Frank 🍁⚜️

With the price of #energy rising, #eu seems to adopt alternatives for every day people.

Balcony #solar systems.

For a one time cost, you can decentralise a bit of #electricity generation for yourself.

But as always, #canada is so behind. We don't seem to have the technical certifications and requirements to make it work.

Also, I'm not sure how it would last with Canadian weather.

https://www.theenergymix.com/balcony-solar-a-largely-untapped-option-in-canada/

Balcony Solar a Largely Untapped Option in Canada

Regulatory, technical, and building barriers limit adoption, despite growing interest in plug-in solar systems and widespread use in Europe and the United States.

The Energy Mix
Mar 27 at 6:11pmWeb
Show threadPaul Turnbull 🇨🇦10h ago
@frank The panels should be fine through winter. There are lots of panels on rooftops all over the country. Also parts of Europe get lots of winter too.
Show threadFrank 🍁⚜️10h ago
@Chigaze Yeah, I thought about that. I just assume you have to clear the snow from time to time.
Show threadPaul Turnbull 🇨🇦10h ago
@frank You can but for the rooftop ones the times of year they’re covered are typically low generation times anyways. If they’re steep enough the snow just sluffs off eventually. The ones in the article that hang of balconies don’t look like they could hold snow.
Show threadFrank 🍁⚜️10h ago

@Chigaze In the picture, they hold the panel vertically so I don't think they would hold snow, but they should still be well attached and possibly locked.

Or just don't use them during winter and remove them.

Show thread🇨🇦 robyn 💜9h ago

@frank I visited family in Germany last year, and was shocked (in a very positive way) to find that you were able to buy these at Lidl (a popular discount grocery store).

They are fantastic & serve the huge demand for small-scale solar among renters - don't need access to the roof or get permission.

Even rural Germany has SO MUCH solar & wind now. Every time I return to Canada after a trip I get sad 😔😔

Show threadFrank 🍁⚜️9h ago

@robyn In Canada, I've seen solar panels on roofs, VR, camping, etc.

But never as an actual every day product yet.

And yeah, I think Germany is one of those countries that prioritises a lot green energy.

Show threadUrbanEdm9h ago

@frank @Daveography I can't imagine the weather would be a bigger barrier for balcony solar than rooftop. Probably less since the vertical mounting would never be covered by snow.

There seems to be unreasonable fear of backfeeding circuits that takes forever to update standards, despite evidence from elsewhere (including the US that uses almost identical electrical standards.)

Show threadFrank 🍁⚜️9h ago
@UrbanEdm Yeah, that's what I think too
Show threadreinierl2h ago
@frank Yeah, don't worry about the weather. Compared to the countries around the North Sea, Canada gets more frost and snow, but also more sun, and less rain and wind.
Show threadFrank 🍁⚜️2h ago
@reinierl That's good to know!