Post #1909515

2026-05-03 07:10 UTC

@smallsolar@techhub.social In some flats where balcony solar isn't allowed because the landlord is a bastard, people have been building solar tables, which is just a panel with four legs. There is no rule against having a table on your balcony and no rule what a table has to be made of. You'll probably find many pictures if you search for "solartisch". They can be used as table as well (best use a table cloth to avoid scratching the glass, although it is pretty tough).

Replies (5)

@smallsolar@techhub.social 2026-05-03 07:17

@yngmar that is such a clever idea! I'll do some research and see if I can find some pictures, definitely one for the website and I'm half tempted to make my own for fun!

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@FrankauLux@polyglot.city 2026-05-03 09:10

@yngmar @smallsolar Brilliant !!!

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@estupigaia@owo.cafe 2026-05-03 09:50

@yngmar @smallsolar that's pretty punk if you ask me

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@stereo4x4@techhub.social 2026-05-03 14:16

@yngmar @smallsolar built one of those a few years ago. The hardest part was to find a suitable panel in terms of "small but extra thick frame for maximum sturdyness". 200W panel, 300W inverter limited (to stay below the legal limit for overall power fed into the grid). I opted for cheap surplus/scratched steel legs mounted with excess 19" rack mounting screws. I used rubbery plastic spacers to help with the bending force applied to the panel frame. The panel has protective plastic covers on the corners. If drilling holes into the frame, put a cloth and a piece of wood anside to not hit the plastic surface with the tip of the drill. I used two aluminum rails to mount the inverter. As those inverters are potted I just removed four screws that hold on the cover and replaced them with slightly longer ones that go though holes on the aluminum profiles.

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@anyGould@kind.social 2026-05-03 14:22

@yngmar @smallsolar If you're renting, how do you get the power into the system? Or do you just power batteries/specific items off the panel?

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