@electricviking - in Australia I can imagine this taking off like no tomorrow. We just need the right regulation to make it safe and legal. Vertical panels in Australia produce more power than vertical panels in Germany as we have better solar irradiation. Also, renters who are facing extremely high rental costs and energy prices can afford this solution to help take control of their rising energy costs.
Interesting concept, would obviously work well in many circumstances, just not too sure how efficient or effective they would be mounted vertical on a railing especially when you want to take advantage of the midday sun.
I've sent this through to some not-for-profits in the solar space who do advocacy with government to try to get these things approved. Grid operators would be the next to target.
I think the 800W limit is as it is connecting into the apartment via a normal general power outlet, the quality of that wiring to the general power outlet (across all apartments) is the limiting factor on the size of the system.
Unfortunately not all rental apartments are allowed to have solar panels in front of their balcony. Esthetics and local government or flat owner rules prohibit this innovation. Solving only by placing the panels behind the original fence obstructing (shading) a large part of the solar capacity. Many have transparent or fully blinding wind shields though, including plants etc behind the fence. I managed to install a total of 480 Watt of Bifacial panels and get 200 Watts max out of it this way. A micro-inverter does not work with a low wattage below 250 Watts. So a battery takes it place. Switching to a lot of (Car) 12v appliances is essential. In case of a power outage i recommend you place cheap UPS devices between essential systems like refrigerators and Central Heating Gas systems to keep the pump running just in case. The investment is way lower and needs no Sun or maintenance. Changing a 12v 7Ah AGM Battery in a UPS is simple and cost you far less every year. You can use a larger AGM 12v 24+Ah Battery and a MPPT charger to accumulate energy every day even with less Sun. I charge a secondary DIY 160Ah Lion battery pack (bms) with the MPPT battery (Light) 12+v output connection, basically trickle charging but always feeding it. More 12v devices connected will increase efficiency of solar and lower your energy bill. Do not make a mistake paying thousands of dollars for expensive batteries and MPPT solar chargers, keep it simple and focus on usability in your home. Keep neighbors happy not messing up the looks of the apartment building. Make it stealthy.
Fantastic video mate - this would be a game changer for millions of people.
@electricviking - in Australia I can imagine this taking off like no tomorrow. We just need the right regulation to make it safe and legal. Vertical panels in Australia produce more power than vertical panels in Germany as we have better solar irradiation. Also, renters who are facing extremely high rental costs and energy prices can afford this solution to help take control of their rising energy costs.
Interesting concept, would obviously work well in many circumstances, just not too sure how efficient or effective they would be mounted vertical on a railing especially when you want to take advantage of the midday sun.
This video came up on top when I googled "balcony solar panels". :)
What would it take to get this kickstarted in Australia? Given our abundant sunshine this seems like a no-brainer!
I've sent this through to some not-for-profits in the solar space who do advocacy with government to try to get these things approved. Grid operators would be the next to target.
Love this🤙🏼
What would be the safety threshold in terms of inverter output size, greater than 1.2kW? Why did they limit it at 800W?
I think the 800W limit is as it is connecting into the apartment via a normal general power outlet, the quality of that wiring to the general power outlet (across all apartments) is the limiting factor on the size of the system.
@WattblockAu thanks. I will be looking to wire straight to breaker panel, so will use a 1kW or larger micro inverter
Unfortunately not all rental apartments are allowed to have solar panels in front of their balcony. Esthetics and local government or flat owner rules prohibit this innovation. Solving only by placing the panels behind the original fence obstructing (shading) a large part of the solar capacity. Many have transparent or fully blinding wind shields though, including plants etc behind the fence. I managed to install a total of 480 Watt of Bifacial panels and get 200 Watts max out of it this way. A micro-inverter does not work with a low wattage below 250 Watts. So a battery takes it place. Switching to a lot of (Car) 12v appliances is essential. In case of a power outage i recommend you place cheap UPS devices between essential systems like refrigerators and Central Heating Gas systems to keep the pump running just in case. The investment is way lower and needs no Sun or maintenance. Changing a 12v 7Ah AGM Battery in a UPS is simple and cost you far less every year. You can use a larger AGM 12v 24+Ah Battery and a MPPT charger to accumulate energy every day even with less Sun. I charge a secondary DIY 160Ah Lion battery pack (bms) with the MPPT battery (Light) 12+v output connection, basically trickle charging but always feeding it. More 12v devices connected will increase efficiency of solar and lower your energy bill. Do not make a mistake paying thousands of dollars for expensive batteries and MPPT solar chargers, keep it simple and focus on usability in your home. Keep neighbors happy not messing up the looks of the apartment building. Make it stealthy.