California passes bill to make plug-in solar systems easier and cheaper to install

[JimboMo]

Imagine a circuit in your home being rated at 20A. The wiring can handle a bit more. The breaker is 20A. If you plug in an appliance that draws 150A, the breaker trips. If the breaker didn't trip, the wiring would heat up and , potentially, start a fire. The breaker prevents more that 20A from flowing into the circuit.
Now imagine you plug a bunch of these panels into that circuit, along with the appliance. The breaker would still only allow 20A from the utility to flow into the circuit. The panels connect to the circuit directly, without going through the breaker. You might have 50-60A flowing through a circuit that is rated for 20A...
Result: fire...

This law will allow systems generating up to 1200 watts per residence. On a 120 volt circuit, that means it will generate 10 amps maximum. Should not be a problem.

 

[bigreddyde]

This law will allow systems generating up to 1200 watts per residence. On a 120 volt circuit, that means it will generate 10 amps maximum. Should not be a problem.

My post was giving reasons for why we need the regulations. You're just backing what I was saying.

 

[bigreddyde]

Video below based in the UK but the same concerns apply and it's very unlikely you'd ever get a fire as the system is designed to protect itself and the house.

That's the point of the regulations, to make sure they're built safely.

 

[bigreddyde]

I dont see the full logic here. if the solar is say putting 30 amps to the outlet. it has to flow through the wire to the breaker to get to anything else. so the breaker would still trip. the only way what you are saying could happen is if you had something on the same circuit that could pull 30 amps at the same time. then there wouldnt be any flow to the breaker causing the wiring to heat up. the big question is how you would have 30 amps pulling from another outlet? probly not happening unless you had 3 outlets in series and 10amps pulling from each.. I see your point there is a chance, but not likely.

You could have 15 amps on the circuit, 15 on another. Only the 15 would pass through the breaker.

 

[bandit8623]

You could have 15 amps on the circuit, 15 on another. Only the 15 would pass through the breaker.

thats also what I was trying to say