Mirror, mirror on the wall...

19/12/2013 11:56

The two links below, are from the online edition of Germanys biggest  News Magazine "Der Spiegel" (unfortunately only in German)

Amazing to see, how even in this respected and well known paper, slowly the idea of small solar installations, like the ones which SoLenium-technology  is advocating in this blog, is being taken seriously.

There is talk of an "attack of the photovoltaic-Guerrillas" and from "Power meters which turn backwards" and most significantly, that "it is against the norm, but not against the law"

The only downside is that both articles are almost exclusively based on a single source, which on closer inspection of their website, does not present itself as 'very professional'.

For the content of the articles however this is practically irrelevant.

https://www.spiegel.de/wirtschaft/service/eigenverbrauch-von-strom-neuer-markt-neue-gerechtigkeitsfrage-a-939563.html#js-article-comments-box-pager

https://www.spiegel.de/wissenschaft/technik/mini-photovoltaik-solarenergie-vom-eigenen-balkon-a-923219.html

Look at these pictures as well.

https://www.spiegel.de/fotostrecke/solarenergie-selbstversorgung-mit-mini-kraftwerken-fotostrecke-101637.html

THE ARTICLES IN A NUTSHELL

It describes the original vision of Photovoltaic as being for individual people, but the main constrains, that to actually use it, one has to have once very own roof.

With small plug and play installations as promoted by https://www.suninvention.com/ these modules become easily transportable and thus roof-top independent. Even if people are moveing house, they can simply take them with them.

It then discusses in some detail the risks involved in this approach, and whether these risks are constructed by the industry or real.

The emphasis however, is on the reintroduction of fairness and a return to the initial solar idea, of self consumption, without subsidies or feed in tariff and a money return after approximately ten years.

A very encouraging and interesting read, a pity really, that it does not come in English.

Here however, one addition to the articles, because in them, this aspect is not very clear;

The risk of overloading and maybe setting alight the lines inside the house is very small, but real.

By plugging a solar installation straight into a wall outlet, the circuit this outlet is on 'all in a sudden' gets power from two sides at the same time. A consumer sitting between the two can either take the solar power (if enough is present) from one side, or ordinary power from the other side as usual.

A problem however is potentially created, if one connects more or a bigger consumer than usual at the same place. Could the circuit provide only 10 Ampere before (approximately 2300 Watt) then there is now somewhat more amperage available, depending on the size of the connected installation.

For small installations this effect is minimal, but for slightly bigger installations (as SoLenium-technology  promotes them as well), this can quickly be as much as another 10 Ampere.

10 + 10 = 20 Ampere (roughly 4300 Watt) is about as much, as the same circuit might theoretically carry. If this amount is drawn trough under dimensioned  or old wires, then this might exceeds those wires capacity, and since the normal fuse of 10 Ampere does not register anything out of the ordinary, it might well be, that a cable fire is possible to occur.

To prevent this from happening,  SoLenium-technology  offers you all the necessary advise. And if you are interested and want to learn more about this form to create and  consume  your own energy, than we recommend as always "read on"!