TechGermany's balcony solar boom: Small-scale power hits record highs

Germany's balcony solar boom: Small-scale power hits record highs

More and more balcony photovoltaics in Germany

Images source: © Sunflower

3:13 PM EDT, April 26, 2024

Photovoltaic panels installed on balconies are becoming increasingly popular in Germany, where local authorities are actively promoting small-scale energy installations of this kind. Residents are keen to take advantage of these incentives.

Investment in balcony photovoltaics in Germany has hit record levels, spurred by regulatory changes that make installing these systems easier. Their popularity among apartment block residents is also tied to the spike in electricity prices, which, following the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine, went from about $0.35 to $0.47 per kWh.

Record increase in balcony photovoltaics in Germany

Statistics highlight the growing demand for balcony installations in Germany. In 2023, around 330,000 such photovoltaic systems were installed in Germany, and there are no signs of this trend slowing. Support from local authorities and declining prices of photovoltaic panels are driving this phenomenon. For instance, in Berlin, residents can receive a subsidy of 550 USD for installing panels on their balconies.

According to the Bundesnetzagentur, the German energy market regulator, Germany installed 50,000 balcony photovoltaic systems in the first quarter of 2024, bringing the total number of such solar power plants in the country to over 440,000.

Additionally, the Bundesnetzagentur will now automatically inform the local distribution system operator about the registration of a balcony photovoltaic installation. At the start of this year, the maximum allowable power of these installations was increased from 660W to 880W, with plans to raise it even further.

Even though balcony photovoltaics account for a relatively small share of Germany's total photovoltaic energy production, these small systems offer a significant advantage: they enable a high level of self-consumption of energy. Panels with a capacity of 880W generate relatively low power, meaning most of the energy produced is used directly by the residents, eliminating the need to feed excess energy into the network.

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