We have written an open letter to the Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection on the risks of Plug-In-PV and are open to participate in a process with stakeholders from civil society, industry and citizens to make safe #PlugInPV easily available for consumers in #Norway.

https://balkon.solar/news/2025/05/10/open-letter-to-norwegian-directorate-for-civil-protection-on-the-risks-of-plug-in-pv/

We are working on an english version of our #DIY #2ndlife for old #solarpanels als #pluginpv Systems guide: https://docs.google.com/document/d/13xE6473wHG42TWyKxPDSLBE4DLvMBhQQEoVgdKEotQ4/edit?usp=sharing

You find the German version here: https://balkon.solar/news/2025/04/23/stecker-solar-selber-machen-magazin/

If you wish to volunteer and help us, we would be forever grateful to you!

Wir haben mal durchgerechnet für wen sich ein Speicher lohnt und wann nicht https://balkon.solar/news/2025/05/05/fuer-wen-lohnt-sich-ein-steckerspeicher/

Kurzfassung: Je mehr Stromverbrauch und je mehr Solarpanels, desto besser.

It seems #Norway is the first Nordic country to “legalize” #pluginpv: https://www.dsb.no/elsikkerhet/aktuelt-elsikkerhet2/pluggbare-solcellepaneler-innebarer-risiko/

Even though the text by the Directorate for Civil Protection and Emergency Preparedness talks a lot about the risks, it allows plugging in at a dedicated circuit.

Strangely no upper limit.

On @Grist Akielly Hu asks:

#Balconysolar took off in Germany. Why not the US? - our chair @sbamueller explains: "The 800W threshold is considered low enough that even in the country’s oldest homes, the wiring can withstand (...) even the worst of worst-case scenarios"

The article explains very well what are the next steps the US would have to take to make #pluginpv feasible:

Develop a standard accepted by Underwriters Laboratories and complies with the National Electrical Code. And a compatible ground fault circuit interrupter.

https://grist.org/energy/balcony-solar-took-off-in-germany-why-not-the-us/

Pictures: Some German Houses with Plugin PV systems on the balcony and elsewhere.

Der #Sommer steht vor der Tür und mit Glück gibt's jetzt ein lautloses Stromsparwunder frei Haus:

https://www.duh.de/mitmachen/gewinnspiel-energiewende/?entryid=414333

#PluginPV mit refurbished #solarpanel #solarpower #solarenergy

How does #pluginpv work in #Ukraine?

Olena from #EcoClub #Rivne put a unit on her balcony and wrote down what happens.

Spoiler: It works, it produces electricity.

And it seems we do not need to change any laws as it is already legal in Ukraine!

https://balkon.solar/news/2025/04/02/putting-solar-on-a-balcony-in-ukraine-what-can-happen/

How does safe #pluginpv work in #Germany?

We explained it here: https://balkon.solar/news/2025/03/17/how-does-plug-in-pv-in-germany-work/

Good news about our #pluginpv project in #Ukraine: “Yesterday we completed the installation of the panel: my husband fixed all the elements and ran the cables to the balcony.”

Our project partners from #EcoClubRivne are checking out how to install #solar on the #balcony. How to set ups such a system with a small battery, because there are lots of #blackouts in Ukraine, due to the destruction of the #powergrid by Russia.

Of course we also try to explore what landlords and gridoperators think and if they try to block small #pv.

More Info: https://balkon.solar/news/2024/09/27/ukraine/

Först ödelägger svenskarna #Schopfheim och sedan tillåter de inte ens sina medborgare att använda Solcellsplugg!

@henrihorn

With great interest we are reading
Solarpower Europe report on #pluginpv in the #EU.

We even wrote a quick summary: https://balkon.solar/news/2025/03/13/solar-europe-publishes-report-on-plug-in-pv-in-europe/

Key message: People will use #balconysolar if the legislative and regulatory hurdles are removed. Baffling difference between "pro nuclear" #France that allows #pluginpv and "environmentally conscious" #Sweden that forbids it. Not mention is say #Finland (where @henrihorn.bsky.social is campaigning to make it simpler, but where regulations prescribe an electrician).

Report: https://www.solarpowereurope.org/press-releases/new-report-a-deep-dive-on-plug-in-solar-pv-a-fast-emerging-solar-segment

Good news from #Utah: “A new Utah bill allows portable solar power systems of up to 1.2 kWac to connect directly to 120V outlets without interconnection applications or utility fees, provided they meet NEC and UL certification standards. (…) #Balconysolar has already seen widespread adoption in Germany, growing from nearly zero to hundreds of megawatts deployed in recent years.”

The Bill was introduced by a Republican and was unanimously supported in both the Utah House and Senate.

https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2025/03/05/balcony-solar-gains-unanimous-bipartisan-support-in-utah/

A #Republican (!) member of the #Utah House of Representatives has introduced legislation for a "new category for small portable #solar generation devices" with ups to 1,200 watts output. 

https://le.utah.gov/~2025/bills/static/HB0340.html

The #pluginpv movement seems to be spreading to the US!
See more: https://poweringspaceshipearth.substack.com/p/balcony-solar-is-coming-to-utah

Was muss sich ändern für netzdienliche Kleinspeicher und was hat das mi #BalkonSolar oder #Steckersolar zu tun?

Wer den Vortrag von Jörg Lange von KLimaschutz im Bundestag verpasst hat und keine Zeit hat ihn nachzuschauen (https://youtu.be/mWurvBuSnAE?feature=shared) dem fassen wir das hier im zusammen.

Zunächst: Wo stehen wir bei #Steckersolar?

Wahrscheinlich gibt es derzeit ca 2 Mio #BalkonSolar Geräte. Kleine Speicher, wie sie von #Anker, #Hoymiles, #AlphaESS, #Zendure, #Sonnenrepublik angeboten werden sind massiv im kommen, aber wahrscheinlich haben weniger als 5% der #pluginpv einen.

Spannend sind Speicher, die direkt an einer 220 V Steckdose irgendwo im Haus sitzen (wo es warm ist).

Und solche die mit dynamischen #Strompreisen arbeiten können. Sprich: #Speicher laden wenn #Strom billig, Haus versorgen wenn Strom teuer. Aber wie netzdienlich machen?

#solarpower #grid #netzstabiltät #ErneuerbareEnergie

In the land of #nuclear powered #steampunk aka #france, the media is starting to note the neighbors ever increasing amount of #pluginpv on the #balcony.

“more than double the number from a year earlier and 10 times the figure for 2022” write FRANCE24

Payback 3~5 y

https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20250108-germans-turn-to-balcony-solar-panels-to-save-money

Can #Solar on the #Balcony ( #pluginpv) help with #Ukraine's Energy Crisis?

Our guest author Dmytro Sakaliuk from Eco Club Rivne discusses the issue on our blog, gives legal and technical explanations.

https://balkon.solar/news/2024/12/31/plug-in-pv-in-ukrain-can-solar-on-the-balcony-help-ukraines-energy-crisis/

Thank you BW Stiftung for the financial support.

#PluginPv fits on every #balcony, even old houses.

(Seen in #Freiburg, Germany)

#theGuardian discovers that 1.5 Mio #PluginPv Systems in Germany exist and lots of people in #Spain, #Italy and #Poland, and #France are doing it as well.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/dec/18/if-a-million-germans-have-them-there-must-be-something-in-it-how-balcony-solar-is-taking-off

More info in English: https://balkon.solar/news/2022/12/11/introduction-to-plug-in-solar-or-plug-pv/