Balcony solar: solar power from your own balcony

With Solar Package I (Solarpaket I), simplified rules for plug-in solar devices have applied since 16 May 2024. They apply if all devices on your electricity meter together stay within these limits:

• Inverter (Wechselrichter): no more than 800 VA (volt-amperes). This is the power that can flow into your home's electrical system.
• Panels: no more than 2,000 Wp (watt peak) of panel output.
• Adding up: all plug-in solar devices at the same connection point (Entnahmestelle) count together, even if they are connected one after the other. What counts is the highest power that can be set, not a reduced setting.
• Payment: in the standard case, electricity that you do not use yourself goes into the grid without payment.

For devices with a normal Schuko plug, the product standard sets a lower limit of 960 Wp of panel output. You can read more about this in the section on plugs and safety.

Electricity that flows into the grid must be measured. This requires a bidirectional meter (Zweirichtungszähler), for example a modern metering device (moderne Messeinrichtung), or a smart meter system (intelligentes Messsystem). The network operator must replace the meter without delay after registration. You do not need to place a separate order for this.

You may use the device before the meter is replaced. An old meter, such as a Ferraris meter with a rotating disc, may then run backwards for a transition period. This is tolerated until the meter is replaced. According to the Bundesnetzagentur, this usually takes a few months at most.

The legal price caps for metering point operation apply to the new meter. You can read the maximum price for a digital meter in our guide on smart meters.

You can only save with the electricity you use yourself while the sun is shining. A balcony solar system mainly covers the base load (Grundlast), meaning the fridge, router and other devices that are always on. What you do not need at that moment goes into the grid without payment. You increase your own use if you run the washing machine or dishwasher during the day when the sun is shining.

In the Verbraucherzentrale's example, a 400 Wp panel mounted vertically on a south-facing balcony produces about 280 kWh a year. Of this, about 200 kWh replaces electricity from the grid. With an assumed unit price (Arbeitspreis) of 35 ct/kWh, that is about €70 a year.

According to the Verbraucherzentrale, you can usually earn back the purchase price within three to five years through lower electricity costs. A storage system increases your own use, but costs much more. It is more worthwhile with higher consumption and larger systems.

You pay no VAT (Umsatzsteuer) on purchase and installation. The zero VAT rate (Nullsteuersatz) under § 12 Abs. 3 UStG applies to plug-in solar devices.