With a balcony power plant, consumers can produce their own green electricity. This has so far been associated with some bureaucracy. With the turn of the year it could get easier.
By Christina Keppel
Photovoltaic modules on the balcony, in the garden or in the garage supply the household with green electricity. They are easy to assemble and the purchase costs are manageable. It is hardly surprising that the small systems are very popular: According to a current analysis of data from the Federal Network Agency by the data portal Statista, around 300,000 plug-in solar devices were installed nationwide in Germany in August 2023 – a good three times as many as in December of the previous year.
For many people, it will probably be much quicker to put their balcony power plant into operation in the future. The federal cabinet approved a solar package in mid-August, making plug-in solar devices a new category of solar systems in the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG). This should eliminate many bureaucratic hurdles for tenants and owners. This should help accelerate the expansion of solar energy in Germany. The regulation could come into force as early as the new year.
Anyone interested must currently take this into account
A plug-in solar device consists of one or more photovoltaic modules and an integrated inverter that converts the solar power into household electricity. The system can be easily connected using a socket plug. The electricity produced can be consumed directly – thus reducing the energy bill.
In order for the balcony power plants to be safe, users must mount the solar panels firmly. You should also buy the systems in German online shops or from your local electrician. Even a device from a neighboring European country may not meet the legal requirements in Germany. Users also don’t have to worry about the electrical system if they keep one thing in mind: “We advise only buying the device ready to plug in,” says Jörg Sutter, consultant for photovoltaics at the North Rhine-Westphalia Consumer Center. Offers that, in addition to solar panels and inverters, only contain loose cables without the appropriate plug-in devices should be avoided.
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Until now, tenants have had to obtain the consent of their landlords and owners the consent of the homeowners association (WEG) – of course before installation and commissioning. This could no longer apply with the new law. Registration is also becoming easier: consumers currently have to register their balcony power plant both with the network operator – often the local municipal utility – and in the Federal Network Agency’s market master data register (MaStR). If the new law comes as expected, registration with the network operator will no longer be necessary from 2024.
In addition, the power limit of the inverters is to increase to 800 watts instead of the current 600 watts – so from 2024 the devices should provide more electricity for the household than before. The ban on connecting plug-in solar devices to analogue electricity meters could also be eliminated. These are particularly common in old houses and in the countryside. Then users no longer have to wait for the electricity meter to be changed before installation.
For whom is a balcony power plant worthwhile?
The consumer advice centers recommend one or two standard solar panels with a maximum output of 400 watts per household. For a two-person household, they recommend a mini system with one module; two modules are only worthwhile if the basic consumption is high. A plug-in solar device with a standard module costs between 350 and 600 euros, depending on the provider. A sales tax rate of zero percent has applied to plug-in solar devices since January 1, 2023.
How much energy a household can save with a balcony power plant depends on its location and household consumption. According to a sample calculation from consumer advice centers, a balcony power plant with a 400-watt module can, under certain conditions, cover almost the basic load of a two-person household on sunny days. For this purpose, the mini system should, for example, be mounted vertically on a balcony facing south, without shading. In this example, the plug-in solar device supplies around 280 kilowatt hours of electricity per year.
However, balcony power plants do not store the energy produced – and there is no feed-in tariff for excess energy that flows into the grid. Therefore, a household’s electricity consumption is probably not reduced by the entire capacity of the system. In its calculation example, the consumer advice center assumes that a household’s electricity consumption can be reduced by around 200 kilowatt hours using a balcony power plant. At an electricity price of 35 cents per kilowatt hour of electricity, the annual savings would be around 70 euros. This means that the acquisition costs would have been amortized after five to seven years.
Anyone interested can easily calculate for themselves whether the balcony power plant is worthwhile for their own circumstances. The plug-in solar simulator from the Berlin University of Applied Sciences (HTW) determines how much electricity and money households can save individually with a plug-in solar device.
According to Sutter, the question of the profitability of the mini system is not the main point for most people. Since the costs and effort for the systems are relatively low, other arguments usually predominate: “Many consumers are curious about the technology and want to contribute to the energy transition with a balcony power plant.”
This article was first published by our colleagues at CAPITAL
Source: Stern
