1M+ German households have hung solar panels off their balcony railings
spacedaily.comPlug-Ins allow renters to participate in the energy ecosystem. Also, people who live in apartments, not independent homes. This is probably more than two-thirds of the people on the planet.
Plug-ins increase energy literary. People will learn to love their energy (IKEA effect).
Germans and other European countries buying them will create demand, and products will become cheaper and incredibly reliable.
There are zero labor costs, no need of electricians or permits. Instant energy/energystorage on tap.
Billions of poor people will just buy plug-in products or panels (like Pakistan), and the creative explosion of ideas of a billion people will create many interesting products for a range of uses.
Small correction: They are actually incredible reliable by today!:-)
Balcony panels are awaiting governor's signature in California: https://www.kqed.org/science/2001842/california-lawmakers-gr...
(it looks like NY & NJ are in the same boat)
People similarly started fence mounting solar panels
legal in both Utah and Colorado - which have ample sunshine!
Philippines is seeing an incredible explosion in solar power, but none of this kind of thing. Instead it's driven by a gray market - equipment is imported, mostly without paying proper duties and taxes, installers are unlicensed, installs are not reported and don't apply for net metering, so the incentive is to maximize your battery capacity as a result.
The lack of state capacity here to enforce rules has allowed solar to flourish.
My guess Phillipines has much less seasonal variability for solar, which makes it feasible to live almost off grid?
Balcony solar is mostly a token. Maybe only enough to run your electronics. I'm sure Germans are frivolous with their power use (subsidized by their gas, petrol and heating oil use) so percentage wise it's not super trivial.
German here.
I have four panels that are plugged into a 5.12kWh battery. Battery is controlled by a small 3-phase meter and automatically feeds power in when usage is there.
From May to early September the battery and panels were enough to cover almost all power usage in my household.
That's insanely little power use. Small flat and single person I guess?
I have 24 imperfectly placed panels and live around Auckland, New Zealand, modest house, 5kWH battery too.
They theoretically provide well over my needs in summer, but due to how pricing works it - I still pay a bit even in peak of the summer. Everything is electric in my house with toys like EV and heated pool.
> toys like EV and heated pool.
Well, thats the explanation: A German household usually does not have a pool :-D
300kwh per month, not exactly enormous consumer. EV uses more.
There is a good amount of variability in weather, there is a rainy season, but solar irradiance is mostly the same and strong here overall. So a big array and a big battery can see you through everything but the worst string of rainy days, and for that you can get a diesel generator if you really need it, or just stay on grid.
"Balkonkraftwerk"
Hell yes I'm down for this.
Plug in solar is nice because you don't have to hire an electrician, just plug into an outlet.
Pakistan has gone far far beyond this level of indivual solar instals for personal use, somewhere over 3 gigawatts, and in the absence of any regualatory anything, but still somehow helping to stabilise the grid, it's now irevocably entrenched and expanding very quickly. Hopefully the next phase will see a major switch to EV's and something can begin to change in what is some of the worst airpolution on the planet, as emmisions are regualated the same as PV and batteries, ie:with very occasional performative hand wringing.
Solar is good, but come on Germany, would have been nice to still have some of these nuclear powers plants eh.
This horse is deader than disco - which funnily has had a revival this decade. Time to stop beating it.
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46292341 - Triceratops' law remains the most accurate original observation I've made in my life (sad, I know).
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49163327
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47966629
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47328430