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groundloop

(13,516 posts)

12. You're confusing kilowatt-hours with kilowatts

Reply to SnoopDog (Reply #7)

Sun Nov 30, 2025, 05:41 PM

Sunday

A kilowatt is a unit of power, a kilowatt-hour is a unit of energy. If an appliance uses 1 kilowatt (120 Volts at 8.3 Amps) for 1 hour it has consumed 1 kilowatt-hour of energy.

A modern, efficient refrigerator might use between 1 and 2 kilowatt-hours of energy per day, implying that it draws an average of between 0.042 and 0.084 kilowatt-hours each hour, which means that it's drawing an average of between 42 and 84 watts which at 120 Volts is only 0.35 to 0.7 Amps..... (not very much).

AND, from what I've read about these units they come with a small inverter which has a built in transfer switch function..... it will only supply power while it detects voltage on the outlet it's plugged in to. The user doesn't need to do anything to disconnect it if the grid goes down.

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Shipwack discntnt_irny_srcsm Six117

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Power surge: law changes could soon bring balcony solar to millions across US [View all] BumRushDaShow Sunday OP

(Sigh) Our homeowners association would freak out if anyone dared to put one/some of these on their unit progree Sunday #1

I doubt that Hitler had lesser power than HOAs do FredGarvin Sunday #5

I was exaggerating (sigh) /nt progree Sunday #6

HOAs do have a remarkable level of power. yardwork 11 hrs ago #31

This is a great idea but there might be/is a problem... SnoopDog Sunday #2

Transfer switch is required and disconnecting the home from the electrical utility FredGarvin Sunday #4

But that implies the homeowner would switch it off... SnoopDog Sunday #7

Agreed. I don't see it being enough power mdbl Sunday #8

Solar Panels produce DC current... SnoopDog Sunday #10

You're confusing kilowatt-hours with kilowatts groundloop Sunday #12

I actually do know the difference... SnoopDog Sunday #13

We have rooftop solar DBoon 15 hrs ago #26

The inverters on these things are "smart," they've got microprocessors in them. hunter Sunday #16

The 'solar or wind projects disconnect simultaneously, and the entire grid crashes' part... SnoopDog Sunday #18

It has happened before and it will again. hunter Sunday #20

Very interesting... SnoopDog 15 hrs ago #24

About a third of my neighbors have large solar systems. hunter 11 hrs ago #30

In Germany the power from the panels is Old Crank Yesterday #22

Good Idea for dozens of years FredGarvin Sunday #3

My washing machine just used .30 kwh SnoopDog 10 hrs ago #32

What will we do with... littlemissmartypants Sunday #9

You mean like all the other junk that is produced in the world? SnoopDog Sunday #11

Have you looked at the statistics on recycling lately? littlemissmartypants Sunday #14

Panels should be good for 25, Inverters for 15. Old Crank 14 hrs ago #28

What if you had a place in the Country, that wasn't connected to the power grid? This would work tremendously well, SWBTATTReg Sunday #15

Then you need batteries. Those are expensive. hunter Sunday #17

I've been playing with these kinds of systems for a couple of years now. hunter Sunday #19

The question to ask ... Grins Sunday #21

Munich here. Old Crank Yesterday #23

Question for you... SnoopDog 15 hrs ago #25

Power output can be all over the map Old Crank 14 hrs ago #27

Thom Hartman mentioned the balcony solar today on his program... SnoopDog 13 hrs ago #29