Retail giants join UK government drive to boost "plug-in" balcony solar panels

In message <110u6l8$22ujm$ snipped-for-privacy@dont-email.me, Jethro <jethro snipped-for-privacy@hotmailbin.com writes

You can probably get a grant. Watch out for cold calling balcony salespeople .

Brian

Being honest, the cost is so (relatively) low, it's not worth a grant.

And the whole selling point is to eliminate the parasitical installers (by removing the "need" for them. If folk want to pay them anyway, that's their loss).

All of which being said, am, I alone in being mildly concerned about the mechanical implications of these things when the wind blows ?

I'm looking at anchoring mine at ground level (I have 4x5m free next to the house).

Methinks yon Brian was thinking of chancers coming along offering to install a balcony from which you could hang your panels.

I have a room-length porch facing exactly the right way which has a roof at more-or-less the optimal angle. I'm determined to find a way to fix panels or at least find a way to quickly detatch those panels and bring them in before the gales start to blow.

Nick

Look at solar panel mounting systems - there are lots of different ways based on roof type. If it's a flat roof they can be as simple as a trapezoidal plastic bucket that you ballast with sandbags:

You don't need to buy the whole system as one - you can buy the inverter and then add panels of your choice, with your own choice of mounting system.

Theo

AFAICS the magic trio will be:

Solar panels Battery/inverter Smart tariff

No one is going to be a millionaire. But even if domestic electricity usage can be reduced by 5% in this manner, it's a step towards less reliance on dodgy Russians.

My brother with 5 acres in Tennessee is currently at 20kW and looking to expand to 60kW by the end of the year. He says Trump has been the best thing for renewables since he moved there in 1995.

Time to update the old Sky joke of old:

"What do you call the box at the base of a balcony solar panel?"

Anything you like - it isn't going to answer.