What is a microinverter, in 90 seconds
Solar panels generate direct current. UK homes use alternating current at 230V, 50Hz. A microinverter sits next to the panel, converts on the spot, and outputs AC ready to go straight into a circuit. For UK plug-in solar specifically, the microinverter decides three things: how much power the system can put out, whether it stops outputting when the grid goes off (anti-islanding, an ENA EREC G98 requirement), and whether your installer can submit a connect-and-notify G98 form on it.
The four microinverters UK buyers can actually get
List cut to inverters that are (a) currently sold to UK consumers in 2026 and (b) have an active distribution channel. Register status is a column rather than an entry condition, because status changes and the column is where you should look. Four make the cut:
Note on the Hoymiles HMS-800W-2T listing. The single-unit Amazon UK seller for this SKU often shows "only 1 in stock" or moves in and out of stock. The primary link below goes to the current Associates listing. The secondary link is a live Amazon UK search across all sellers for the same SKU, useful when the primary listing is unavailable.
| Microinverter | AC output | G98 type-test | Monitoring | UK availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Hoymiles HMS-800W-2T Two-input 800W microinverter. The de-facto reference for UK two-panel plug-in kits. Latest price on Amazon UK →Or browse other Hoymiles 800W sellers on Amazon UK → |
800W 230V single-phase |
On register Listed as a type-tested generating unit. Check the finished kit separately on the ENA G98 Type Test Register, because the unit being listed does not put every kit built around it on the plug-in route |
S-Miles app Per-panel data via DTU |
Wide Amazon UK, multiple installers |
EcoFlow STREAM 800W (integrated) Microinverter built into the EcoFlow STREAM kit. Latest price at EcoFlow → |
800W 230V single-phase |
On register EcoFlow cleared the register on 22 September 2026 as ECOFL/21128/V1/A3, covering the flat roof, facade and pitched roof mountings. The balcony mounting is not named in that entry, so an install needs a CPS-registered electrician and a hardwired connection. We have not tested the product, we are reporting what the register shows |
EcoFlow app Whole-kit including STREAM Pro battery if fitted |
Wide Amazon UK, EcoFlow direct |
Deye SUN80G3-EU-Q0 / SUN-M-G4 Used by several European balcony-solar brands. Growing UK distribution. Manufacturer site → |
800W EU spec also runs at 600W |
Listed Some Deye SKUs are listed and some are not. Verify the exact SKU on the ENA register before buying |
SOLARMAN Smart Or in-app via partner brand |
Specialist Less consumer-channel presence than Hoymiles |
Enphase IQ7 / IQ8 (UK SKUs) Premium per-panel microinverters. UK route is electrical wholesale. Manufacturer site → |
290 to 384W per panel String multiple to scale |
On register UK-specific IQ7-3-72-2-INT and similar SKUs, listed as generating units for a hardwired install rather than as plug-in kits |
Enphase Enlighten Industry-grade per-panel data |
Trade Through CPS-electrician suppliers, not Amazon |
Run my postcode solar calculator
How to verify a microinverter on the ENA G98 register before you buy
Three minutes of due diligence decides whether you need an electrician at all. The ENA G98 Type Test Register is the public list of equipment approved for connect-and-notify in the UK. If the kit shows Compliant, you plug it into an ordinary socket and self-notify afterwards. If it is not listed, the plug-in route is closed to it: the install needs a CPS-registered electrician and a hardwired connection, and the DNO can refuse a G98 form submitted on unlisted equipment.
- Open the ENA Industry Hub Resource Library and search "G98".
- Find the current EREC G98 Type-Tested register spreadsheet.
- Search the manufacturer's exact SKU. Mind the suffix: HMS-800W-2T is not the same as HMS-800W. UK SKUs sometimes carry an extra -INT or -EU tag.
- Note the manufacturer's reference number, you'll need it for the G98 Form B "Manufacturer's Ref No" field.
Output, anti-islanding, monitoring: what the spec actually means
AC output
For UK plug-in solar the working number is 800 VA and 3.5 A, the cap set by the DESNZ Interim Product Specification v2.0 of 16 July 2026, with one device per household. The panels themselves may be larger, with PV DC capacity allowed up to 2000W. Anything above 800 VA of output is for hardwired multi-panel systems, not plug-in.
Anti-islanding
Islanding is when a generator keeps energising a section of grid after the grid itself is dead. Bad for engineers working on the line. Anti-islanding is the protection that disconnects the inverter when grid voltage or frequency leave a safe band. Every microinverter above includes it as a G98 baseline.
Monitoring
The app is mostly a comfort feature, but it serves one practical purpose: it tells you when the inverter has stopped exporting. For a plug-in setup behind a flat door you do not check daily, that matters more than on a roof you can see.
Which one for which UK situation
- Renter on a balcony, no installer relationship, no electrician: a complete kit listed as Compliant on the ENA register. That is the only combination that lets you plug in and self-notify. The EcoFlow STREAM is the nicest single-box experience of the four, and since 22 September it is on the register for roof and facade mountings, though not for balcony.
- Two south-facing panels, mid-budget, want the industry-standard inverter: Hoymiles HMS-800W-2T paired with two 400W panels, checking the finished kit against the register.
- You like SOLARMAN and want the cheapest listed unit: Deye, but verify the exact SKU on the G98 register before buying.
- Going through a CPS-registered electrician anyway and want decade-grade reliability: ask them about Enphase IQ7 / IQ8.
Related reading: G98 Form Walkthrough · G98 / DNO Guide · BS 7671 and Plug-In Solar · UK plug-in solar kits
