: No record of any type. Deye's microinverter records are the SUN500G-230-EU and SUN1200G-230-EU only.
Key specs: 800 W rated AC output, 800 VA maximum, two MPP trackers, 60 V maximum PV input voltage, two panels of 210 W to 560 W (Deye datasheet; the PDF's columns extract out of order, so check it yourself).
UK sellers: No UK stockist pricing in pounds found on 8 October.
Key specs side by side
| Model | Rated AC output | MPPT | Max input voltage | Max input current | Register type (bare unit) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EcoFlow EF-PS-800 | 800 VA | 2 | 65 V | 16 A per MPPT | PV |
| Hoymiles HF-800-WB | 800 VA | 1 | 100 V | 16 A | PV (Hoymiles); Plug-in Solar (Voltacon) |
| Hoymiles HMS-800-2T | 800 VA | Unconfirmed | 65 V | 2 × 12.5 A | PV |
| Hoymiles HMS-800W-2T | 800 VA | 2 | 65 V | 2 × 14 A | PV |
| Hoymiles HM-600 | 600 VA | 2 | 60 V | 2 × 11.5 A | PV |
| APsystems EZ1-M | 600 VA default / 799 VA | 2 | 60 V | 2 × 20 A | PV |
| Zendure SolarFlow 800 | Unclear (register: 0.8 kW) | 2 × 600 W | Not checked | Not checked | None (kits only) |
| Deye SUN-M80G4 | 800 VA | 2 | 60 V | Not checked | None |
Microinverters with a battery
Frequently asked questions
What does a microinverter do in a plug-in solar kit?
It turns the direct current your panels make into 230 V alternating current, synchronised with the grid, and feeds it into your home through the kit's plug lead. It also tracks each panel's best operating point (MPPT) and disconnects if the grid goes down, so it can't power a dead circuit. In a UK plug-in kit it's also the part that caps output at 800 VA.
Can I buy a bare microinverter and plug it in legally in the UK?
Generally no. The Interim Product Specification v2 defines the plug-in device as the whole assembly: panels, inverter, a factory-fitted BS 1363 plug lead, DC cables and mounting, and that device has to be verified Compliant on the ENA register. Pair a bare inverter with panels you already own and you've built a device nobody submitted. The one exception we found is Voltacon's HF-800-WB (VOLTD/21572/V1/A2), a Compliant Plug-in Solar record that names no panel. How ENA assessed it can't be seen from the public record, so check with your network operator before pairing it with your own panels.
Which microinverters do the verified UK kits use?
At our 13 November 2026 check, 66 of the 145 Compliant Plug-in Solar records named their microinverter. The most common were the Hoymiles HMS-800-2WB (26), VaySunic VM800WE-P2 (19), Hoymiles HF-800-WB (11). The other 79 records don't name the inverter, so the real numbers are higher.
Is the EcoFlow STREAM Microinverter verified for plug-in solar?
Not on its own. The bare EF-PS-800's only record is ECOFL/17537/V1/A1, a PV-type record for a fixed installation. EcoFlow's two Plug-in Solar records are kits: ECOFL/21128/V1/A3 (Compliant) and ECOFL/21606/V1/A1 (Compliant).
Is a G98 type-tested microinverter enough for plug-in solar?
No. G98 type testing, which the register records under the PV type, covers an ordinary fixed installation by an installer. The plug-in route needs a verified Plug-in Solar record for the whole device. Every bare Hoymiles, APsystems and EcoFlow inverter we checked holds only a PV record under its maker's name.
Can I add a battery to a plug-in microinverter?
Not under the plug-in route. The specification excludes plug-in solar devices integrated with battery systems, and the kit instructions must warn against using it with a battery. A battery system is a conventional installation by an electrician.