Wait – plug in/portable solar panels are illegal? What’s a renter to do?

Photo above - 2015 film "The Martian". Astronaut Matt Damon learns that he will need to pay a $199 connect fee and wait weeks for inspections and permits before using his portable solar panel.

Disclaimer – the legality of portable and plug-in solar panels varies state by state. The MSN link below warns us what we're up against in California.

How would you like to save $500 (or more) annually on your electric bill? And reduce the need to build more and more electric plants, which will probably only be used to power AI data centers anyway? Well, portable panels are illegal in California. San Francisco (unofficial slogan: “be sure to wear some flowers in your hair”) has a litany of fees, permits, and inspections before you can use that Flex Solar 100W panel you ordered from Amazon (just $75. Price drop from $89).

Pacific Gas and Electric – the state controlled power monopoly - lobbied to have all those fees and regulations in place for renters with plug in panels. Right now the police might be scanning for portable solar panels on renters’ balconies, and file criminal charges. It's easy for cops to catch solar panel scofflaws, unlike shoplifters who can just run away.

Evidently PG&E is worried that if enough people use plug-in panels to power their portable space heaters the company could lose big money. At least that’s what they convinced legislators and regulators.

San Francisco is now considering a bill to restore free access to the sun. If this new bill passes, you will no longer have to interconnect your dinky panel to PG and E's 10 gazillion watt grid, wait weeks for inspections and permits, and pay a connect fee. Hooray, right?

The real problem here is that California’s politicians think they can solve their budget fiascos by taxing anything and everything. They just put a new $15 battery tax in place on January 1st. It applies to things like (smart phones, laptops, tablets, etc).

So . . . i have to pay a fee to collect sunlight, and another tax just to own the battery? Only someone diabolically evil could come up with a scheme like this.

I’m just sayin’ . . .

California bill would help renters lower electricity bills by easing rules for plug-in solar panels

exchrist · 36-40

So a best practice from the east coast is “net metering” power produced beyond what is used is reimbursed to the producer of the energy surplus. The surplus is transferred to the next most proximitous electricity consumer. there is a service charge (the equivalent of a sales tax per kilowatt sold, which is subtracted from the amount to be paid to the producer of excess).
My point is how is there a shortage of electricity accompanied by black and brown outs at the same time there is excess electricity being produced from renewable sources?

SusanInFlorida · 31-35, F

@exchrist good question. the underlying complication appears to be "peak production" (high noon) does not coincide with peak demand. Australia is now in the throes of this dilemma.

the only solution visible on the horizon are batteries (lithium ion, gravity, or whatever) to store peak production for use at night or on cloudy days.

MethDozer · M

@exchrist Yhays not possible with portable plug in panels. You need special equipment to be able to backfeed and meter into the grid