Everything Solar Forum

Hello

The concept of what has been called 'balcony solar' has been catching on in US. I used to be skeptical and concerned about non-certified products being plugged into a home or apartment outlets and injected poor quality power and maybe lacking safety shut down features. No inspection or permits are needed so no one would know. But until this year they weren't much a thing in US. They are bigger in Asia and Europe. Ideal for apartment dwellers or those who don't 'own' their roof. Typically a 1-2 modules (600-1200 W) with a microinverter are plugged into the 120 V receptacle.  This year, Utah (not known for innovative clean energy plocy) passed legislation allowing it if it met certain standards (UL and NEC). Recently Vermont and New Hampshire and my own state of Delaware have proposed legislation allowing it subject to certain restrictions.  Given the low power very little is injected into the grid. Some say these systems are not eligible for net metering but who would know if you installed it?  

I did a 10 minute  interview last week with Living On Earth podcast that was picked up by several NPS affiliates. Here is the link. I discuss the two different kinds of motivation people might have to adopt this tech (independent-minded leave me alone to make my own energy choices vs I want to do something for the environment and I can afford this. Both can find a reason to drop 1000-1500 for a small easily-installed solar system.

I am curious what others here think about it. 

https://www.loe.org/shows/segments.html?programID=25-P13-00041&segmentID=2

Steve 

------------------------------
Steven Hegedus
Professor and Senior Scientist
University of Delaware
Newark Delaware
------------------------------

Hello

The concept of what has been called 'balcony solar' has been catching on in US. I used to be skeptical and concerned about non-certified products being plugged into a home or apartment outlets and injected poor quality power and maybe lacking safety shut down features. No inspection or permits are needed so no one would know. But until this year they weren't much a thing in US. They are bigger in Asia and Europe. Ideal for apartment dwellers or those who don't 'own' their roof. Typically a 1-2 modules (600-1200 W) with a microinverter are plugged into the 120 V receptacle.  This year, Utah (not known for innovative clean energy plocy) passed legislation allowing it if it met certain standards (UL and NEC). Recently Vermont and New Hampshire and my own state of Delaware have proposed legislation allowing it subject to certain restrictions.  Given the low power very little is injected into the grid. Some say these systems are not eligible for net metering but who would know if you installed it?  

I did a 10 minute  interview last week with Living On Earth podcast that was picked up by several NPS affiliates. Here is the link. I discuss the two different kinds of motivation people might have to adopt this tech (independent-minded leave me alone to make my own energy choices vs I want to do something for the environment and I can afford this. Both can find a reason to drop 1000-1500 for a small easily-installed solar system.

I am curious what others here think about it. 

https://www.loe.org/shows/segments.html?programID=25-P13-00041&segmentID=2

Steve 

@Steven Hegedus Thank you so much for sharing this with us!

------------------------------
Ella Nielsen
Membership & Engagement Director
American Solar Energy Society
Boulder CO

Original Message:
Sent: 10-14-2025 12:35 PM
From: Steven Hegedus
Subject: balcony solar (aka plug in solar) interview on Living on Earth

Hello

The concept of what has been called 'balcony solar' has been catching on in US. I used to be skeptical and concerned about non-certified products being plugged into a home or apartment outlets and injected poor quality power and maybe lacking safety shut down features. No inspection or permits are needed so no one would know. But until this year they weren't much a thing in US. They are bigger in Asia and Europe. Ideal for apartment dwellers or those who don't 'own' their roof. Typically a 1-2 modules (600-1200 W) with a microinverter are plugged into the 120 V receptacle.  This year, Utah (not known for innovative clean energy plocy) passed legislation allowing it if it met certain standards (UL and NEC). Recently Vermont and New Hampshire and my own state of Delaware have proposed legislation allowing it subject to certain restrictions.  Given the low power very little is injected into the grid. Some say these systems are not eligible for net metering but who would know if you installed it?  

I did a 10 minute  interview last week with Living On Earth podcast that was picked up by several NPS affiliates. Here is the link. I discuss the two different kinds of motivation people might have to adopt this tech (independent-minded leave me alone to make my own energy choices vs I want to do something for the environment and I can afford this. Both can find a reason to drop 1000-1500 for a small easily-installed solar system.

I am curious what others here think about it. 

https://www.loe.org/shows/segments.html?programID=25-P13-00041&segmentID=2

Steve 

------------------------------
Steven Hegedus
Professor and Senior Scientist
University of Delaware
Newark Delaware
------------------------------

I add a single panel to my barn array every fall/winter when the sun is low in the sky and the barn roof overhang won't cast a shadow on it. It's a spare panel I bought when I installed one of the upper arrays, and I had a spare microinverter, so I just added it to the circuit with 14 existing roof panels.  Far less than $1000, the panel was around $200 and the microinverter even less than that.  A few odds and ends to make the connection and voila, balcony solar.  

Edit: Tried to attach a photo, no luck.
------------------------------
Mike Curran
Retired EE

Original Message:
Sent: 10-27-2025 12:13 PM
From: Ella Nielsen
Subject: balcony solar (aka plug in solar) interview on Living on Earth

@Steven Hegedus Thank you so much for sharing this with us!

------------------------------
Ella Nielsen
Membership & Engagement Director
American Solar Energy Society
Boulder CO

Original Message:
Sent: 10-14-2025 12:35 PM
From: Steven Hegedus
Subject: balcony solar (aka plug in solar) interview on Living on Earth

Hello

The concept of what has been called 'balcony solar' has been catching on in US. I used to be skeptical and concerned about non-certified products being plugged into a home or apartment outlets and injected poor quality power and maybe lacking safety shut down features. No inspection or permits are needed so no one would know. But until this year they weren't much a thing in US. They are bigger in Asia and Europe. Ideal for apartment dwellers or those who don't 'own' their roof. Typically a 1-2 modules (600-1200 W) with a microinverter are plugged into the 120 V receptacle.  This year, Utah (not known for innovative clean energy plocy) passed legislation allowing it if it met certain standards (UL and NEC). Recently Vermont and New Hampshire and my own state of Delaware have proposed legislation allowing it subject to certain restrictions.  Given the low power very little is injected into the grid. Some say these systems are not eligible for net metering but who would know if you installed it?  

I did a 10 minute  interview last week with Living On Earth podcast that was picked up by several NPS affiliates. Here is the link. I discuss the two different kinds of motivation people might have to adopt this tech (independent-minded leave me alone to make my own energy choices vs I want to do something for the environment and I can afford this. Both can find a reason to drop 1000-1500 for a small easily-installed solar system.

I am curious what others here think about it. 

https://www.loe.org/shows/segments.html?programID=25-P13-00041&segmentID=2

Steve 

------------------------------
Steven Hegedus
Professor and Senior Scientist
University of Delaware
Newark Delaware
------------------------------

Mike,

Great idea. You are ahead of the times. I'm wondering - since you are using microinverters, why not leave the module up all year? In summer when it is shaded it will still put out a little due to the diffuse light and won't reduce the output of the rest of the modules since they are independently MP tracked? Save you the trouble of removing and installing it.  Also, was the microinverter originally installed and registered with the company so it can communicate power readings, etc (since everything nowadays has to be linked to the mothership). If it is a rogue device, does the network recognize it? 

Steve 

I add a single panel to my barn array every fall/winter when the sun is low in the sky and the barn roof overhang won't cast a shadow on it. It's a spare panel I bought when I installed one of the upper arrays, and I had a spare microinverter, so I just added it to the circuit with 14 existing roof panels.  Far less than $1000, the panel was around $200 and the microinverter even less than that.  A few odds and ends to make the connection and voila, balcony solar.  

Edit: Tried to attach a photo, no luck.
------------------------------
Mike Curran
Retired EE

Original Message:
Sent: 10-27-2025 12:13 PM
From: Ella Nielsen
Subject: balcony solar (aka plug in solar) interview on Living on Earth

@Steven Hegedus Thank you so much for sharing this with us!

------------------------------
Ella Nielsen
Membership & Engagement Director
American Solar Energy Society
Boulder CO

Original Message:
Sent: 10-14-2025 12:35 PM
From: Steven Hegedus
Subject: balcony solar (aka plug in solar) interview on Living on Earth

Hello

The concept of what has been called 'balcony solar' has been catching on in US. I used to be skeptical and concerned about non-certified products being plugged into a home or apartment outlets and injected poor quality power and maybe lacking safety shut down features. No inspection or permits are needed so no one would know. But until this year they weren't much a thing in US. They are bigger in Asia and Europe. Ideal for apartment dwellers or those who don't 'own' their roof. Typically a 1-2 modules (600-1200 W) with a microinverter are plugged into the 120 V receptacle.  This year, Utah (not known for innovative clean energy plocy) passed legislation allowing it if it met certain standards (UL and NEC). Recently Vermont and New Hampshire and my own state of Delaware have proposed legislation allowing it subject to certain restrictions.  Given the low power very little is injected into the grid. Some say these systems are not eligible for net metering but who would know if you installed it?  

I did a 10 minute  interview last week with Living On Earth podcast that was picked up by several NPS affiliates. Here is the link. I discuss the two different kinds of motivation people might have to adopt this tech (independent-minded leave me alone to make my own energy choices vs I want to do something for the environment and I can afford this. Both can find a reason to drop 1000-1500 for a small easily-installed solar system.

I am curious what others here think about it. 

https://www.loe.org/shows/segments.html?programID=25-P13-00041&segmentID=2

Steve 

------------------------------
Steven Hegedus
Professor and Senior Scientist
University of Delaware
Newark Delaware
------------------------------

@Steven Hegedus Thank you so much for sharing this with us!

Hello

The concept of what has been called 'balcony solar' has been catching on in US. I used to be skeptical and concerned about non-certified products being plugged into a home or apartment outlets and injected poor quality power and maybe lacking safety shut down features. No inspection or permits are needed so no one would know. But until this year they weren't much a thing in US. They are bigger in Asia and Europe. Ideal for apartment dwellers or those who don't 'own' their roof. Typically a 1-2 modules (600-1200 W) with a microinverter are plugged into the 120 V receptacle.  This year, Utah (not known for innovative clean energy plocy) passed legislation allowing it if it met certain standards (UL and NEC). Recently Vermont and New Hampshire and my own state of Delaware have proposed legislation allowing it subject to certain restrictions.  Given the low power very little is injected into the grid. Some say these systems are not eligible for net metering but who would know if you installed it?  

I did a 10 minute  interview last week with Living On Earth podcast that was picked up by several NPS affiliates. Here is the link. I discuss the two different kinds of motivation people might have to adopt this tech (independent-minded leave me alone to make my own energy choices vs I want to do something for the environment and I can afford this. Both can find a reason to drop 1000-1500 for a small easily-installed solar system.

I am curious what others here think about it. 

https://www.loe.org/shows/segments.html?programID=25-P13-00041&segmentID=2

Steve 

Original Message:
Sent: 10/27/2025 3:14:00 PM
From: Ella Nielsen
Subject: RE: balcony solar (aka plug in solar) interview on Living on Earth

@Steven Hegedus Thank you so much for sharing this with us!

------------------------------
Ella Nielsen
Membership & Engagement Director
American Solar Energy Society
Boulder CO

Original Message:
Sent: 10-14-2025 12:35 PM
From: Steven Hegedus
Subject: balcony solar (aka plug in solar) interview on Living on Earth

Hello

The concept of what has been called 'balcony solar' has been catching on in US. I used to be skeptical and concerned about non-certified products being plugged into a home or apartment outlets and injected poor quality power and maybe lacking safety shut down features. No inspection or permits are needed so no one would know. But until this year they weren't much a thing in US. They are bigger in Asia and Europe. Ideal for apartment dwellers or those who don't 'own' their roof. Typically a 1-2 modules (600-1200 W) with a microinverter are plugged into the 120 V receptacle.  This year, Utah (not known for innovative clean energy plocy) passed legislation allowing it if it met certain standards (UL and NEC). Recently Vermont and New Hampshire and my own state of Delaware have proposed legislation allowing it subject to certain restrictions.  Given the low power very little is injected into the grid. Some say these systems are not eligible for net metering but who would know if you installed it?  

I did a 10 minute  interview last week with Living On Earth podcast that was picked up by several NPS affiliates. Here is the link. I discuss the two different kinds of motivation people might have to adopt this tech (independent-minded leave me alone to make my own energy choices vs I want to do something for the environment and I can afford this. Both can find a reason to drop 1000-1500 for a small easily-installed solar system.

I am curious what others here think about it. 

https://www.loe.org/shows/segments.html?programID=25-P13-00041&segmentID=2

Steve 

------------------------------
Steven Hegedus
Professor and Senior Scientist
University of Delaware
Newark Delaware
------------------------------