Let's do this.
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@TechConnectify You're my hero...what a treasure this is, thank you for your hard work! 🫡
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@f4grx The part that I'm concerned about here is the graphic that seems to imply you can just plug this in to backfeed a wall socket that you'd normally use to plug a lamp or TV into, and that's the part that's specifically dangerous, since you're being a power source downstream of all of the safety systems, and people upstream can't guarantee their own safety from you when repairing downed lines as it works here when you just plug into a random wall outlet with a power source.
@BalooUriza
I might be entirely wrong but as I understand it they have pretty sophisticated current leakage and monitoring abilities and very very quick shut-off. So yes it's back feed but it can detect if something anomalous has happened so it locks out if a breaker is tripped or if a line is cut.
I don't believe you can use these in an outage situation, and you're correct it would be unsafe without an interlock.
@f4grx @balkonsolar -
@BalooUriza
I might be entirely wrong but as I understand it they have pretty sophisticated current leakage and monitoring abilities and very very quick shut-off. So yes it's back feed but it can detect if something anomalous has happened so it locks out if a breaker is tripped or if a line is cut.
I don't believe you can use these in an outage situation, and you're correct it would be unsafe without an interlock.
@f4grx @balkonsolar@pfriedma That's what I'm saying,you'd need to have a cutover interlock at the breaker box, AND you can't just plug panels into any random outlet (since you would be bypassing circuit protection). I know that much from living someplace where my neighbor generated all the power for like 3 households and dealing with that, and still have capacity left over and still had a cutover to sell back power to the electric co-op.
Or is this just explaining modular solar badly?
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@TechConnectify thanks for being on Fediverse.
@almino @TechConnectify I wish it was easy enough to upload to a PeerTube instance that Alec would choose to do so, for people that don't want to suffer YT ads.
But, the combination of so little reach and no (or even negative) revenue makes it hard to justify much, if any, effort.
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@TechConnectify
️ and thank you. -
renewables > burning fuel
building capital > operating
<ending type=fake>
community > fascism
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@TechConnectify you are awesome.
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@TechConnectify
Truth. -
@TechConnectify seeing all the "haven't watched it all yet but pretty great so far" comments...
Hrrrrrnnnnnghhhh...WATCH TO THE END!
@msh @TechConnectify haha, I'm halfway thru after 2 watch sessions
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This was awesome
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@TechConnectify Thank you!
I'm just at the start section and all of the benefits of solar bits I'm going "OK, this video isn't for me, it's an education piece for the dumb portion of the Americans and the UK Reform voters" but looks like I really need to watch the rest!
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@TechConnectify Thank you so much for making every second of this video.
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> six solar systems installed between 1987 and 1993 that have been in continuous operation since, and found most panels still producing more than 80% of their original output after nearly four decades.
https://electrek.co/2026/01/28/how-long-do-solar-panels-last-new-study-shows-its-longer-than-you-think/
@TechConnectify@cwilcox808 @mattesilver @TechConnectify that’s not universally true, though!
There’s a German electrician working on PV sites who’s documenting his attempts to repair a certain type of PV panel where the backside laminates deteriorate after only a few years… https://youtu.be/D-vWFO0gnUk to the point of complete loss of power generation because the isolation breaks down.
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@TechConnectify Thank you.
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@TechConnectify Thank you so much for this. For both parts!
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@BalooUriza
I might be entirely wrong but as I understand it they have pretty sophisticated current leakage and monitoring abilities and very very quick shut-off. So yes it's back feed but it can detect if something anomalous has happened so it locks out if a breaker is tripped or if a line is cut.
I don't believe you can use these in an outage situation, and you're correct it would be unsafe without an interlock.
@f4grx @balkonsolar@pfriedma @f4grx @BalooUriza true, you can't use these in an outage. They don't oscillate themselves, need the grid to follow it (not an expert, @balkonsolar know the details probably). So for danger, the remaining thing is the shape of the plug, with the german "SchuKo" style hiding the pins until the connection is severed, which isn't quite so easy with these flat US-style sockets i guess... There's still discussion about "but what if i really quickly pull the plug out" though...
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@utf_7 @TechConnectify it is in fact 2 videos attached in the middle. The second part, not talking about solar, is considered by many to be the important part.
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@TechConnectify Fantastic video! Thank you for being open and honest about the messed up politics occurring in the country too!
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@pfriedma That's what I'm saying,you'd need to have a cutover interlock at the breaker box, AND you can't just plug panels into any random outlet (since you would be bypassing circuit protection). I know that much from living someplace where my neighbor generated all the power for like 3 households and dealing with that, and still have capacity left over and still had a cutover to sell back power to the electric co-op.
Or is this just explaining modular solar badly?
@BalooUriza @pfriedma @f4grx @balkonsolar
A grid-tied solar PV inverter isn't like a gas generator. It follows the grid waveform and will cut out within one cycle if the grid is lost. Unplugging the inverter, the plug is dead before the pins are exposed to be touched.At 230V, 800W (the German limit for plugin solar) is ~3.5A. The German electrical regulator has deemed that a typical 16A power circuit wired in 1.5 sq.mm. cable will still be safe with 3.5A of current fed from the "wrong end".
