Austrian PV system

[petersonra]

I was watching a YouTube video a little while ago. It turns out that by filling in a form and mailing it to the grid company, any homeowner that wants to can install their own grid tie system with microinverter up to 800 Watts.

The microinverter just plugs into any outlet and feeds the grid through the outlet.

No electrician required. No bureaucracy. Very simple. Not very European. There must be some libertarian streak in Austria I didn't know existed.

 

[tom baker]

800 watts is not much, but the low cost that avoids a lot of wiring may be feasible

 

[GoldDigger]

800 watts is not much, but the low cost that avoids a lot of wiring may be feasible

But there is still the problem that affects the same connection in the US: Any load connected to the chosen circuit has the potential to draw the full microinverter output current in addition to the current limit of the breaker for that circuit. Agreed, 800W + 2400W is not as bad as 2400W + 2400W, but the potential for damage is still there.

 

[petersonra]

But there is still the problem that affects the same connection in the US: Any load connected to the chosen circuit has the potential to draw the full microinverter output current in addition to the current limit of the breaker for that circuit. Agreed, 800W + 2400W is not as bad as 2400W + 2400W, but the potential for damage is still there.

While true it's not like the wiring can't take it. And very few receptacle outlets draw anywhere near the circuit breaker rating for very long.

 

[electrofelon]

While true it's not like the wiring can't take it. And very few receptacle outlets draw anywhere near the circuit breaker rating for very long.

I agree, just because something is theoretically possible doesn't mean it is realistic enough to worry about. Most times, things can't be built to accommodate every scenario that can theoretically happen, or they could but the cost would be astronomical.

 

[pv_n00b]

Not legal in the USA. And this will damage GFCI receptacles/CBs. Since someone is likely to put this outside in the sun and connect it to an outside GFCI protected circuit that's a problem.

 

[Besoeker3]

800 watts is not much, but the low cost that avoids a lot of wiring may be feasible

Another way to look at it is the total energy. Over 24 hours it would be 19.2 kWh. For us, UK, the total energy would be 10 kWh. For USA I think it is about 14 kWh.

 

[ggunn]

Another way to look at it is the total energy. Over 24 hours it would be 19.2 kWh.

All you'd need is 24 hours of sunlight every day.

 

[Besoeker3]

All you'd need is 24 hours of sunlight every day.

Silly me.......................

 

[GoldDigger]

Silly me.......................

And, to make it worse, 12 hours of daylight does not correspond to 12 hours of maximum output from solar.
There are online resources that give you the number of solar equivalent hours each day for a particular date, location, and array orientation.

 

[Besoeker3]

And, to make it worse, 12 hours of daylight does not correspond to 12 hours of maximum output from solar.
There are online resources that give you the number of solar equivalent hours each day for a particular date, location, and array orientation.

Mea culpa......................