Solar Power's New Frontier: Balcony Systems for Renters and Condo Owners
Solar power has truly come of age. Dropping in cost by 99.9 per cent over the past 50 years, it is now, by far, the cheapest source of energy in history. Resistant to fluctuations in the price of oil and natural gas, once installed it provides essentially free electricity for the life of the panels, at least 25 years. That's probably why you see it popping up on houses and in farm fields across our province.
One notable exception? Condos, apartments and backyard sheds. As recently reported in the Herald, a new type of system aims to correct this. Known as plug-in nanogeneration, or balcony solar, it allows renters and condo owners to participate in the energy transition by placing three or four panels, typically on a balcony, and just plugging them into a wall socket.
No electrician or permit needed, and it provides up to one-third of the typical family's power needs. Payback period on upfront costs (about $1,500 for 1200 watts) is about five to 10 years . . . after that, the electricity is essentially free. It makes financial and environmental sense.
Global Adoption and Local Values
So much sense that in Germany, more than one million systems have been installed. But it is not just European socialists embracing the movement. The first North American jurisdiction to embrace balcony solar is one our province shares values with: Utah.
This is much more than just a climate solution. This is about choice and freedom. The freedom to make your own power and not be entirely beholden to a utility for your electricity needs. And this is about resilience and energy security, decreasing the grid's need to continually expand, and instead relying on people's own smart economic decisions to decrease demand from the grid.
Fair Access for All Albertans
Equally important, it's about increasing fair access to this technology, which has previously only been available to homeowners and landowners. About a third of Albertans are renters, and 40 per cent live in multi-family dwellings such as condos and highrises. They, too, deserve an opportunity to participate in this cost-saving, freedom-raising adventure.
Addressing Safety Concerns
Ultimately, there really is only one concern that needs to be dealt with: safety. No electrician wants to go into a space, flip the breaker and find there is still live power in the system. Fortunately, this has been worked out by the many first adopters. A kill switch in the system is triggered if the power in the dwelling's wiring is absent; for example, if there is a power outage or the main breaker is tripped. All products sold in Alberta will be mandated to have passed certification by a standards organization such as the Underwriters Laboratory of Canada. In Germany, there have been no safety incidents associated with their use.
Making It Happen
So, how can we make this happen? Although technically legal now, these systems are rare, as the soft costs of installation are large, requiring an expensive interconnection permit and an electrician to install them. These costs can be removed with a stroke of the government's pen, as has been done in five U.S. states.
