A lot of people are excited about getting a plug-in solar panel or two – “balcony solar” – now that Gov. Ayotte has signed a bill making them legal in New Hampshire. But it’s not quite that simple.
Clean Energy New Hampshire, which was a major driver in getting the law approved, has sent out a cautionary note telling people to exercise patience even though more than a million panels have already been installed in Germany.
The issue, it says, is that U.S. homes are wired differently than European ones.
“As such, plugging panels into an existing standard outlet may be unsafe. A dedicated national safety standard, UL 3700, is now in development to address key life and fire safety issues,” it says. The new New Hampshire law “holds off on updating N.H. building code and utility connections until that standard is complete and compliant devices reach the market.”
As a result, it says, “rely on trusted guidance from the NH Department of Energy as it becomes available, and buy only certified, code-compliant products once standards are settled.”
More details on the CENH blog here.
