#pluginpv — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #pluginpv, aggregated by home.social.
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The Editorial Board of the @washingtonpost writes about #pluginpv: „it’s silly to stop people from trying to pull less electricity from the grid as America’s energy needs continue to grow“
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RE: https://freiburg.social/@balkonsolar/116300507885800917
Will #pluginpv pay fort itself in #Britain, even though it’s more cloudy than Germany? Short answer: YES!
We calculated cost recovery scenarios for #London and #Inverness: We took the average local electricity prices, assumed the system would cost around €500 or £430, which is a third more expensive than a comparable system in Germany. And for London we assumed south facing for Inverness west facing and hanging at 90° or horizontally.
In both scenarios we get cost recovery well within the lifespan of such a system. In London within five years and in Inverness in around 10 years.
Read the details on our website.
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These #pluginpv systems repay themselves from less grid drawn electricity within 3 - 5 years in Germany.
You can add batteries and a sensor measuring how much your house needs - so you save what you produced during the day and use that at night. this makes the system more expensive. Usually something around 1000 EUR instead of 300 - 400.
Cost recovery is from 4 to 7 years.
But afterwards you save more money because you use more of your own electricity.
Again these systems are safe.
Mounting is available for different locations:
- flat roofs
- balcony including those with 35 cm thick walls/concrete
- as a table
- facade
- fencein fact most #pluginsolar systems are not on the balcony but very often on flat roofs eg. garages or lawns.
to make it available we needed to only changes in the energy law but also adjust rental contract law & the condominium regulations:
But you may need more changes: permit less mounting, inclusion into liability insurance, loosening of monument protection.
For Consumers:
- choose brand name inverters such as Hoymiles
- use proper mounting
- enjoy -
People in the #UnitedKingdom are all hyped up because the Government promised to legalise #pluginsolar (was it ever illegal?) - so before you rush to #LIDL & #Amazon - of all places - to buy #pluginpv please follow this guide from ze German NGO that helped to bring 4 Mio systems to Germany.
About 1,1 Mio systems are registered but for the consumer there is little benefit in registering, so market studies and our own research suggest take it x4 = ca 4 Mio systems. About ½ have a battery.
Usually these system consist of:
1 -4 solar panels
a microinverter
AC cable
DC cable
and mounting.While the sun shines on the #solar panels and the micro inverter senses a grid (!) they push electricity via a standard plug and socket into your house and your devices use them.
This is safe if you stay below certain thresholds. In Germany VDE thinks not more than 800 W over a standard #Schuko Socket and not more than 960 WattPeak systems.
This is fairly conservative and designed with the oldest wires in mind, e.g. the 15% immediate post war 2-wire systems and not more modern 3-wire house installations.
We believe up to 2 kWp is usually safe.
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We have written to the @EUCommission #Energy Comissioner Dan Jørgensen to express serious concerns about the proposed changes to the international standard #IEC 60364-7-751, which would effectively ban the use of #pluginpv systems.
https://balkon.solar/news/2025/06/19/proposed-iec-norm-letter-to-european-comission/
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How does #pluginpv work in #Ukraine?
Olena from #EcoClub #Rivne put a unit on her balcony and wrote down what happens.
Spoiler: It works, it produces electricity.
And it seems we do not need to change any laws as it is already legal in Ukraine!
https://balkon.solar/news/2025/04/02/putting-solar-on-a-balcony-in-ukraine-what-can-happen/
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Först ödelägger svenskarna #Schopfheim och sedan tillåter de inte ens sina medborgare att använda Solcellsplugg!