I thought they were really on to something until I read the comments: This article was written very poorly. You do it wrong and you set yourself up for a lot of problems in addition to failing the inspection. To put that more plainly, you’re getting solar panels with a microinverter attached, and the hardware to put the panels on your roof (or a ground mount for the 250 watt system). Currently a few grid-tie, plug-and-play solar systems are available in the U.S. market. Legion Solar 4 - Permission Free Energy and Storage they make the statement that it is OK because they measure & throttle generation to eliminate any power going back on the grid. Amazon.com: 1.5KW PluggedSolar with 1500Watt Crystalline Solar Panels and Micro Grid Tie Inverter, Plug into Wall, 120V or 240V AC Outlet, Utility Approved Micro Grid Tie Inverter (UL-1741). Plugging more devices into the same circuit runs the risk of overloading the circuit and is a potential fire hazard. They're are, but there are no systems out there that are legal to just "plug in." Please consider whitelisting TMC on your ad blocker and becoming a Supporting Member. 5), so you can rest assured these are all legitimate pieces of equipment that have been tested and deemed safe. The PluggedSolar, 1.7KW Solar Grid Tie System avoids the expense plus hassle of typical solar energy system installation. Yes, you have it connected on its own circuit during the inspection, but what about when you want to set up your holiday lights or have a party in your yard and the only available outlet is the one your panels are plugged into? This dedicated circuit and outlet should be installed by qualified and/or licensed personnel only. Actually, yes. On top of that, if you ever move, you can simply unplug your installation and bring it with you. Does it have a UL rating? DC wire lengths had to be short due to huge … Simply Plug & Play. Is something like this legal in the US? These disconnects and the breaker allow workers to isolate certain parts of the system for maintenance and repair, and help protect the system from overheating and fire. But then I'm in the biz and after you see toasted electrical panels, fried wiring or worse the remains of a house fire it tends to make me want to always stick to the safe load on any circuit. However, they still strongly warn that regulations vary from place to place, and just because your state is one of them doesn’t guarantee approval in your specific area. Making any kind of holes on the roof to secure the panels with all that stuff requires waterproofing. As technology gets better, safety measures improve, and installations get more streamlined, perhaps more people will opt in. Responding to comments on a publicity article a few years back, Plug&PlaySolar claimed that most home wiring in the US can handle up to 2kW of electricity (which coincides with capacity of 12/2 Romex wiring common in homes), so a 1.5kW system would be fine on a dedicated circuit. Done. Solar equipment like panels, inverters, and wire only account for about 40% of the total cost of a roof-top system according to a 2017 NREL study of solar costs (chart on page 21). I am not going to try to track down the federal statute on the federal tax credit. Plug-In Solar is a Do It Yourself (DIY) solar power system, which allows you to generate FREE electricity to power your appliances (Self Consumption). Initially, you may find solar cells expensive, so you may use them in conjunction with your existing, grid-power electricity to … Let’s take a deeper look and see. and use the proper backfeed breakers to feed your solar into your service panel safely! If an appliance plugs into an outlet, I'm not sure it requires permits for the electrical. OK.. hopefully I can explain why I think this is a dangerous concept. 5.1kW. The breaker doesn’t trip in the described situation, the wire just overheats and a fire potentially starts. And as we see it, it’s two-fold: First, solar installations require a dedicated line going to your electrical panel. If you’re really interested in plug and play solar, reach out to both organizations before buying your system, so you know exactly what they require – each utility/building department is unique! You should know, though, that a single solar panel isn’t going to make much of a dent in your bills. Some solar companies that manufacture plug n play solar tends to lead me to believe that plug n play if done properly is legal otherwise they would not be selling them. To set the record straight, plug and play solar shouldn’t be some rogue op to stealthily cut your electricity bill. But here in Virginia, the right to go solar is coming under attack, as some utilities feel threatened by solar’s emergence as a viable, competitive choice for their customers… What’s the alluring part? Not all states have adopted the latest NEC. Everyone should have access to this abundant resource, which will help create stronger, cleaner, and healthier communities. Obviously, plug and play kits have dedicated lines coming from the panels to the electrical outlet, but not necessarily from the outlet to the electrical panel. Maybe that's just a thing where you live? While the entire kit isn’t UL listed, each individual component is (pg. Get it as soon as Mon, Feb 15. I do not know what you will get if you order this item, but I do know that you will not get a 500 watt grid-tie solar system that plugs into an … Prices (as of April 2018) for systems with microinverters (like the Plug&PlaySolar kit above) are listed at: Kits include the solar panels, microinverters, mounting hardware, wires, safety disconnects (depending on size), production monitoring system, and a 240v plug. It’s in the code. There is so much wrong with this concept that I don't know where to start. You can go online and buy a plug and play solar kit from a few different companies, like the aptly-named Plug&PlaySolar. This feature is called "anti-islanding." Basically, you put the panel in the sun and plug it into an outlet. I've never heard of that before. Without the same safety features as a traditional rooftop installation, are you going to set your house on fire or electrocute someone if you use them? I am in the solar industry and I want to try and explain why this is a really dangerous thing to do. Your existing wiring can probably handle a single panel or two, but individual circuits aren’t designed to handle high volume, constant electricity. lol Seems like a throwback to the Edison/Westinghouse DC/AC electrical rivalry. At Plug it in Solar we make it a simple and hassle free experience for you. solar adoption has inundated many jurisdictions with permit applications and inspection requests. Every grid tie inverter out there will disconnect when the grid goes down. they also provide some guideline for circuit to plug into. If you’ve got a single solar panel, you could easily make a small stand and put it in your backyard without too much trouble. The beauty of plug and play solar is in its simplicity. That typical system of the same power bills over 3 instances. Instead, you’re probably interested in a panel or two. We don’t really need to say it, but this is much, much lower than the cost of the kits above. The average home could never handle it. Plug-In Solar kits include ALL you need to start saving money on your electricity bills, WITHOUT the need for government incentives. Solar technologies have changed, new laws have been passed and codes have been revised. Sealing your penetrations is a straightforward process, but needs to be learned in order to do it properly. Across the South, people are increasingly turning to homegrown, affordable solar power to meet their energy needs. The power from the plug-in inverter gets added to the power the household breaker supplies, and any overload in daytime, may not trip the breaker, and instead start a fire. A typical residential solar installation is pretty straightforward, but more complicated than the above to be sure. How to Power Appliances With Solar Panels. However, this doesn’t alleviate the issue that the system still isn’t hardwired, and in fact exacerbates the problem if you ever added more gadgets to the circuit. These wires are sized to handle the max amount of electricity your system can produce. Do you agree or disagree with our analysis of plug and play solar? Another question to ask yourself: what do you know about the wiring in your house? Even so, Plug&PlaySolar claimed in their comments on that same piece above that their kits have been approved for use in 23 different states, so there’s some hope you could legally install it. Sounds incredible, but does it have wide enough appeal? Solar Liberator claims to be offering a 500 watt grid-tie solar system that you plug-in into an outlet. For years plug-in-solar wasn’t practical because only large DC inverters were used to convert DC power produced by solar panels into household AC power. Making Plug-In Car Shopping Easy We want every plug-in buyer to have an exceptional experience. Plug In Solar is a Do It Yourself (DIY) Grid-Tied solar power kit, which allows you to generate FREE ELECTRICITY you can use to power appliances in your home. In sum, outdated regulations are preventing small solar plug-and-play systems from competing in the electric market. No need for an EPC inspection, MCS … Conventional solar installations are bolted to your roof with a series of aluminum rails, feet, flashing, sealant, and lag screws. If you really wanted to go all out, you could install a dedicated line that is hardwired to your solar installation, but there’s the irony: we’ve just described a conventional residential solar installation. This is a safety standard – a way to ensure that the wiring can safely handle all the power your panels are putting out. Plug in solar is the easiest way to generate electricity from the sun, and lower or potentially eliminate your electricity bill. This means you can charge your RV’s … Photo Credits under CC license via Flickr –, Does Your House Qualify for Solar? Let’s consider what that means for a 5kW installation (a fairly average size for a residential system): By buying the Plugged Solar Kit and installing it yourself, you could potentially save $7,660, or about 50% of what you’d otherwise spend. it's funny that they claim 120 volts is safer somehow. According to the same report, the average residential solar installation costs $2.80 per watt (same chart above). It's an oversimplification to imagine an appliance drawing power directly from a solar panel, but the reality isn't that much different. You can also buy ‘add on’ units for a discounted price to increase the size of your solar installation. Average cost per watt. This is the case for all solar electric systems installed and connected to the electric grid. With an average installation size of 5,700 watts, that’s a total cost of $15,960, of which the equipment makes up about $6,400 (40%). If someone is injured, restitution comes from your pocket, if someone dies in a fire or is electrocuted because the disconnected the legal source of power, it's … The issue likely won’t be with the utility – who really only cares that the electricity you’re sending to the grid is safe and compatible with their grid, but your building department, as they’re more concerned with the safety and integrity of your home. The one thing that solar does well is handle reduced load: if you don't have something drawing an excess of solar power, it doesn't hurt … They find that, for residential installations using microinverters, total equipment costs equaled $1.13 per watt (p. 21 of report). So even though the actual equipment costs are much higher than when purchased through an installer, the kits above can actually save you quite a bit of money when you do it yourself! In some cases that may extend to the civil permitting authority in your area. The new “plug and play” inverters are very different – these are a portable device that allow you to connect solar panels or small wind turbine to the inverter and then plug the inverter directly into a standard power socket in a home; making the power generated available to appliances. Whether you want to reduce your electric bill with home solar kits, invest in RV Solar, or want to cook with the sun, we are the one stop shop for solar. RV’s equipped with Solar on the Side are outfitted with an SAE solar port This port allows you to quickly and easily plug in a portable solar panel. If you install a traditional solar system, you may have to upgrade your panel due to regulatory reasons. Now that we’ve run through how you can buy plug and play solar, what it costs and how much you can save, we’ll discuss why they are so different from traditional panels. As such we have used average pricing from the installers service areas as a proxy for what this company would most likely charge for a solar system. Don’t Fall for a Solar Paneling … Tesla Motors Club LLC (TMC) is an independent enthusiast organization and is not affiliated with Tesla Motors, Inc. or its subsidiaries. SOLAR ENERGY STANDARDS ACT (Section 377.705, Florida Statute) 377.705 Solar Energy Center; development of solar energy standards.– (1) SHORT TITLE.–This act shall be known and may be cited as RESPONSIBILITIES OF ENTERPRISE FLORIDA As of this writing, the national average electricity price of $0.125 per watt means that you save $55 per year. Otherwise you’ll have unprotected holes through your roof, guaranteeing water damage down the line. Issue #2 revolves around safely securing your solar panels. For more info: After a cursory review it appears to have a battery and may operate like a UPS. And a 5kW kit? putting it on a patio cover may not violate building code. It is not breakthrough technology. This is costly and time consuming. a level of overcurrent tolerance is engineered into electrical design - EXACTLY for things like this. First I will say that It will absolutely work and for somebody that that understands what they are doing and that knows how their receptacles are wired and what circuits they are on. This dedicated circuit and outlet should be installed by qualified and/or licensed personnel only. All connections are hardwired, meaning they are semi-permanent connections, not simply plugs that could easily fall or be pulled out. Of course, the larger you go, the lower the $/watt cost and the more you could save! Consider becoming a Supporting Member of Tesla Motors Club. It’s certainly doable for a DIYer, but you’ll need to really study up to ensure the safety of your family and your home, as well as your neighbors. Plug It In Solar prices. Like we mentioned above though, with these DIY plug and play kits, you’re avoiding all the other costs that come with hiring a solar installer: labor, sales and marketing, their own profit, and overhead. Run your fans, lights, and pumps with your batteries. Please visit the Account Upgrades page for more details. – you’ve added green energy to your home without ever even hiring a solar installer. So that $800 single-panel kit would take almost 15 years to pay off – not really worth it, is it? Stop worrying about if you need a permit or not, THERE IS A REASON FOR ELECTRICAL CODES AND PERMITS, it's not some conspiracy to make you pay for something, its an effort to keep homeowners safe. No other loads or outlets are allowed on this dedicated solar circuit!”. Plug It In Solar is a solar company, that provides solar panel installations while leading the way to greener & cleaner future with solar energy!We provide our customers with reliable and efficient service while striving to educate homeowners and business owners about the economic and environmental impact of installing solar panels.. Plug It In Solar … Discussion in 'Energy, Environment, and Policy' started by brkaus, Sep 27, 2019. SMA Sunny Boy Secure Power Supply (SPS) A lot of people find it ironic that homeowners cannot use their own solar system in the event of a power blackout. All rights reserved. At between $1.60 to $3.20 per watt for the equipment, are these kits a good deal? When you hire a company to put a conventional solar system on your roof, dedicated wires are installed to connect the panels to your inverter – completely separate from your home’s existing wiring. In sunny Arizona, one of the best places in the US to install solar, a 265 watt panel facing south will produce about 460 kWh each year. This installer does not publish their standard system prices on the net. Just like with a traditional solar installation, you’ll be adding electricity to the grid so you’ll need to seek approval from the necessary authorities, typically your local building department and utility. Both very noble aspirations, if you ask us. Re: Question about the Legal Aspect of Connecting DIY Solar Panels to The Grid It is not so much a "legal" issue as a "permitted" issue. For years now, many have pined for a plug and play solar installation. Solar made easy. The latest National Electrical Code requires Rapid Shut Down. We are a certified Panasonic, Solar World and Tesla Powerwall 2 installer. When the sun shines, they run and hopefully keep cold until the next day with sun. 99. 30 … But the question is: are plug in solar panels as easy as they sound? Find Out Now. The inverter is designed to shut down if the electrical grid goes down, known as ‘anti-islanding’. If that ever happened with a 1.5 kW solar system pumping out electricity on full blast, things could get smoky real fast. All this brings us to a major issue with plug and play solar. The inspector can’t be there all the time to make sure you’re following the guidelines.

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