Greentech BW: Balcony power plant boom in Baden-Württemberg

The Green Länd loves Balkonkraftwerke

In view of the rise in electricity prices, more and more people in the south-west are relying on balcony power plants. By the end of May, almost twice as many systems had been registered as in the whole of 2022, according to Netze BW, Baden-Württemberg’s largest network operator.

While around 3,500 new mini photovoltaic systems were added last year, the operator expects 14,000 by the end of 2023. According to forecasts, there will be 28,000 in the coming year and up to 40,000 in 2025. In order to cope with the rush, more staff will be hired and work will also be done on Saturdays.

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At Stuttgart Netze, too, the number of registrations has recently risen sharply – albeit at a low level. “One of the reasons for this is certainly the increased urge for energy self-sufficiency, not least due to the Ukraine conflict,” said the network operator of the state capital.

In 2022, 132 balcony power plants were reported, more than three times as many as in the previous year. In the current year there have been 85 systems so far. However, a high number of unreported cases can be assumed, the actual number could be up to 70 percent higher, according to the information.

During installation, solar modules are attached to balconies, for example. The electricity generated is converted into household electricity with an inverter, fed into the electrical circuit of the apartment via a socket and used directly. This allows continuously running devices such as a refrigerator to be operated. In return, less electricity is drawn from the grid.

As a rule, the energy cannot be stored. Landlords must agree to the systems, and they must also be reported to the network operator and the Federal Network Agency after commissioning.