Ok, so let’s take a step back for a moment and make sure that we all know what Solar PV actually is. Well, PV stands for photovoltaic. It is the conversion of light into electricity. The solar cells in the panel produce Direct Current from sunlight that you can then use to power devices. Our homes and our devices use Alternating Current however. So we typically have inverters to change DC into AC so that we can use the power they produce!
Enel X’s Plug and Play Solar Balcony
One really handy product is Enel X’s Plug and Play Solar Balcony. It is a full kit, consisting of a 370 watt panel, Zucchetti micro inverter and all of the brackets necessary to fit it to the balcony. It’s easy to install, and allows the user to immediately start self-producing their own energy, saving money on bills and reducing CO₂ emissions. Each home that uses a Enel X Sun Plug&Play panel can cut its CO₂ emissions by 103 kg each year, the equivalent of what would be absorbed by almost 6 trees.
The single panel is a great solution for covering the base-level use of an apartment. Things like the fridge, freezer, some lights, television and other gadgets that we leave on standby. It would also shave off some of the consumption should you turn on the oven or kettle or some more heavy-duty appliances.
The inverter is quite light at a fraction under 2 kilos. It is also quite efficient, converting at a rate of 96.7%. This means that the system is capable of production of about 400kWh in a year, of course depending on where you live and how the panel is situated! Now for us EV lovers, we want to know how much ground that will cover! Well, let’s assume a real world usage of 150Wh per km for a Tesla Model 3. That means that you could drive the equivalent of 2,700km or 1,700 miles on what the solar balcony has produced.