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Recently, there has been a craze for balcony solar systems in Germany. This simple plug-and-play solar system requires only an AC power outlet, without a distribution box, and can be installed by non-professionals, so it has attracted much attention. At the same time, microinverters have become the first choice of many people.
What is balcony solar? Why invest in balcony solar? How to choose a balcony microinverter? Details are as follows.
What about the costs?
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Cost-effective initial investment. Simply one or two solar panels and a microinverter, usually with a cable length of 5-10 meters, can build a balcony solar system.
Referring to the general price in the Europe, a solar panel is 200-400 Euros, and a microinverter is 100 Euros. If you buy two panels, you can realize your solar energy investment plan for less than 1,000 Euros.
How to install?
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Preparations: First observe the condition of your balcony railings to check the stability, and then check the orientation of the balcony. Taking the northern hemisphere as an example, it is best to place solar panels facing south.
Solar panel: Install the fixing parts according to the installation manual, then carefully hang the solar panel on the railing or the prepared support to check the stability. Brackets are safer as protection because they are installed on the floor at a slope. The proportions of the panels are determined by the balcony area.
Microinverter: Pre-arrange the AC bus at the appropriate position of the microinverter, install the microinverter on the bracket or on the frame of the solar panel, closely connect the AC port with the AC bus connector. Finally insert the plug into the AC outlet to power on.
How does balcony solar system work?
After powering on, the solar panel on the balcony generates direct current after being irradiated by sunlight. The microinverter converts direct current into alternating current, and then supplies it to household loads such as washing machines, refrigerators, and air conditioners. Excess electricity will be sent to the public grid.
How to improve solar panel’s efficiency?
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l Solar radiation.
In the northern hemisphere, for example, the panels are placed on balconies facing south, and in the southern hemisphere facing north.
l Inclination angle and direction of the solar panel
According to the survey, placing the panels at a 45-degree angle to the horizontal line, and placing them at different directions in the morning and evening, can effectively increase the power generation.
l Temperature
As the temperature rises, the maximum output power of the solar panel will decrease, and the conversion efficiency of the microinverter will also decrease. In order to avoid the influence of temperature on the power generation, the panel should be kept in good ventilation conditions.
l Dust loss
The panel is placed outdoors, and the dust on it will cause a loss of production capacity, which is about 4-6%. The balcony panels are easier to clean than the roof, and should be wiped frequently to reduce the impact of dust on the power generation.
l MPPT
Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) is a technique used in variable power supplies to track the maximum output power point of a solar panel. The MPPT function of the on-grid system will be completed in the inverter, so it is important to select a suitable one.
Why invest in balcony solar?
l Tax cut
Solar incentives are very substantial. You can get a 50% tax deduction on the cost of the purchase, which can be reclaimed within 10 years by tax returns, or deducted from the invoice by transferring a 50% credit to the person who installed the panels.
l Save your electricity bill
The less upfront cost of balcony solar system can save your electricity bill compared to a rooftop PV array, which the power cannot be stored and will mostly be used in your home’s appliances. Reasonable allocation of electricity consumption time can effectively save electricity bills.
l Portable
It can be carried when moving or camping. Small solar panel and microinverter are both portable, you can put them in the trunk of your car and travel with you.
l Newbie friendly
There is no need for a large roof of the self-built house, just a spacious balcony with sufficient light; no need to hire professionals to install, but realize plug-and-play by yourself, saving installation costs.
Things need to pay attention to before buying microinverters
BENY Microinverter for Balcony Solar System
BENY microinverters with power of 500W/550W/600W can all be used in balcony solar system. This time, we will take BYM600 as an example.
l MPPT
As mentioned above, MPPT is an important index to measure the quality of the microinverter. The higher the static efficiency of MPPT, the more likely the microinverter will convert output. The static MPPT efficiency of BENY BYM600 can reach 99.8%, maximizing energy extraction.
l EURO efficiency
European efficiency, which is only applied in the PV effect, refers to a solar inverter with a standard configuration array given weights at different power points according to European lighting conditions to estimate the overall efficiency of the inverter. The larger the value, the better the performance. The EURO efficiency of BENY BYM600 can reach 96%, which is at the leading level.
l Maximum continuous current
Microinverter can not only realize 1-in-1, also x-in-1. But it depends on the continuous current of the microinverter. The larger the continuous current, the more solar panels can be supported in parallel. The maximum continuous current of BENY BYM600 is 18A, and it can cooperate with the self-developed solar parallel optimizer to realize 2-in-1.
l Communication method
Common microinverter communication methods include Sub1G, PLCC, WiFi and Zigbee. BENY microinverter communication method is PLCC, WIFI and Zigbee, which achieves stable and humanized communication at the same time.
l Intelligent monitoring
The microinverter monitoring platform can display the basic numerical status of the solar panel. Data diagnosis can also be made in time to troubleshoot problems. BYDAS is the supporting monitoring, analysis and management system for BENY microinverters. It contains detailed operating data. The APP on the mobile phone is BYDS , which can scan codes to connect microinverters and gateways. The user-friendly page design is easier to operate.
l IP rating
The microinverter needs to be placed outdoors along with the panel. The higher the protection level, the better the dustproof and waterproof effect. The standard is above ip65. BENY BYM600 ip rating is ip67.
l Certification
There are no mandatory certification standards for solar systems below 800w in Europe, but it is different in Germany. Inverters should be certified according to the VDE standard (VDE AR-N 4105). BENY BYM600 has VDE-4105 and CE certification, conforms to German and European standards, and also has INMETRO certification, conforms to Brazilian standards.
l Warranty
The general warranty period of microinverter is 10-12 years, and some brands can achieve 25-year warranty. BENY microinverter uses a car-grade chip to provide guarantee for the promise of 25-year warranty.
Conclusion
Compared with string inverters, microinverters are more suitable for this small-scale balcony solar system. The small size and high-efficiency design of microinverters can well solve the problem of reduced power generation caused by partial panel shadows. Even if you can’t power your entire house, planning when you use it wisely can save your electricity bills.
The microinverter is one of the important products of BENY solar series, and it has invested a lot of R&D energy, which has created its superior performance. Contact us now for details of microinverters and balcony solar solutions.
