Why both Stream Ultra and microinverter
Seems odd as the Stream is supposed to have a microinverter built in. What am I missing?
u/Fabulous_Drummer_368 — 2 days ago
u/Fabulous_Drummer_368
Pushing balcony solar in Minnesota
This guy, pushing legislators. https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/05/08/lawmakers-considering-whether-to-allow-plug-in-balcony-solar-power
u/Fabulous_Drummer_368 — 6 days ago
Colorado just legalized plug-in solar (1,920W cap, biggest in the US)
Gov Polis just signed HB26-1007 today, 4th state to legalize balcony solar
u/Fabulous_Drummer_368 — 4 days ago
▲ 23 r/rochestermn
The legislation has made it into the Senate's Omnibus Energy bill, SF4504, and is headed for a vote on the floor. You can still let your support be known to Senator Rob Kupec , chief author in the Senate, and by letting your friends across the state know to contact their senators, and representatives while they're at it.
Edit for context: lug-in solar allows residents to connect a small solar panel system (below 1,200 W) directly into a standard outlet in their home. It’s a simple, lower-cost way for people to generate some of their own electricity and reduce their energy bills.
Plug-in solar is safe. The legislation puts safety first by requiring that plug-in solar in Minnesota meet the stringent Underwriters Laboratory (UL) 3700 standard developed specifically for this technology. UL was founded in 1894 and is an independent science company that tests, validates, and certifies products to ensure they meet established safety standards.
Plug-in solar opens the door to solar energy for those who can't access rooftop solar, including:
Renters and residents living in multi-family units
Owners of manufactured homes
Families who structurally or financially can’t install rooftop solar
Households looking for a more affordable entry point
Anyone who wants more control over their energy bills
Let your Senator know you support energy independence and plug-In Solar. Send your message today!
u/Fabulous_Drummer_368 — 12 days ago
▲ 22 r/duluth
The legislation has made it into the Senate's Omnibus Energy bill, SF4504, and is headed for a vote on the floor. You can still let your support be known to Senator Rob Kupec , chief author in the Senate, and by letting your friends across the state know to contact their senators, and representatives while they're at it.
u/Fabulous_Drummer_368 — 12 days ago
▲ 173 r/minnesota
The legislation has made it into the Senate's Omnibus Energy bill, SF4504, and is headed for a vote on the floor. You can still let your support be known to Senator Rob Kupec , chief author in the Senate, and by letting your friends across the state know to contact their senators, and representatives while they're at it.
Edit for context: Plug-in solar allows residents to connect a small solar panel system (below 1,200 W) directly into a standard outlet in their home. It’s a simple, lower-cost way for people to generate some of their own electricity and reduce their energy bills.
Plug-in solar is safe. The legislation puts safety first by requiring that plug-in solar in Minnesota meet the stringent Underwriters Laboratory (UL) 3700 standard developed specifically for this technology. UL was founded in 1894 and is an independent science company that tests, validates, and certifies products to ensure they meet established safety standards.
Plug-in solar opens the door to solar energy for those who can't access rooftop solar, including:
Renters and residents living in multi-family units
Owners of manufactured homes
Families who structurally or financially can’t install rooftop solar
Households looking for a more affordable entry point
Anyone who wants more control over their energy bills
Let your Senator know you support energy independence and plug-In Solar. Send your message today!
u/Fabulous_Drummer_368 — 12 days ago
The legislation has made it into the Senate's Omnibus Energy bill, SF4504, and is headed for a vote on the floor. You can still let your support be known to Senator Rob Kupec , chief author in the Senate, and by letting your friends across the state know to contact their senators, and representatives while they're at it.
u/Fabulous_Drummer_368 — 12 days ago
I’ve been wanting to augment the power of the grid-tie system I currently have on my house, without modifying that system. So I’ve been lurking here and reading about plugin systems. I put this system together on a separate garage for about $850 plus my time. The main expenses were: I bought the inverter($140) and panel mounting hardware($200) on Amazon. And found 4 used solar panels ($370) on Facebook marketplace. The system seems to work fine but I was expecting higher power output. The 4 panels are all rated for 300+ watts each. And the inverter is rated for 1.2 kw. Under full sunlight conditions with the sunlight close to perpendicular to the panels it’s delivering just under 800 watts. The inverter gets pretty hot, about 140F case temperature in my garage with an ambient temperature of about 70F. I’m not sure if this is normal for a convection cooled inverter like this.
I would be interested to hear if anyone has experience with inverters like this one. I thought it was pretty cheap for its size and advertised capacity. The model number is in the photo.
u/Fabulous_Drummer_368 — 18 days ago
▲ 1 r/balconysolar
Good looking and functional as well.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DWghbTgjDhS/?igsh=MWxzODFscHZhOG4=
u/Fabulous_Drummer_368 — 25 days ago
▲ 3 r/balconysolar
That would be Utah.
https://www.sltrib.com/news/environment/2026/04/06/balcony-solar-movement-gains/
u/Fabulous_Drummer_368 — 28 days ago
▲ 1 r/balconysolar
u/Fabulous_Drummer_368 — 28 days ago
▲ 2 r/balconysolar
A good placd to start: What is plug-in solar (balcony solar)? - Solar United. Edit to fix link: https://solarunitedneighbors.org/resources/what-to-know-about-plug-in-solar
u/Fabulous_Drummer_368 — 28 days ago
▲ 2 r/balconysolar
Senate File 3873, sponsored by Senator Rob Kupec, allows plug-in #solar in our state and has been incorporated into the Senate Energy Omnibus Bill (SF 4504) which passed out of the Senate Energy Committee this week. We need you to take action to ensure it passes the full Senate.
Plug-in solar allows residents to connect a small solar panel system (below 1,200 W) directly into a standard outlet in their home. It’s a simple, lower-cost way for people to generate some of their own electricity and reduce their energy bills.
Plug-in solar is safe. The legislation puts safety first by requiring that plug-in solar in Minnesota meet the stringent UL Solutions (formerly Underwriters Laboratories) 3700 standard developed specifically for this technology. UL Solutions was founded in 1894 and is an independent science company that tests, validates, and certifies products to ensure they meet established safety standards. Contact your representatives today.
#solarunited #Minnesota #electricity #MinnesotaSenate
u/Fabulous_Drummer_368 — 28 days ago
Plug-in solar sounds great; I have a patio with the right exposure and an outlet right there. But looking online, I realize that I have no idea what to buy.
We are limited to 420W, and using that as a search term brings up some suspiciously small and cheap foldable panels. So how do you go about finding a decent product that isn't going to burn the house down with Temu-grade wiring?
https://www.nrcm.org/blog/what-to-know-maines-new-plug-in-solar-law/
Also, how do you make sure a product has 'anti-islanding' shutdown features?
u/Fabulous_Drummer_368 — 28 days ago
I’m in Utah so I finally set up my HB 340 “balcony” plug in solar set up. 4 x 405W Imperial Star panels that I got locally for $100 each, plugged into a EcoFlow Stream Ultra in the garage (ran the wires under the door). I had 20A circuits so I downgraded one to 15A breaker so I can feed in up to 1080W, although the single Stream Ultra is limited to 800W.
Panels are on Eco-Worthy mounts held down with bricks, not too windy here plus the garage blocks it. They are south facing at 45 degree angle and making 6.5-6.8 kWh per day when it’s sunny, I expect more in the summer. Total spend under $1900 including wiring, mounts, etc.
I’m not sure the battery was worth the money, but it is nice for smoothing the power flow and extending the power into the evening for a couple of hours. The basic Stream microinverter might be the best budget option to improve the ROI. I’m waiting to see what other battery expansion options are offered by EcoFlow in the coming year or two. The goal is the cover as much of my house’s base load as possible, since I don’t have net metering. I do have a smart meter so at least I’m not charged for any excess generation that is accidentally fed to the grid. I would look into installing a Shelly Pro but I don’t think I have room in the main breaker panel.
u/Fabulous_Drummer_368 — 28 days ago