Solar panels for the balcony

A small Nelson company is making the case for plug-in solar systems. These are two panels - and they plug into an inverter in the wall to contribute to the house's electricity consumption, and reduce the demand from the grid. This mode of solar power is illegal in New Zealand at the moment, but the Ministry of Regulation announced in May it was conducting a review into several forms of solar- and included plug-in panels. Because the panels can be moved and placed on balconies in apartments, they have been very popular in places like Germany. My Mini Solar owner Gunnar Friese - a German expat - says the illegality of the panels dates back to when they were an older technology and were not safe. But he says modern panels and inverters make electric shocks impossible.