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DIY or Don’t Touch? Solarman Smart Meter Install

Mars · 2026-04-17T14:57:26Z

For two weeks I've been trying to get our electrician out to install our smart meter, and I'm losing patience. So I wanted to sanity check something before I go any further. I’m looking at installing a smart meter into our distribution board in the garage to allow the Indevolt battery to charge from excess solar. The unit in question is the Solarman Smart Meter MR1-D5-WR (see photos). The question is, how viable (and allowable) is this as a DIY install? I’m comfortable working methodically, but equally conscious this is edging into territory where I don’t want to create a bigger issue, either from a safety or compliance perspective. The other sticking point is identifying the AC PV cable feeding back into the house. It’s not immediately obvious which is which in the board. Is there a safe and reliable way to test and confirm this, or is this firmly a "don’t guess, get a pro" situation? Thoughts?

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Electricity, Tariffs, Monitoring, Electrics & Providers

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Batpred

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20/04/2026 8:26 pm

Posted by: @jamespa

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Posted by: @batpred

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Probably since, as you stated, a leak to earth would impact the reading on the neutral.

If you have a leak to earth you have a problem which would trip an RCD if the circuit has one. It's a fault condition.

Yes, but many circuits do not have RCD/RCBO. As they are not mandatory in all circuits (and as usual the regulations do not mandate them retrospectively...)

Anyway, agree that the clamp should also work around the neutral.

Another thing I realised is that, when having multiple clamps along the same wire, it is a good idea to have a few cm in between them.

8kW Solis S6-EH1P8K-L-PLUS hybrid inverter; G99: 8kw export; 16kWh Seplos Fogstar battery; Ohme Home Pro EV charger; 100Amp head, HA lab on mini PC

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JamesPa

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21/04/2026 1:50 pm

Posted by: @batpred

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Yes, but many circuits do not have RCD/RCBO. As they are not mandatory in all circuits (and as usual the regulations do not mandate them retrospectively...)

True. But a minor earth leakage will make no significant difference to the measurement and a major one is probably a near short so major enough to blow a fuse/MCB. There may be a mechanism for an earth leakage that is material but not sufficient to blow a fuse, but it's difficult to think what it is (other than a miswire of course!)

This post was modified 3 days ago by JamesPa

4kW peak of solar PV since 2011; EV and a 1930s house which has been partially renovated to improve its efficiency. 7kW Vaillant heat pump.

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Batpred

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22/04/2026 9:46 am

@jamespa

Makes sense to me. The simpler it is to install it, the more people will do like Mars and not be held back by an electrician visit…

On a related point, one of my ashp quotes listed the need for an “mcs electrical meter” (assume it is just a ct clamp). I told them i do not need it, but they stated it is mandatory. I remember some folk posting here and wanting to know how much their heatpump was consuming? Unless they had an mcs meter they would not trust, is it the case of some old rule that no longer applies?

8kW Solis S6-EH1P8K-L-PLUS hybrid inverter; G99: 8kw export; 16kWh Seplos Fogstar battery; Ohme Home Pro EV charger; 100Amp head, HA lab on mini PC

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JamesPa

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22/04/2026 1:00 pm

Posted by: @batpred

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@jamespa

On a related point, one of my ashp quotes listed the need for an “mcs electrical meter” (assume it is just a ct clamp). I told them i do not need it, but they stated it is mandatory. I remember some folk posting here and wanting to know how much their heatpump was consuming? Unless they had an mcs meter they would not trust, is it the case of some old rule that no longer applies?

Bow Locks. Ask them to tell you the reference number of the regulation specifies this, the rules are all in the public domain. Or look elsewhere! If you are claiming RHI then it may be mandatory, but not otherwise.

4kW peak of solar PV since 2011; EV and a 1930s house which has been partially renovated to improve its efficiency. 7kW Vaillant heat pump.

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Majordennisbloodnok

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22/04/2026 1:29 pm

Posted by: @jamespa

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Posted by: @batpred

↑

@jamespa

On a related point, one of my ashp quotes listed the need for an “mcs electrical meter” (assume it is just a ct clamp). I told them i do not need it, but they stated it is mandatory. I remember some folk posting here and wanting to know how much their heatpump was consuming? Unless they had an mcs meter they would not trust, is it the case of some old rule that no longer applies?

Bow Locks. Ask them to tell you the reference number of the regulation specifies this, the rules are all in the public domain. Or look elsewhere! If you are claiming RHI then it may be mandatory, but not otherwise.

Very much agree. Even with RHI (and we were one of the last to get in under this scheme), it's only necessary in some cases. We, for instance, do not need any kind of metering to get our repayments.

Bear in mind, of course, that you (either out of your own pocket or via the subsidy scheme you are unlocking) have to pay for every piece of kit that's installed. If it doesn't provide you with a benefit of some kind, why should you pay for it and why should you allow it in your home? If the installer is wanting to put something in that's only for their own benefit, they should be the ones paying for it and even then only installing it with your permission.

105 m2 bungalow in South East England
Mitsubishi Ecodan 8.5 kW air source heat pump
18 x 360W solar panels
1 x 6 kW GroWatt battery and SPH5000 inverter
1 x Myenergi Zappi
1 x VW ID3
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"Semper in excretia; sumus solum profundum variat"

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Batpred

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22/04/2026 3:37 pm

Posted by: @majordennisbloodnok

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Very much agree. Even with RHI (and we were one of the last to get in under this scheme), it's only necessary in some cases. We, for instance, do not need any kind of metering to get our repayments.

Bear in mind, of course, that you (either out of your own pocket or via the subsidy scheme you are unlocking) have to pay for every piece of kit that's installed. If it doesn't provide you with a benefit of some kind, why should you pay for it and why should you allow it in your home? If the installer is wanting to put something in that's only for their own benefit, they should be the ones paying for it and even then only installing it with your permission.

Yes, and these guys would probably be my preferred installers, a nice family business. They are however sticking to old habits.

The other thing is he included the buffer tank even when I explicitly excluded it. Now he removed it but claim that the use of a third party tank instead of Vaillant adds to their costs! Having a single line item for 16k was suspicious but they still managed to undermine themselves further.

A shame, as I will be posting locally when more local folk really start to switch. I will only be able to comment on the old tech and pricing habits.. Like paying for something I do not need and still paying for it when I am not having it.

At this stage, not even worth the £250 survey.

8kW Solis S6-EH1P8K-L-PLUS hybrid inverter; G99: 8kw export; 16kWh Seplos Fogstar battery; Ohme Home Pro EV charger; 100Amp head, HA lab on mini PC

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