Introduction: I recently decided to investigate solar some more because I learned there were plug-in units which could be charged via your AC wiring in your house. One Solar Panel could potentially charge a series of batteries throughout your house. You could have a battery pack for every appliance. This would potentially allow you to charge the batteries during the day and you can use the electricity at night when you come home. So I am writing a little about this.
What this is...
Definition: Plug-in mesh batteries connect to solar power using smart computer software or by plugging solar panels directly into the battery. How they connect depends on whether you have big solar panels on your roof or small, portable panels.
How this works...
1. Connecting to Roof Solar Panels (Using Smart Software)
If you already have solar panels on your roof, you do not need to connect wires from the panels to the battery. Instead, the battery talks to your roof solar system over your home Wi-Fi network:
- Smart Computer Talking: The battery's software talks over Wi-Fi to your solar system's control hub to see how much power your roof is making in real time.
- Smart Charging: When your roof panels make extra power during sunny hours, the battery notices it and automatically draws that extra power from the wall outlet to charge itself.
- Solar Weather Forecasting: If the battery cannot talk to your roof system's brand yet, it uses your location, the time of day, and weather forecasts to guess how much solar power you will make so it knows when to charge.
2. Connecting Portable Solar Panels (Plugging Wires Directly In)
If you rent, live in an apartment, or do not have roof panels, you can plug small solar panels straight into the battery:
- Built-In Solar Control: Plug-in batteries have special plug ports on the back or side, along with a built-in computer brain (called a charge controller) that safely manages incoming solar power.
- Easy Cable Setup: You run a cable from your portable or balcony solar panel straight into the battery. The battery's internal controller changes the raw solar power into the exact voltage needed to safely charge the internal battery.
Comparing old solar install workflow to plug and play solar installs.
3. The Future Goal: "Two-Way" Wall Socket Solar
In some places—like Germany and a few U.S. states with newer electrical rules—people can plug small "balcony" solar panels directly into regular wall outlets.
Here is how that works:
- Solar panels plug into a standard wall outlet anywhere in the home.
- The panels send electricity straight into your home's main wiring.
- The plug-in battery senses that extra power flowing through the wall and automatically saves it for later—no electrician or extra wires required!
Posted Using INLEO
