Boom in balcony solar panels in Germany: what you need to know and how to save on your bill

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More than 400 thousand plug-in solar systems have been installed in Germany, most of which take up a place on citizens’ balconies.

New data shows that at least fifty thousand of these photovoltaic devices were added in the first quarter of 2024 alone. A boom born of Germany’s “very strong solar culture”, in the words of one expert.

Balcony solar panels are a piece of the widest energy transition in Europe, explains Jan Osenberg, political consultant for the SolarPower Europe association.

“We see them as a subset of rooftop solar, but also as something different,” he tells Euronews Green. “There is a tendency to use all possible artificial infrastructure for solar energy generation.”

Railroad trackshighways, parking lots, car roofs, cemeteries and building facades. The list of structures that are transformed into solar systems is long.

But why are other European countries late in adopting balcony solar panels? And what do you need to know if you are thinking of one or two panels for your balcony?

How solar balconies work

The main aspect that differentiates balcony solar panels from roofs is that it is a much smaller system. Essentially, the technology consists of one or two panels connected to an electrical outlet.

According to Osenberg, they produce only 10% of the energy of residential rooftop systems.

As a rough calculation, Osenberg estimates that Germany has approximately 200 MW of installed balcony solar, compared to 16 GW of capacity in the residential rooftop sector.

From the customer’s point of view, the main difference is that balcony photovoltaics are much easier to install. You can purchase the kit online and you don’t need an electrician to install it. Unlike what happens for Roof installationsfor which it is advisable to contact certified installers to avoid fire risks and damage to the structure.

In short: the panels are placed on a mounting structure and connected by cables to an inverter that converts electricity from direct current to alternating currentwhich is inserted into the socket via a normal plug.

Who are solar balconies aimed at?

“The main reason for the success of balcony solar systems is that they give the possibility to use solar energy to people who could not do so before,” says a spokesperson for the German manufacturer Meyer Burger.

“Most people do not own a house, or cannot install a rooftop solar system due to property protection, shading or other roof construction conditions. For them, balcony solar is attractive because they can use solar energy to generate their own electricity and reduce bills.”

Germany was one of the first countries to invest in solar technology and today produces the majority of electricity from sources solar in Europe. But, as elsewhere, condominium owners were late to the party.

“The multi-unit sector has been left out of the solar boom, it’s really been overlooked,” Osenberg says.

Osenberg attributes this to the difficulties encountered in convince all building owners to accept rooftop solarfor example, and the difficulty of sharing electricity between different apartments.

“With balcony solar”, however, “it has become suddenly very, very simple. All the people who haven’t been able to take advantage of solar energy in the last ten years now have a way to access it.”

According to Osenberg, this “wave” of new solar owners is not simply benefiting from cheap electricity, but is also able to take their place in the energy transition.

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“Rooftop solar power really has an empowering effect: people who start to have a solar system, start to monitor their electricity consumption, start to feel like a person at the forefront of the energy transitiona person who supports the energy transition and is already part of it,” says Osenberg.

So Germany helped people adopt balcony solar

In the 2000s, Germany was at the forefront of rooftop solar energy. The government encouraged citizens to participate in the initiative by rewarding them with grid feed-in tariffs, for example, which provided a fixed price for each unit of electricity sent to the grid.

According to Meyer Burger’s spokesperson, “customers had already started this boom and were successfully asking politicians to simplify the bureaucracy”. “Measures such as the elimination of VAT have contributed to the popularity of balcony solar.”

Regional grants are also available, with an offer of up to 500 euros per Berlin (potentially half the cost of a kit). According to Osenberg, the technology pays for itself after about three years. So, with a lifespan of around 20 years, “it’s a very simple investment for citizens.”

According to the market data register, North Rhine-Westphalia currently has the largest number of plug-in solar systems, with over 80,000, followed by Bavaria with over 60,000 and Lower Saxony with over 50,000.

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The size of balcony solar systems is also gradually increasing, adds Osenberg. The German government is looking to enable up to four panels.

Why are other countries “missing out” on balcony solar?

The EU has stated that member states can encourage the adoption of balcony solar. But it is not mandatory and has not been embraced by all countries.

The Belgiumin particular, has banned plug-in solar devices out of fear of the impact of unregistered systems feeding into the electricity grid.

Grid operators want to have oversight of the electricity supply, as sudden changes can lead to a power outage. “But in our opinion this is not a real problem,” explains Osenberg, “because the input from the balcony system is so small that the impact would be completely negligible.”

Austria, France, Italy, Poland and Luxembourg have took an encouraging position towards balcony solar. In Spain, however, supporters of renewable energy are trying to convince the government to loosen the rules soon.

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Things to keep in mind before buying a balcony solar system

Innovation in the field of solar energy is constant and balconies are no different. If you’re tempted to participate, here are some things to keep in mind.

L’Small-scale storage is an option. While these systems don’t tend to produce much excess electricity, more and more manufacturers are offering storage systems for balcony-specific solar energy. The batteries, which fit between the panels and the inverter, are smaller than those on roofs, but are still useful for those who work during the day and can use the stored energy in the evening.

The apps can help you monitor your electricity consumption. Some kits come with apps that let you see how much electricity your solar system produces and how well it meets your energy demand. These applications are hosted on secure servers, so they do not compromise your digital protection.

Make sure your kit is produced sustainably. For Meyer Burger, this means that i panels “they do not contain lead or other toxic substances (such as PFAS) and are produced without forced labor according to decent social and ethical standards”.

It’s possible rent a balcony solar system. And of course the great thing about this plug-in system is that if you rent an apartment, you can take it with you when you move.

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Balcony systems must still be securely mounted. While they encourage a do-it-yourself approach, you need to take installation seriously, Osenberg says. The design of the hooks makes things easier, but since the modules weigh up to 24 kg, they could cause serious damage if they fell from the tenth floor.