UK households free to install plug-in balcony solar panels from end of August
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Re: UK households free to install plug-in balcony solar panels from end of August
#2Huh! Where does this stand in the US? I’ve always heard it’s significantly risky to plug power-generation directly into a wall outlet (though you can do it in a pinch)
Re: UK households free to install plug-in balcony solar panels from end of August
#3[deleted]
Re: UK households free to install plug-in balcony solar panels from end of August
#4Huh! Where does this stand in the US? I’ve always heard it’s significantly risky to plug power-generation directly into a wall outlet (though you can do it in a pinch)
The US is a patchwork, but it is legal in some places, including Utah!
https://grist.org/buildings/balcony-solar-is-taking-state-le...
More in other links on my page too: https://www.earth.org.uk/note-on-G83-lite.html#sources
Re: UK households free to install plug-in balcony solar panels from end of August
#5Huh! Where does this stand in the US? I’ve always heard it’s significantly risky to plug power-generation directly into a wall outlet (though you can do it in a pinch)
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Re: UK households free to install plug-in balcony solar panels from end of August
#6Huh! Where does this stand in the US? I’ve always heard it’s significantly risky to plug power-generation directly into a wall outlet (though you can do it in a pinch)
Re: UK households free to install plug-in balcony solar panels from end of August
#7Huh! Where does this stand in the US? I’ve always heard it’s significantly risky to plug power-generation directly into a wall outlet (though you can do it in a pinch)
Bills are popping up in state legislatures across the United States to legalize plug-in solar. I wrote about a bill that was up for consideration here in Washington state earlier this year: https://www.brethorsting.com/blog/2026/01/washington-should-...
Unfortunately, the bill didn't make it over the finish line during the 2026 session. The Washington legislature only met for two months this year: https://www.brethorsting.com/blog/2026/01/how-the-washington...
I'm in Seattle, where we enjoy some of the cheapest electricity costs in the country thanks to abundant hydroelectric generation and a public, city-owned utility, but back-to-back 10% rate hikes were just announced for 2027 and 2028, and I hope that spurs our state legislature to take balcony solar more seriously.
Re: UK households free to install plug-in balcony solar panels from end of August
#8Also, East and South facing apartments are about to see rent increases.
Re: UK households free to install plug-in balcony solar panels from end of August
#9Great! Just in time for winter!
Re: UK households free to install plug-in balcony solar panels from end of August
#10Huh! Where does this stand in the US? I’ve always heard it’s significantly risky to plug power-generation directly into a wall outlet (though you can do it in a pinch)
The main risk factor is people trying to pump too much juice into a wall socket rated for a lesser current. Plus the connector needs to be male - shock risk. The combination of live and male is not generally something you see in households and people may not register that it’s something outside of normal household risk profile.
That plus bit of risk of things being energised that say a lineman thought would be out. This can be mitigated by using systems that only feed in when they sense it’s connected to the grid