Source here with detailed information for each state in case you are interested in getting a balcony or window mounted solar system
Plug-in solar lets anyone generate free electricity — no roof, no permit, no contractor. A single panel on your balcony can meaningfully cut your bill, especially as rates keep rising.
Found it in this discussion: !https://slrpnk.net/post/39512229/22991609
Is it already legal in your country/state?
We are talking here about a solar generator that you plug into a household outlet to put power back onto the grid. Issues include:
The wiring in your house almost certainly was not designed with this use in mind. It would be possible to exceed safe current limits of the wires in your walls which might start a fire.
In the event of a line failure, simply plugging a power source into a wall socket in a home can energize the grid from the load end, which could do all kinds of wacky things including injure linemen. The solution here is a non-grid forming inverter. That is, it can’t make up its own 60Hz sine wave on its own, it can only match one that is already on the lines.
Traditional generators/battery banks can do this too, I’ve read too much about back feeding the grid and linemans concerns. Or worse the horror stories.
I would actually worry more about a typical generator or power bank because they’re going to deliver actual power. What is one of these balcony solar jobs going to put out? 200 watts or so?
I agree with that, especially these new battery banks. At least there is a possibility you can hear the genset. Where these new battery banks are getting spicy with how much energy they can store in such a small footprint. And can be ganged together, I’ve seen videos of them running welder off them. Thats insane!
#1 can be especially important in places like the northeast US where some houses still have 100 year old knob & tube wiring. When we bought our house in a Boston suburb 10 years ago it still had some live knob & tube. Our insurance company required us to remove it all & replace it.
I don’t see how it’s any more or less dangerous than using a suicide plug to back feed a house circuit from a generator. What most people don’t know to do is kill the main breaker and or the one for the circuit you’re going to power.
Here come all the electricians to tell me what I already know! I haven’t done this since I was a renter, I obviously wouldn’t do this in the house I own.
It’s also illegal and unsafe to plug a generator into a wall outlet with a suicide cord. There’s a reason they’re called “suicide cords”, there’s a reason cable genders are the way they are, the load end of a suicide cord will have hot exposed prongs, which is hella dangerous.
Plugging in a generator like that is probably going to be done during a power outage, so yeah it makes sense to throw the main breaker, even if you are doing something dramatically stupid. That’s if you remember to do it. These balcony panels are meant to generate a small amount of power to lessen your electric bill. You’re not going to power your entire house with a couple hundred watt solar panel. So you’re gonna have the main breaker on.
That’s actually another reason why it needs to be a non grid-forming inverter; because it’ll provide power to a male plug it’s gonna need to prevent users from being shocked while it’s in the sun and unplugged.
Now you’ll tell me I shouldn’t file down the bigger side of those stupid one way plugs!
“Hot neutral” is the name of my 80s glam cover band.
that’s just it - it is as dangerous when done wrong. backfed downed wires are a real thing and danger.