this post was submitted on 12 Feb 2026
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I am not an electrical engineer, but based on OP's description, it sounds like a solar panel that connects to an outlet in an existing circuit. Say you have a solar panel plugged into the first outlet on a 15-Amp circuit, with solar producing 1200 Watts of available power. Then you have a 10-Amp load plugged into the next outlet in the circuit, and another 10-Amp load plugged in further down the circuit. That 15-Amp circuit has wiring rated for 15 Amps. You have 20 amps of load, but the solar panel is providing half of that downstream from the circuit breaker. The breaker sees only 10 amps of load and doesn't trip, though you have wiring downstream from the solar panel that's carrying 20 Amps. This will start a fire.
The solar panel would be providing some of that electricity though. You're not accounting for that.
I am accounting for that, that's the whole point I'm making. Breaker is supplying 10 of its available 15 Amps, solar provides another 10 Amps, load downstream is drawing 20. Wiring between solar and load is carrying 20 Amps, but potentially rated for only 15.