Plug in solar

 

 

What a great idea.  Instead of the prohibitive (for most) (or for renters) $20,000 solar installation on the roof, just buy a little plug in system.  Panels, micro-inverter, wall outlet.  Set up the panels and inverter in your yard, plug them into a wall outlet, and provide a little power to your house.  Brilliant!

 

Simple systems only cost a thousand dollars or two, maybe as much as three thousand depending on capacity.  Here is one on Amazon:

 

Here is a different one:

 

They don’t provide all the power you need, maybe only 10% based on 10,000 kWh per year usage for an average American home, maybe providing 20% for an apartment, but hey, it’s something if reducing fossil fuel seems like a good idea.  Some come with storage batteries so if you produce more electricity than you use during the day, you can store it and not have to feed the excess into the utility grid during the day, then buy it back at night.

 

I’ve read that plug in solar systems are popular in Europe.  They call them Balcony Solar.

 

Plug in solar hasn’t caught on here in the U.S. yet, because there are safety and permitting issues.  That’s what Google says anyway.  A patchwork of City, county, state and federal regulations.  Each local utility company has its own requirements.  It’s not that simple.  Tantalizing though for a situation like ours where the roof isn’t constructed to hold the weight of rooftop solar, so we’re left out of that loop.  And for a renter, who may not have access to a roof, or know how long they are going to be staying, these systems are portable.  Decide to move?  Pack it up and take it with you.