It wants to be the next trend. What is your opinion ?
Mine derives from 'if the utility allows it, is beneficial for the utility' not for the user, from what I understand.

The system uses solar panels ----> to a DC to 120VAC inverter feeding mains ----> into a dwelling outlet to power loads.

Missing here :

- Supplies power to neighbors too.
- The utility billing the neighbors for energy they use and your balcony generated.
- The utility does not need to invest in more generation equipment nor maintenance.
- Some bad accidents will happen from falling equipment as gravity is always on.
- Do no work while an outage, your 'balconied' system will be off.
- If has batteries, will not store sheet if charged, but did cost your money
- If has batteries, cannot provide power to the dwelling anyway.

 

I don’t blame you for being skeptical. I do wonder about the payback based on current pricing which is still too high. For safety, it has to see that mains power is actually on, and as with all grid tie inverters it locks itself onto the phase it sees

But for a naughty work around, how about a small battery driven inverter which generates a 50 or 60 Hz mains voltage signal which tricks the solar system into delivering power? Crucial that the mains supply is disconnected, so too dangerous for most people, but suppose you are off grid anyway?

 

It wants to be the next trend. What is your opinion ?
Mine derives from 'if the utility allows it, is beneficial for the utility' not for the user, from what I understand.

The system uses solar panels ----> to a DC to 120VAC inverter feeding mains ----> into a dwelling outlet to power loads.

Missing here :

- Supplies power to neighbors too.
- The utility billing the neighbors for energy they use and your balcony generated.
- The utility does not need to invest in more generation equipment nor maintenance.
- Some bad accidents will happen from falling equipment as gravity is always on.
- Do no work while an outage, your 'balconied' system will be off.
- If has batteries, will not store sheet if charged, but did cost your money
- If has batteries, cannot provide power to the dwelling anyway.

Utilities have been fighting it nationwide with IMO mainly bogus fears like you listed above. There is a huge surplus of panels and PV electronics from China. This trend (It's only a new trend in the USA) is IMO driven by that market.

There are worse things to spend your money on, with energy prices increasing, while PV systems are decreasing in price. For me it's been a engineering learning experience hobby building hybrid (on/off grid systems with energy storage) systems so I happy it's going official here like in the EU.

https://www.kqed.org/science/200212...olar-opening-the-market-to-the-new-technology

The device is a twist on rooftop solar: smaller, portable, and relatively inexpensive.

Balcony solar kits consist of just a few panels, an inverter that converts solar energy into the kind used in a home, and cables. In places where the technology is popular, like Germany, it can be plugged into a standard wall outlet.
The new law comes as Californians struggle to pay outsized electricity bills, which have risen substantially in recent years. Plug-in devices open the solar market to renters, people with unsuitable roofs, and those without the money to invest in a rooftop system.

 

It wants to be the next trend. What is your opinion ?

It's an interesting and relatively easy way to add a small amount of solar power to your home.
The caveat is that under rare circumstances, such a plugging two 15A loads into the same circuit along with the solar inverter and, depending on relative location of the sockets in the circuit, the AC circuit breaker might not detect the wire overload, thus giving the potential for an electrical fire.
But since there are few appliances that draw high current continuously besides electrical heaters, I don't think that's something to really worry about.

The utility billing the neighbors for energy they use and your balcony generated.

You utility meter should be configured so outgoing energy is subtracted from your total usage, but don't know if that's standard.