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  • 29 Comments
Joined 10 months ago
Cake day: June 28th, 2024
  • @schnokobaer@feddit.orgtoTechnology@lemmy.world•‘If 1.5m Germans have them there must be something in it’: how balcony solar is taking offEnglish
    22•2 months ago

    I had no idea that is possible??? Is that special for Germany?

    I mean, the regulation seems to be, but there’s no fancy tech going on. I’m not an electrician but I think I can explain, as I have recently tried to understand myself. To understand why it’s possible it’s best to understand why the limit is at 800 W precisely.

    So German wall outlets usually have a 16 A fuse and the wiring in the walls is dimensioned to accommodate slightly higher current (I think they are 2.5mm² gauge allowing up to 20 A but don’t quote me on that particular part) for safety reasons. I suppose it would be the same or very similar in Denmark, or maybe most of Europe that uses 230V/50Hz AC.

    Now, normally, if you have dangerously powerful load that would melt your wires, let’s say 5 kW, and you plug it in to an outlet the fuse will just pop and you’re safe. If however you have a 2 kW PV system connected to a wall outlet nearby, it would theoretically be possible that your 5 kW load draws 13 A (3 kW) from the mains through the fuse and another 8.7 A (2 kW) from the PV system over the same wire in the wall that is only rated at 20 A but now carries 21.7 A. And the fuse would never pop at 13 A, making it a huge fire hazard. 800 W is basically just what will always comfortably fit into the safety margin of the wiring in German houses. All systems above 800 W need to be hardwired by professionals “behind” the fuse box so that every Amp from your PV goes through a typical 16 A fuse.

    still such an 800W system is dirt cheap by comparison

    Absolutely. I guess the low threshold for installation allows some kind of mass market economy of scale whereas systems like yours are homeowners’ luxury goods.

  • @schnokobaer@feddit.orgtoTechnology@lemmy.world•‘If 1.5m Germans have them there must be something in it’: how balcony solar is taking offEnglish
    78•2 months ago

    The “balcony” bit isn’t the defining characteristic, it shouldn’t be taken literally. Some people do have their “balcony solar power” on their roofs.

    What defines it is limitation to 800 W and inverters that come with a normal Euro Type F (“Schuko”) plug and no legal requirement for professional installation. A layman can literally plug it in to an existing wall socket. Given that they are capped at 800 Watts, the inverters are also the simplest type and dirt cheap (although often they are literally just software-capped and identical to higher power ones, make of that what you will). Complete systems (2 panels, cabling, inverter) cost between 299€ and 800€ depending on quality. You genuinely only have to buy a fixture that suits your needs and a mate to help you install it.

    Proper several-Kilowatt-systems are very expensive in Germany too.

  • @schnokobaer@feddit.orgtoGreentext@sh.itjust.works•Anon wipes his ass
    43•4 months ago

    Funny how there’s always a completely moot discussion about wiping techniques or bidets when the real issue with people having to wipe 20 times is almost always diet.

    If you think that’s bullshit go ahead and buy a small (for testing) pack of psyllium husk, consume two table spoons a day (in water or on top of a meal) and witness yourself becoming One-Sheet-Shane on the throne in 3 days.

  • @schnokobaer@feddit.orgtoGreentext@sh.itjust.works•Anon eats only protein bars
    25•7 months ago

    Aren’t protein bars more expensive

    On a $/kcal basis they gotta be one of the most overpriced nutrition you can get from like a grocery store. Not only are they highly processed, specialized nutrition that is individually packaged in tiny quantities which makes it naturally expensive, high protein products are also all the rage right now so there’s a massive idiot tax on them.

    Also, don’t protein bars have a bunch of fiber in them too?

    Not the ones I’ve seen. Maybe energy bars that have oats in them but not protein bars that are most often whey protein, sawdust and artificial flavoring…

    edit: ironically I put sawdust thinking of a garbage cutting agent but come to think of it that would actually be lots of fibers lol. I’ll leave it, I think the point I was trying to make was clear despite the blunder