Plug-in solar devices.

[Mr Gus]

To keep this thread up to date..

Some more fodder for you all.

https://www.pv-magazine.com/2023/01/30/ ... balconies/

[Joeboy]

Still charging the mobiles with BigBlue via a powerpack. It has produced for us every day. I am looking forward to getting it out to Turkey. Enjoying this so much I may need a panel in each location.

[Mr Gus]

Likely covered on this thread ( lazily not re-reading the 7 pages) the puece appears to initially refer to balcony solar blocks of flats as a risk, removable non hard wired plugs, & with it disconnected live contacts, dual sockets, overloading the blocks capacity, electrocution risk for "unwary" electricians.

"Do you have solar" ..a first step for any visiting sparkie nowadays I'd have thought!

Seems like a harvesting opportunity wasted not implementing a viable solution for any high rise living design going up rather than a retro-fix.

[Mr Gus]

I see a swiss company is going for the balcony solar market with mini battery feed storage to get round the questionable aspects floating around as to legality & safety.

"Soleis AG has developed two storage systems with capacities of 1 KWh and 2 kWh" (stackable & expandable obviously)

https://www.pv-magazine.com/2023/02/01/ ... ar-panels/

[Moxi]

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/news/br ... 824c&ei=41

Not sure if the UK government putting its weight behind balcony solar for the UK is a good thing or a bad thing ?

In any respect an interesting quick read on their aspirations if not their ability to deliver and I thought I would put it on an old existing thread rather than add in another media page.

Moxi

[Stinsy]

There are a whole heap of problems that come with these devices. All can be overcome but none of the commercially available devices I've seen actually bother to comply with the regs.

The regs apply equally to all such devices. However, the truth is that a 400W install is a whole world away from a 4000W one.

[Moxi]

I cant argue that 400W isnt much but for a lot of folk who cant have anything 400W is significantly better than 0, also, and as alluded to elsewhere on here, a small 400W system as a starter kit to get people in to solar PV should be significantly more affordable for people - especially if it becomes a centre aisle bargain at some of the familiar supermarkets ?

If balcony solar was made possible in the UK and it facilitated say 10,000 homes (ie less than 1% of the UK housing) getting into solar PV at 400W each thats 4MW added to the grid and generally if on balconies most likely to be in urban settings where it can benefit local grids.

I hope they manage to get something sorted that allows it to become a feature but as I say I fear that it will become embroiled in red tape and kidnapped by big business trying to make more than a fair profit.

Ideally you would hope to be able to buy such a system and get your initial investment back within 2.5 years but I expect that market offerings will make that return more like a decade

Moxi

[nowty]

Second action item,

https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... tion-table

Government will conduct a safety study this year with the aim of unlocking opportunities for plug-in solar over the next few years.

[Mart]

Guardian are keeping this issue in the news, though the article doesn't add much more. I wonder if those with existing PV and DNO approval, will be allowed to add another 800W(ish) without seeking additional approval ...... assuming of course that something along these lines are approved.

Actually ..... taking it a step further, how about AC side battery systems with a battery/inverter to home AC output of 800W or less, that's 14.4kWh over 18hrs (with 6hrs cheap rate to charge at ~2.5kW) .... hmmmm?

‘Balcony solar’ may at last become a reality for flat residents in Britain

[Stinsy]

Guardian are keeping this issue in the news, though the article doesn't add much more. I wonder if those with existing PV and DNO approval, will be allowed to add another 800W(ish) without seeking additional approval ...... assuming of course that something along these lines are approved.

Actually ..... taking it a step further, how about AC side battery systems with a battery/inverter to home AC output of 800W or less, that's 14.4kWh over 18hrs (with 6hrs cheap rate to charge at ~2.5kW) .... hmmmm?

‘Balcony solar’ may at last become a reality for flat residents in Britain

I think the regs that would allow plug in solar would, by definition, apply to a battery system. They're all "generating plant" so far as the regs are concerned.