Balcony Solar is coming

[California]

Is anyone here already doing this? Is the time to pay it off, reasonable?

Plug it into your 110v outlet. 'Free' power. It would get expensive if you added battery storage, but it will work without that.

No additional cost after the purchase.

https://www.reddit.com/r/sandiego/comments/1sfarbe/big_news_for_renters_balcony_solar_is_about_to

 

[Phil Timmons]

Been tracking for a while. It is of interest in our local (North Texas) renewable energy group.

You can sort of do the same thing now with a combination of some cheap panels and what are called "Micro-inverters." Those are Grid-Tie (or off-grid) rated Inverters that just handle 1 or 2 panels each. To use Micro on a large array, you just string them together. So that is already fully functional and legal.

Anyway most of the "Balcony" tries to plug into an existing wall circuit -- and when you add the feed breaker, + the back feed from the "Balcony" can push more onto circuit than the circuit is rated for without limiting current protection. Trying to backfeed through a GFIC (Ground Fault for outdoor plugs), can get more complicated.

Early versions of Balcony also did not meet grid tie requirements as they had not included automatic shut-down and disconnect for grid loss (to avoid backfeed to a damaged grid).

Overall -- sort of a "we will see" thing, from my POV. The companies promoting it look like mostly "marketing" folks. Did come across one upper level EE that was involved, but his real thing was (some future) use of DC for general housing circuits.

 

[Snobdds]

That looks like a bad idea from every angle imaginable.

People need to stop being so damn cheap, cheap to the point they will burn down their own place or kill a lineman.

If you are going through the time, effort and money of doing solar, do it right. The extra steps are not that much harder and it's not a home brew, backwoods hack job.

 

[MossRoad]

"I bought a new generator"
Chorus: don't backfeed, don't backfeed, don't backfeed

"I bought balcony solar system"
Chorus: backfeed, backfeed, backfeed


I know the microinverter won't work without line voltage, but still seems odd to be able to backfeed.

 

[MossRoad]

That looks like a bad idea from every angle imaginable.

People need to stop being so damn cheap, cheap to the point they will burn down their own place or kill a lineman.

If you are going through the time, effort and money of doing solar, do it right. The extra steps are not that much harder and it's not a home brew, backwoods hack job.

Don't think it can kill a lineman, as it won't work without grid power.

 

[Snobdds]

Don't think it can kill a lineman, as it won't work without grid power.

You have a lot of faith in the electrical skills of a cheap person.

 

[MossRoad]

And I know it's a touchy subject, but can anyone find ONE instance of a lineman being killed by a backfed generator?

I found ONE years ago. I found ONE today, but it was a 480V generator.

 

[MossRoad]

You have a lot of faith in the electrical skills of a cheap person.

It's a plug.

 

[Snobdds]

It's a plug.

With a direct access path back to the grid.

 

[Snobdds]

And I know it's a touchy subject, but can anyone find ONE instance of a lineman being killed by a backfed generator?

I found ONE years ago. I found ONE today, but it was a 480V generator.

This is a classic case of, try to find me frequecy, while I ignore severity.

Don't back yourself into that corner...and die on the frequency hill.

 

[MossRoad]

With a direct access path back to the grid.

Like your TV, refrigerator, toaster, etc....

 

[MossRoad]

This is a classic case of, try to find me frequecy, while I ignore severity.

Don't back yourself into that corner...and die on the frequency hill.

I'm not saying it doesn't happen, or couldn't happen, or never happened or never will.

Just find a couple incidents of it happening, that's all.

 

[Snobdds]

I'm not saying it doesn't happen, or couldn't happen, or never happened or never will.

Just find a couple incidents of it happening, that's all.

I know how you're playing it.

 

[Snobdds]

Like your TV, refrigerator, toaster, etc....

Those don't generate electricity...

 

[MossRoad]

I know how you're playing it.

No, you don't. I'm serious. I cannot find but one case of a lineman getting electrocuted by a backfed generator from a home. I've searched OSHA, any site I can find.

While it is a serious thing to backfeed a generator, becasue yes, you can kill someone down the line, your neighbor, a lineman, etc.. I can't find documented cases of linemen, but that one.


And the balcony solar systems cannot output any power without 110V (220 in europe) grid input. So if the grid goes down, the balcony solar system goes down.

 

[HawkinsHollow]

People need to stop being so damn cheap, cheap to the point they will burn down their own place or kill a lineman.

Easy for the rich guy to say. I like to call it being frugal and to do frugal well you have to be smart. I do agree being dumb AND cheap is a bad combo.

 

[MossRoad]

Those don't generate electricity...

They have a plug to the grid.

 

[Snobdds]

They have a plug to the grid.

They don't produce electricity...

 

[MossRoad]

Rabbit season.

 

[Snobdds]

No, you don't. I'm serious. I cannot find but one case of a lineman getting electrocuted by a backfed generator from a home. I've searched OSHA, any site I can find.

While it is a serious thing to backfeed a generator, becasue yes, you can kill someone down the line, your neighbor, a lineman, etc.. I can't find documented cases of linemen, but that one.


And the balcony solar systems cannot output any power without 110V (220 in europe) grid input. So if the grid goes down, the balcony solar system goes down.

Maybe because people know how to prevent from doing it. An electrician can lose their licence if they hook it up wrong. Logical explanations are usually the best.

That may change with an easy way hillbilly it.