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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
Grid tie is different than just pluging power producing devices into an outlet. because that's how people die
Its a relatively simple problem to solve, and it's handled just fine in Germany. The panels just get routed through an inverter that cuts power if mains power is cut off.
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.
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/
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.
TIL I'm selling solar panels in Germany.
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.
It just got legalized in one state (Utah).
https://grist.org/energy/balcony-solar-took-off-in-germany-why-not-the-us/
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.
That's not what this. This is plugging straight into the wall with a small system. Against code pretty much everywhere. What you're talking about is only economically viable for large systems that will generate more than the owner can use at peak hours. These small systems are much cheaper, do not require an electrician, and won't generate enough power to require a net metering setup. The owner will use all of the power it generates even at peak hours. It essentially will just slow their power meter down as they draw less from the grid. These small systems are very common in Europe these days because their regulations have kept up better than ours. Also their outlets in general are safer.
Obviously where this person is that's legal, so there are exceptions. I assumed this setup involved a battery because they grossly overpaid for a 400 watt system.
If they're not generating enough to backfeed even at peak, and they can detect when the power cuts off and deactivate until it comes back, is there an actual safety/legal issue?
Mostly a code and legality issue. Local regulations just haven't caught up in most places. Also there's no rights for renters for this stuff just about everywhere in the US.
Okay, that makes more sense, thanks
Thats exactly whats being described here tho...
The price threw me, it's just unbelievable that it's that expensive for a battery-less 400 watt system. This moron got taken.
Yup, got ripped off hard. Are there import restrictions in the US that prevent people from buying dirrctly from china? Because most likely this 2000$ one is just a rebranded kit from China anyway.
Tariffs, of course. Trump is doing the fossil fuel industry's bidding trying to kill all renewables.
Solar panels got tariffed by Biden a couple month before trump took office.
I believe it was because they determined that Vietnam was dumping panels at below cost, which is deemed an unfair trade practice. I noticed this because I preemptively bought a couple panels before trump was inaugurated, and like a week after I did, the tariff was announced.
Sure but even with 100% tariffs it would still be cheaper to import.
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.
Net metering is unfair to anyone who doesn't own a home. If you are connected to the grid, you are relying on it to provide energy when you aren't producing enough, so you should still pay your fair share of distribution/maintenance/etc.
If anything, they should pay you the wholesale generation rate at the time the energy is sent into the grid, not the year-round retail all-in cost.
In your case, it's great that you are storing enough energy for your own use, but there are plenty of people without any storage who rely completely on the grid at night, but then rely on their poorer, non-landowning neighbors to cover the cost of grid maintenance and energy production at more expensive times of day.
The point is to minimize the number or children who will die from the climate catastrophe.
Don't be selfish.
I'm talking about just plugging into an outlet. What you're talking about involves a hugely expensive electrician visit. With a small plug-in system you didn't need to involve the company because you're going to use everything you generate normally.
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...
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.
“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.
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.
this post was submitted on 01 Sep 2025
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