This is really nice! This is the future!
I’d love to know how much they produce, especially during the winter/monthly.
‘If 1.5m Germans have them there must be something in it’: how balcony solar is taking off
Submitted 10 hours ago by youradhere@feddit.org to technology@lemmy.world
Comments
Valmond@lemmy.world 4 hours ago
Buffalox@lemmy.world 7 hours ago
“Plug-in solar is part of the whole array of options,”
I don’t understand how this works, for our system the “plug in” is an inverter that cost about $3000.- (half if it doesn’t have to handle a battery), and it needs to be installed by an authorized electrician.
For a small system as the one shown, the price of panels are peanuts, the ones shown should cost less than $150. While to the cost of inverter and getting it connected are way way higher.The article says nothing about how the power from those panels is made usable.
schnokobaer@feddit.org 6 hours ago
The “balcony” bit isn’t the defining characteristic, it shouldn’t be taken literally. Some people do have their “balcony solar power” on their roofs.
What defines it is limitation to 800 W and inverters that come with a normal Euro Type F (“Schuko”) plug and no legal requirement for professional installation. A layman can literally plug it in to an existing wall socket. Given that they are capped at 800 Watts, the inverters are also the simplest type and dirt cheap (although often they are literally just software-capped and identical to higher power ones, make of that what you will). Complete systems (2 panels, cabling, inverter) cost between 299€ and 800€ depending on quality. You genuinely only have to buy a fixture that suits your needs and a mate to help you install it.
Proper several-Kilowatt-systems are very expensive in Germany too.
Buffalox@lemmy.world 6 hours ago
Thanks really good info. 👍😀
A layman can literally plug it in to an existing wall socket
I had no idea that is possible??? Is that special for Germany? (sorry for keeping on with new questions). 😋 I’ve never heard of that option here in Denmark.
cost between 299€ and 800€
No wonder it’s a popular option, our system is of course bigger with 11.2 kWh and 7.5 kWh battery. but it was $17000 1½ year ago. Prices have dropped to $12500 for a similar system, but still such an 800W system is dirt cheap by comparison.
Hugin@lemmy.world 2 hours ago
There are two main inverter approaches. One big inverter that takes the DC from a bunch of panels and converts it into AC and micro inverters where each panel gets it’s own small one placed directly under the panel.
The micro inverters cost around $150 each. So you need around 10 panels before the single inverter becomes a good choice.
Installers love the micro because the install is easier. However as a owner with say 30 panels you now have 30 points of possible failure instead of the 1.
Valmond@lemmy.world 4 hours ago
If you pay 3000€ for an inverter then that’s probably included installing and whatnot. You can get a cheap 50€ 4kW inverter on aliexpress, or an expensive 500€ 10kW one.
Buffalox@lemmy.world 2 hours ago
No the price was not including installation, We have 11.2 kW panels and 7.5 kWh batteries. Installation was almost $5000.- !! That was probably mostly the 28 panels on the roof. But we had one installer handling everything, who was also responsible for the electrician.
zergtoshi@lemmy.world 7 hours ago
Have a look here: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balcony_solar_power
Buffalox@lemmy.world 6 hours ago
OK thanks, so they are indeed complete systems including inverter, so it can be connected to the grid.
I suppose they’ve made some cheap low power inverters then, but the power still needs to have stable voltage an frequency and synchronization. So I wonder how cheap it’s possible to make?
I also suppose it still needs an authorized electrician to connect it? Unless Germany has some fancy system that is prepared for “plug in” connection of a local power source.
Aurora_TheFirstLight@lemmy.blahaj.zone 7 hours ago
I wonder if a whole building could use one or two inverters?
I feel that’ll make the cost reasonable
Buffalox@lemmy.world 6 hours ago
For apartment buildings I don’t think that’s possible, since electricity is a per household connection with separate meter.
seven_phone@lemmy.world 9 hours ago
I am not sure 1.5m Germans all deciding on a single course of action is something to be happy about.
weststadtgesicht@discuss.tchncs.de 9 hours ago
We have passed the torch of a fascist dystopia to another country.
alleycat@lemmy.world 7 hours ago
You have Trump now. It’d be our turn to make jokes, if we had any humour.
Duke_Nukem_1990@feddit.org 5 hours ago
Nah, making fun of germans is always ok, especially now that at least 1 in 5 voters are voting for literal Nazis again in Germany.
FelixCress@lemmy.world 9 hours ago
Oh, Nazi reference, how original.
sirico@feddit.uk 8 hours ago
Nearly 100 years on time to move on I think
NoForwardslashS@sopuli.xyz 6 hours ago
A mere drop in the bucket when 77m have decided on a much worse course of action in another country.
Obelix@feddit.org 9 hours ago
Why? Can you explain a little bit?
einkorn@feddit.org 9 hours ago
*hurrdurr* Germany! Hitler! *hurrdurr*
seven_phone@lemmy.world 9 hours ago
I am not sure if you are a student of history but twice before the Germans decided to go to war and have as their foe the world.
sirico@feddit.uk 8 hours ago
In b4 nimbys complain it’s an eyesore despite most people never looking up
Grandwolf319@sh.itjust.works 4 hours ago
Wait that’s a thing?
Holy shit that a thing!? That’s awesome!!
Septimaeus@infosec.pub 5 hours ago
Would be nice if grid tied inverters weren’t such a regulatory PITA. Micro-deployment solar, and more importantly distributed energy storage, makes so much sense and could solve a lot of grid-related problems.
bobble86@lemm.ee 8 hours ago
Germans also have 7 times the power bill
Schorsch@feddit.org 7 hours ago
nb4 someone laughs at us Germans for pulling out of nuclear power: No, nuclear is not cheap. It’s literally the most expensive way to generate electricity. Solar is cheap and better for the environment.
0x0@programming.dev 7 hours ago
No, nuclear is not cheap. It’s literally the most expensive way to generate electricity
Source?
Beats coal anytime. Or Russian gas.
Valmond@lemmy.world 4 hours ago
French electricity enters the chat.
barsoap@lemm.ee 7 hours ago
I blame Bavaria. If Germany had multiple price zones like other European countries instead of one giant one prices would plummet here in the north, while they’d explode in Bavaria. The state that does not want wind power, does want nuclear power, but already knows ahead of time that its geology (with lots of mountains and granite) is unsuitable for nuclear waste storage. Meanwhile, north German wind power and Scandinavian hydro dams complement each other perfectly. The Bavarians could do the same with the Austrians, they just don’t. They want to eat cake and have it, too.
SaharaMaleikuhm@feddit.org 34 minutes ago
Am Bavarian can confirm. The CSU has been in power this state since forever. Especially old people just keep voting for them cause it’s the way it always was. They had to form a coalition after the last elections. Their partner is essentially the exact same party but even more right wing. Not even kidding, I could not name a single area where they differ other than their main guy apparently handed out nazi newspapers in his younger years or smth. He blamed it on his brother and then the scandal just died off.
muelltonne@feddit.org 6 hours ago
Those small balcony systems pay for them here in Germany at ~35 Cents/kWh in a few months. Even if your power bill is 7x cheaper, they will pay for themselves easily.
windowsphoneguy@feddit.org 9 hours ago
This article is more than 1 month old
BrundleFly2077@sh.itjust.works 8 hours ago
Oh no! Quick! To the incinerator!
dahpu@feddit.org 9 hours ago
For first few seconds, I deadass though they are talking about Germans with a height of 1,5 meters.
Gormadt@lemmy.blahaj.zone 9 hours ago
Only German this high have balcony solar
Cocodapuf@lemmy.world 2 hours ago
So why won’t taller Germans get solar? I don’t even see the connection to height… Oh, maybe they hit their heads on the panels… No, rooftop panels are already on the roof. I don’t get it.