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It is a thing [1] elsewhere already. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balcony_solar_power https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balcony_solar_power

by rjsw 6mo ago

fhdkweig 6mo ago
The technology is well understood. It is really a regulation problem, which is why it is coming state-by-state. States are just now even looking at the idea. For a complete list of which states allow it, check out this link https://plugsolarhub.com/states-and-regulations https://plugsolarhub.com/states-and-regulations
- citrin_ru 6mo ago
  There are some safety concerns at least for relatively powerful panels - e. g. if a circuit breaker is 30A you can draw up to 30A from the grid in absence of panels. If you connect a panel which can provide another 30A then a device in theory will be able to draw 60A from the socket not triggering circuit breaker which will overload the socket circuit.
  - fhdkweig 6mo ago
    They don't generate anywhere close to 30A for exactly that reason. They are limited to 400W (4 Amps) https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ffab&q=balcony+solar+maximum+wattage&ia=web https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ffab&q=balcony+solar+maximum+watta...
    - zdragnar 6mo ago
      Most circuits with standard plugs on them are 15A in the US. A single space heater will fully utilize one.
      - fhdkweig 6mo ago
        It is also why every space heater in the United States uses exactly 1.5KW. It is like maximum strength medication. You can't legally buy more, and no one wants less.
  - wongarsu 6mo ago
    Since the panels don't plug in directly but have to go through an inverter that turns the panel's DC into the grid's AC, you can "solve" this by limiting the maximum output current of the inverter to some safe level (e.g. allowing 8A of solar on a 20A circuit, eating into safety margins). You can still connect powerful panels, but all that will get you is more output in mornings, evenings and under cloud cover, not more max output. Or you can pair it with a reasonably sized battery to store midday "surplus" (any generation beyond the determined safe level) and release it into the circuit when the panel generates less
  - euroderf 6mo ago
    Does it make sense to sell panels that plug only directly into the fusebox ? To avoid overloading in-wall wiring.
    - citrin_ru 6mo ago
      That's how traditional (not plug in) panels are connected. The problem is - you need to route a cable from window/balcony to the panel (which may be located outside an apartment in a hall) and if you want to hide the cable in walls it becomes expensive. With plugin you can use closest to the panel socket. En easier solution is a clamp power meter on a socket circuit connected to the inventor via z-ware / zigbee so the inverter can see total socket circuit load and limit own power as a protective measure (at which point a circuit breaker likely will be tripped).
- a_paddy 6mo ago
  [dead]
- fhdkweig 6mo ago
  The comment by a_paddy is dead and I can't respond to it directly, but all electrical generation and inverters have disconnect switches that monitor for that exact scenario and disconnect in less than 1 cycle (1/60 second). This has been a solved problem for a very long time, yet seems to come up in every forum that discusses home solar.
  - embedding-shape 6mo ago
    There is always also someone piling "And also, you have to clean them!" as an argument against solar panels, somehow thinking that 30 seconds with a anti-duster wand is some big drawback.
- justinclift 6mo ago
  That website just seems to hang?
  - fhdkweig 6mo ago
    It is powered by javascript for purely decorative reasons, but it won't display without it. Try this one, it has a clickable map: https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/solar/states-passing-balcony-solar-laws https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/solar/states-passing-ba...

It is a thing [1] elsewhere already. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balcony_solar_power https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balcony_solar_power

by rjsw 6mo ago

It is a thing [1] elsewhere already. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balcony_solar_power https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balcony_solar_power

fhdkweig 6mo ago

The technology is well understood. It is really a regulation problem, which is why it is coming state-by-state. States are just now even looking at the idea. For a complete list of which states allow it, check out this link https://plugsolarhub.com/states-and-regulations https://plugsolarhub.com/states-and-regulations

citrin_ru 6mo ago
There are some safety concerns at least for relatively powerful panels - e. g. if a circuit breaker is 30A you can draw up to 30A from the grid in absence of panels. If you connect a panel which can provide another 30A then a device in theory will be able to draw 60A from the socket not triggering circuit breaker which will overload the socket circuit.
- fhdkweig 6mo ago
  They don't generate anywhere close to 30A for exactly that reason. They are limited to 400W (4 Amps) https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ffab&q=balcony+solar+maximum+wattage&ia=web https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ffab&q=balcony+solar+maximum+watta...
  - zdragnar 6mo ago
    Most circuits with standard plugs on them are 15A in the US. A single space heater will fully utilize one.
    - fhdkweig 6mo ago
      It is also why every space heater in the United States uses exactly 1.5KW. It is like maximum strength medication. You can't legally buy more, and no one wants less.
- wongarsu 6mo ago
  Since the panels don't plug in directly but have to go through an inverter that turns the panel's DC into the grid's AC, you can "solve" this by limiting the maximum output current of the inverter to some safe level (e.g. allowing 8A of solar on a 20A circuit, eating into safety margins). You can still connect powerful panels, but all that will get you is more output in mornings, evenings and under cloud cover, not more max output. Or you can pair it with a reasonably sized battery to store midday "surplus" (any generation beyond the determined safe level) and release it into the circuit when the panel generates less
- euroderf 6mo ago
  Does it make sense to sell panels that plug only directly into the fusebox ? To avoid overloading in-wall wiring.
  - citrin_ru 6mo ago
    That's how traditional (not plug in) panels are connected. The problem is - you need to route a cable from window/balcony to the panel (which may be located outside an apartment in a hall) and if you want to hide the cable in walls it becomes expensive. With plugin you can use closest to the panel socket. En easier solution is a clamp power meter on a socket circuit connected to the inventor via z-ware / zigbee so the inverter can see total socket circuit load and limit own power as a protective measure (at which point a circuit breaker likely will be tripped).
a_paddy 6mo ago
[dead]
fhdkweig 6mo ago
The comment by a_paddy is dead and I can't respond to it directly, but all electrical generation and inverters have disconnect switches that monitor for that exact scenario and disconnect in less than 1 cycle (1/60 second). This has been a solved problem for a very long time, yet seems to come up in every forum that discusses home solar.
- embedding-shape 6mo ago
  There is always also someone piling "And also, you have to clean them!" as an argument against solar panels, somehow thinking that 30 seconds with a anti-duster wand is some big drawback.
justinclift 6mo ago
That website just seems to hang?
- fhdkweig 6mo ago
  It is powered by javascript for purely decorative reasons, but it won't display without it. Try this one, it has a clickable map: https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/solar/states-passing-balcony-solar-laws https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/solar/states-passing-ba...