Just spent $800 on solar panels that barely work in my Seattle condo

I bought these small balcony panels last fall hoping to cut my power bill. They said it would work in partial shade, but with our gray weather and building shadows, I'm getting maybe 5% of the power they promised. On the other side, the company says I didn't buy their 'premium sun tracker' add-on. Has anyone here had luck with solar in a cloudy, shaded city, or did I just burn cash?

3 comments

3 Comments

daniel_martinez842mo ago

Honestly I used to think those small panels were a good idea for apartments. My buddy had the same issue in Portland though, just not enough real sun to make it work. Feels like they're kinda selling hope more than actual power in places like ours.

sandraf842mo ago

Yeah, that "works in partial shade" line is usually total crap for our weather. I tried the same thing on my north-facing balcony. Those little panels need way more direct light than they admit. Your best bet is to check your condo rules about real panels on the roof. If that's a no-go, I'd cut your losses and sell the balcony kit online. Use the money for LED bulbs and a smart plug to actually save power.

the_nathan9d ago

That "selling hope more than actual power" line from Daniel really hits the nail on the head. Those kits are basically a marketing trick for people who want to go green but don't have the right setup. I gotta ask though, for people like us in cloudy cities, has anyone actually measured their output with one of those plug-in monitors? Seems like the only way to know if you're getting anything useful or if it's just a fancy nightlight for your balcony. What did your north-facing setup actually produce on a good day?