I imagine it's because they're bolted down quite well
this post was submitted on 20 May 2025
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Nah definitely the ATC shortage
I just took portable ones and ziptied them to my balcony connected to a solar generator. Works to feed all my electronics and server equipment. It only connects to the grid if its depleted, never feeds power back in.
So you can still do this in the states, so long as you're not feeding into the grid.
without reading the article I will guess... HOA regulations. How'd I do?
Not so good - issue is that your "code" for electrical installations doesn't include balcony solar and that your institutions are not able to include it because of reasons that do not make sense to anyone outside the USA
Let me guess? Electric monopoly?
No, it's electrical code. Standard outlets can't be used to supply power because it means you have a plug that has exposed wires commonly called suicide wires. While these balconey top solar likely use grid following so it has to detect a grid voltage, the electrical code doesn't consider it AFAIK. This rule is for safety and because it would only power half your house because there's only one leg per 110 outlet.
Or the fact that most people with balconies live in rented apartments and apartment managers aren't going to pay to subsidize an electric bill that tenants are entirely responsible for paying.
Yep. My apartment has restrictions in the lease that would prevent me from clamping solar panels as pictured.
"I don't want no woke commie energy"
Utah seems to be doing some cool things lately (try are featured in this article). They were at IIW this year talking about their new digital identity setup, too.
Tl;dr: Because we haven't created a safety standard for it.
The lack of an Underwriters Laboratories (UL) standard is perhaps the biggest obstacle to the adoption of balcony solar. The company certifies the safety of thousands of household electrical products; according to Iowa State University, “every light bulb, lamp, or outlet purchased in the US usually has a UL symbol and says UL Listed.” This assures customers that the product follows nationally recognized guidelines and can be used without the risk of a fire or shock.
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