1mo ago

Solar panels that fit on your balcony or deck are gaining traction in the US

apnews.com

Green Energy @slrpnk.net

ProdigalFrog @slrpnk.net

2mo ago

Permitless plug-in solar panels that fit on your balcony or deck are gaining traction in the US

apnews.com /article/balcony-plug-solar-climate-energy-renewable-trump-c162abf520da0fa155dc971270b8684a

43 comments

We need a law protecting renters rights to install these and laws preventing home owner's associations from Banning them
- You just killed an electrician
  
  Don't they have grid-tie requirements? I support mandating that
The $2,000 plug-in solar system installed on Dwyer’s backyard deck in March consists of two 400 watt panels, an inverter, a smart meter and a circuit breaker. It saves him around $35 per month on his power bill because he is consuming less energy from the grid, but he said reducing his carbon footprint was his primary motivation.
2000$ is insanely expensive. It will take forever to pay for itself at that price. You can buy a kit like this for 300€ in Germany which will give you 100% ROI after a year.
- 4 years and 9 months to even the cost.
  
  Honestly, not bad. Better roi than I was expecting.
- Hey, as someone in Germany do you have a link for this? I would absolutely love to buy something under a grand and pop it on my balcony.
  
  OBI / Bauhaus / Aldi sometimes have sales for full kits
  Obi has this one at the moment for example: https://www.obi.de/p/2191115656515/solakon-balkonkraftwerk-900w-800w-solaranlage-steckerfertig-komplettset-photovoltaik-anlage-800w-kabellaenge-5m
  I have to add that i know the Growatt inverter(Wechselrichter) that ships with this kit and the monitoring it has really sucks. It does its job of generating electricity just fine however, so if you dont need monitoring or can build your own then it doesnt matter.
  The built in monitoring with most inverters (expensive or not) is proprietary garbage that only works with the manufacturers app which is often some weird chinese app that wants location permissions. You have been warned :D
  But yeah they are becoming insanely cheap. Last i checked you do not need to register a balkonkraftwerk with your electricity company or landlord up to 800W so that makes things very simple.
  Edit: The app in question.
  
  The problem is the legislation doesn't currently allow for solar to run right into an outlet in the US because it's unsafe without the right cutoff devices (like Germany has), but no one is manufacturing the devices cause the legislation doesn't allow for things like that to exist (and the voltage/frequency is different, so you can't just import one).
  I think Utah was just the first state to enable it, so hopefully this spur wider adoption.
  https://grist.org/energy/balcony-solar-took-off-in-germany-why-not-the-us/
- In Germany it's legal to back feed into your electrical system bypassing the need for a battery setup. In the US I don't know of anywhere that's legal.
  Edit: I wasn't clear that I'm talking about just plugging a system into the wall. I'm not referring to the relatively common practice of a professionally installed net metering setup. The difference is that a these smaller setups plug right in and do not require an electrician or arranging net metering with your company because you'd never produce more than you can use even at peak production hours. It's a cost effective way to slow your meter down during peak production hours. Of course it's more cost effective when you don't buy the most expensive 400 watt system you can find.
  
  Around here (Maryland) it is totally legal. You just need an interconnect that disconnects the panels from the grid when the grid goes down.
  We actually have a system called net-metering, where the utility will buy electricity from residential customers at retail prices.
  
  Thats exactly whats being described here tho...
  
  It just got legalized in one state (Utah).
  https://grist.org/energy/balcony-solar-took-off-in-germany-why-not-the-us/
  
  Do you just not know or did you actually look into it?
  Spoiler, but you just don’t know. It’s legal in every state.
  However, most states do have anti-incentive because it’s corrupt as fuck. Not all states, but where “net metering” exists, they don’t actually pay you for power you generate. You only get a credit to your bill. The amount varies state to state, and they don’t allow you to apply it to bullshit fees and infrastructure cost that are passed along…
  I calculated it and it amounts to 22.9% of what they would charge you.
  My system is well over designed, and I produce way more power than I actually consume at peak. I am interconnected, but I refuse to send power back because there is zero point. They would not reduce the bare minimum bill that I have, which is just baseline fees they charge me for having my house connected. I don’t have a bill otherwise because I’m self sufficient for the most part.
  I would run an extension cords to my neighbor’s houses before I send money back to this regional Monopoly. Therefore, I just leave the main disconnect off between me and the grid.
  For reference, I have a 36 kW system with 100 kWh battery set up. The amount of power that I produce is based on the amount of power that I use, including to charge batteries. I average 125 kWh Daily production and my higher production days are about 160 to 170.
- If he's saving $35/mo with that system, I'll eat a bug. .
- Welcome to America baybee!
Fuck trump, the traitor cunt. I hope his end is miserable.
- Idk, something tells me misery might be his kink...
“This is an example of where technology is sort of ahead of the regulators,” Oliver said, adding: “As this rolls out to more of a nationwide product, we expect it will become more mainstream as people understand it better.”
Yeah, but those rules can't come soon enough. As long as these things are safe by average folks to use, there shouldn't be any other reason not to allow them.
- Well, they’re going to have to legislate tying to the grid. And then they’re going to have to figure out how to manufacture an imbalance where the homeowner still owes them each month regardless of the reality. Once that’s sorted out I’m sure they’ll permit them. And let’s not forget a tax for not “spending as much on utilities” in there. Like, the astronomical extra money it was to register my hybrid because I wasn’t using the pump enough. So, once the fees, extortion tax, and manipulated imbalance protocols are worked out it will be smooth sailing right into “why even install these?”
  
  The poor C-suite at that utility company already needs to find ever-increasing profits on a basically stable business model and now consumers can just precipitate electricity out thin air? That's moving things in the wrong direction! Thank goodness they basically own our local government and shareholder value can be maintained.
Lots of these things already in Germany.
If you have a roof, use it. This is for poor apartment owners who aren't allowed to install solar on their building roof
- Which, to be fair, there are more and more of as houses continue to become less and less affordable.
Solar awnings should be a thing, honestly, awnings should just be a thing everywhere.
- Awnings, Rolling Shutters, and an inner window insulated quilt shade. Really does wonder in all extreme temperatures.
I used to work for a company that had these in their portfolio. Granted, this was over 10 years ago, but at that time, the fact that each panel had their own micro inverter, reduced the efficiency quite a bit. Maybe things have changed.
I my case, the balcony is in the least sunny facade, so I'd have to hang them from window sills, and the homeowners association would probably give me hell about them.

43 comments