@burger_jaap
Those battery packs would be highly useful in Finland, too. There are thousands of off grid summer cottages and a 5 kWh battery with built in 2 kW 220 VAC socket is ideal for simple electric kitchen appliances. A back up power supply in each household would also make a valuable contribution to national security.
Unfortunately #pluginPV #BalconySolar systems are not allowed in Finland.
#Balkonkraftwerk
As soon as the price of #BalconySolar units in the US drops 70% as they did in Germany and become widespread, their ability to provide disaster resilience will be acknowledged.
A 5 kWh battery costs only 1500 Euros in Germany, or 1770 US dollars.
Many units feature an emergency AC outlet. That would keep the lights on and serve critical household loads for several days in case of black out.
US standards organization Underwriter Laboratories mentions #pluginpv in its newsletter:
„Even if you live in an apartment, powering your home with #solar energy that you generate from your own balcony could be possible. Here at UL Solutions, we’re making strides to ensure plug-in solar systems (#balconysolar) can be, most importantly, safely adopted. We’ve established a dedicated plug-in solar system testing and certification program.
https://s.ul.com/4pEGxUo“
The #SanFrancisco Chronicle on #pluginpv:
"The rapidly emerging market of plug-in solar panels that are cheaper, quicker to deploy and accessible to homeowners with shady roofs or renters with no roofs at all. (…) In Germany, after years of lobbying by clean energy and industry groups, a certification body released the first guideline for “#balconysolar” in 2017. Some 4 million Germans, most of them unregistered, have since bought plug-in #balkonkraftwerke, sold in hardware stores for the equivalent of a few hundred dollars. Germany also recently strengthened the rights of renters to install them.”
The Clean Energy States Alliance has published a report on “What States Need to Know about #PlugInSolar”.
The report is summary about #balconysolar from an #American perspective.
Although we think the German prices are calculated a little bit to high, because we think you can have installation cost as low as 0,28 EUR/Wp, its a good overview.
It also contains a cost return calculator for #solar on the balcony for #US Consumers.
Amongst other the report also mentions #CPAP machines as good examples for #emergencypower use, higlighting the systems ability to provide #electrictiy even during #grid failure, if you have battery!
https://balkon.solar/news/2026/01/10/us-plug-in-solar-cost-recovery-calculator/
RE: https://freiburg.social/@balkonsolar/115853334522413380
Germany’s biggest property manager is now allowing tenants to install #pluginpv or #balconysolar panels after one of the larges environmental NGOs Environmental Action #Germany (#DUH) helped a tennant with his lawsuit against #vonovia.
This is another breakthrough in a series of cases supported by them and us.
Hey nice, @scottwiener.bsky.social@bsky.brid.gy just introduced a balcony solar bill. It's SB 868. #solar #climate #California #balconysolar
leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNa...
leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavC...
Cory Doctorow of the #EFF is right: we should ignore aesthetic objections to #balconysolar and just use it. Excerpt from his talk at #39c3 published under a creative commons license 4.
On https://rechtaufsolar.de German users can find lots of legal to deal with their landlords, when they oppose #pluginpv!
Why isn't this solar tech available in any other states?
I was asked to give a presentation about the new German #pluginpv norm for some 🇺🇸:
The new norm is only part of a variety of policies that enable #balconysolar in 🇩🇪:
- legal definition in the renewables act
- right to plug in for condos and tennant
- inclusion on liability insurance
- 0% VAT
What is the German market?
We have ca 4 Mio #pluginpv systems running right now.
➡️ 10% of German households have #balconysolar
The vast majority of them using Schuko Plugs and usually in single family housing.
½ of them have a battery and most of them installed by the users themselves.
On G83-Lite: Solar Nanogeneration For Everyone (2009) - Learn how plug-in solar curtain linings could trim your home power bill and footprint... #solar #balconySolar #nanogeneration - https://m.earth.org.uk/note-on-G83-lite.html
https://cardinalnews.org/2025/12/05/balcony-solar-bill-among-state-commissions-energy-recommendations-to-general-assembly/ #Virginia #VALeg #BalconySolar #solar “It allows people to hang a solar panel outside their apartment or condominium and plug it into their house so they can net the power in their own little condo or apartment on their own”
Exciting news for renters! More US states like Utah, New York, and Pennsylvania are promoting #BalconySolar, allowing apartment dwellers to install solar panels on their balconies. This game-changing move helps reduce electricity bills and democratizes clean energy access.
Legislation is making it easier for everyone to tap into solar power, even as some utilities push back. https://cleantechnica.com/2025/12/01/more-us-states-are-promoting-balcony-solar/
Was learning about #BalconySolar and this would be a great option for me. Sounds like Utah is leading the way but no idea how I can push for this in Massachusetts. Would love to go to Costco and get plug and play solar? Why is Mass so far behind? @massgovernor.bsky.social@bsky.brid.gy @kimdriscollma.bsky.social@bsky.brid.gy
RE: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:twjze4qqf6fgxz33ct52wlnl/post/3m6ki3lnxfc2c
#thisbutforeveryone: Read how the new German #pluginPV Norm affects #pluginsolar: https://balkon.solar/news/2025/11/22/what-does-the-new-german-plug-in-pv-norm-say/
1) Made bread. Not solar bread, the geometry is bad on the balcony this time of year, but still good.
2) Made lentil stew, with onion and a bit of pork.
3) The #BalconySolar panel generated almost 2/3 of a kWh. Pretty modest… but a noticeable fraction of what the rooftop array is generating right now <sob> 😝
3.5) Yoghurt is in progress
Working on countering the rising dark…
Are you already reading the new german #pluginpv norm?
So you don’t speak any german? No Problem, we made an english summary!
https://balkon.solar/news/2025/11/22/what-does-the-new-german-plug-in-pv-norm-say/
1040 #ClimateSolutions #BalconySolar #UK
Finaly; a solution for ‘roofless’ apartment dwellers [like me]
"Plug in Solar Power Is Here with the Ecoflow Stream” [11:45 min]
by UpsideDownFork
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zhgG5RMQFE
#TakeCareForLife #TakeCareForEarth
#StopBurningThings #StopEcoside #StopRapingNature
#EducateYourself on #ClimateBreakDown
My goodness. My #BalconySolar experiments have been successful enough that it’s all become basically routine. The #SolarCooking oven just reliably cranks out bread, the only limitation is that I do have to plan a little more carefully when I bake, and the solar panel, a dinky 100-watt thing, has produced at least 15kWh by now — definitely more, but I don’t know how much. That’s not a huge amount, but it’s just about enough to make coffee and toast bread most days. That’s all right.
Summertime, good days for Solar production in South Africa and the extra batteries starting to pay off.
I use a combo of Balcony Solar + a PowerStation with an island system, with rooftop & wallmounted panels.
A/C and Heaters now running off Solar and only use Gas as backup.
