Balcony Solar Seen as Easy Entry Point For Clean Energy Consumers

(Southern Alliance for Clean Energy via Minnesota News Connection)

(By Mike Moen. Minnesota News Connection) – The idea of making solar part of your home’s power source mix is to keep your rising electricity bill in check but analysts said up-front costs complicate planning, and Minnesota wants to be part of an emerging market featuring less expensive plug-in models.

The units, also known as “balcony solar,” typically cost several hundred dollars. Traditional rooftop solar panels have long enjoyed tax credits but still come with price tags well into the thousands.

Will Mulhern, electricity program director for the advocacy group Fresh Energy, said balcony solar setups are much smaller and can be easily transported, allowing more renters to adopt the technology.

“When you think about rooftop solar, a lot of folks will generate electricity and then they’ll sell that back to the power grid,” Mulhern observed. “But with balcony solar, it’s really just going to serve the devices that are in your home.”