Buying a balcony power plant requires careful consideration in advance. Whether the investment is worthwhile for you depends on a variety of factors.
Buying a balcony power plant – what you should know
Balcony power plants are currently very popular. However, not every trend is necessarily recommended and therefore the purchase should be carefully considered in advance. It is definitely advisable to carry out a small cost-benefit analysis before purchasing a balcony power plant.
- For the balcony power plant itself, you should expect to pay between around 500 and 3,000 euros, depending on the model. On average, you should factor in costs of around 1,000 euros. There are also a few smaller amounts, but they add up. This is especially true if you are not very handy.
- Among other things, if you don't already have a socket on the balcony, you will need to make a hole in the wall to lay the cable. A so-called Wieland socket is not mandatory for the balcony power plant, but is definitely recommended.
- And last but not least, the mini solar system must be installed on the balcony. The modules must be securely fastened and aligned as perfectly as possible. In addition to the brackets, which are not cheap, there are also a few other parts that are needed. Depending on whether you do it yourself or whether you hire professionals, this can cost between 300 and 600 euros.
- Furthermore, you cannot simply set up a power plant on your balcony. If it is a rental property or a condominium, you must first obtain the relevant permission. And the bureaucratic effort does not end there.
Buying a balcony power plant – this is what you should check in advance
In addition to the costs of purchasing and installing the balcony power plant, there are several other important factors that you should consider when deciding for or against a mini solar system.
- In general, balcony power plants with a maximum output of 800 watts have been permitted in Germany since May 2024. That is not all that much. This cannot be avoided by purchasing several systems, because in Germany only one balcony power plant is permitted per household.
- Another important factor is of course the location of your balcony and the number of hours of sunshine in your area. If the conditions are right, an 800 watt balcony power plant generates between 900 and 1,200 kilowatt hours of electricity per year. However, and this is also important to know, you must use the electricity immediately, 1:1, otherwise the energy generated will “disappear” pointlessly through the socket.
- The electricity generated by the balcony power plant flows primarily to the so-called permanent consumers that are permanently connected to the grid and draw electricity. These include household appliances such as the refrigerator and freezer, but terrariums and aquariums could also be supplied with the electricity generated by the plug-in solar system.