This is a guest post by Sandro from the Bernese Oberland
67 years ago, my grandfather fulfilled his dream of owning a home and a car garage with a workshop in a small village in the Bernese Oberland. In 2022 I was able to purchase the property and everything on it from my father. Since, according to figures from Energie-Experten.ch, final electricity consumption in Switzerland quadrupled (!) from 1960 to 2014, I finally wanted to make my own contribution to the energy transition.
Where to start?
It’s still unclear at the moment whether I’ll be doing any renovation or conversion work on the house soon and how I’ll repurpose the workshop. Nevertheless, I wanted to use the time to make my first small investments and enjoy DIY. So much for the choice of upcycling/uplifting the already somewhat dilapidated and outdated terrace balcony. Facing south and with enough space, it is perfect for some solar panels. Completely in keeping with the idea of having your own balcony power plant.
The balcony railing before installing the balcony power plant
Check technical feasibility
The periodic inspection of my building electronics was just about to begin and I took advantage of the certified inspector’s visit to clarify whether my old electronics were up to the approved 600W. For houses that are getting older, it is advisable to consult a specialist so that you do not experience any unpleasant surprises.
After installation, the microinverter is connected to a socket, for which an outside socket on a balcony or terrace is best because of the length of the cable. This was already present in my case, otherwise you would have had to retrofit it or pull the cable inside in some other way. Depending on where the panels and the microinverter will be installed, the cable length must be checked in advance and, if necessary, additional extension cables ordered directly.
Safety first: Check whether power can be fed into the socket
Choose the right balcony power plant
What was primarily important to me was that the panels didn’t stand out visually. I want to have my first experience with the solar balcony and, at best, get a few kilowatt hours less from the energy service provider. The selection of balcony solar manufacturers has increased considerably with the boom, so the decision is not an easy one.
For the sake of simplicity, I ultimately decided on a complete package with three panels, a microinverter and the appropriate cables with the corresponding plug connection. With over thirty products in the balcony power plant category, the set with a wood look from autosolar.ch appealed to me. I was interested in how the panels integrate into the existing look of my wooden facade, which has aged over the years. The solar output is 200W per panel and therefore it will be difficult to reach the permitted 600W. Additional panels can also be retrofitted later in order to get closer to the maximum value or even reach it.
Balcony power plant in wood look from autosolar.ch
First functional test delivers the first few watts of power
Two days after placing the order, the delivery arrives at my home via a shipping company. The weather also cooperates and I can do a first functional test straight away. autosolar.ch sends easy-to-understand paper instructions with the set, which answer the first questions directly. The panels are wired to the microinverter; as soon as the voltage is high enough, it switches on. The free app (Smart Life) is downloaded to complete the configuration and connect the microinverter to your own WiFi. As soon as this happens, you can see the first production values in the app. Unfortunately, the app doesn’t appeal to me that much, it’s rather confusing and the currency cannot be set to CHF. Only Euro €, Dollar $ and the Japanese Yen ¥ are available. Since I do the production measurement with the myStrom plug anyway and collect the data via the Solar Manager, this doesn’t play a big role for me.
The railing generates electricity
Why you don’t have to be a craftsman to assemble it
The frame of the balcony panels is pre-perforated with three eyelets on each side. The included metal cable ties help to secure the panels firmly to the existing railing. A railing is probably best suited for this. I had to improvise a bit with my wooden railing, but since the panels are on the terrace floor, there isn’t much weight on the cable ties. Depending on the requirements for assembly, it is advisable to bring in a second person.
Previous generation data for the balcony power plant
Yield from the balcony power plant
The balcony power plant was put into operation in the last week of February. Since then it has produced almost 25kWh of energy and previous peak yields were around 3kWh per day. In addition, I have a trusted electrician install a Shelly Pro 3EM, so I can not only keep an eye on the yield of the balcony power plant, but also see live what I am using in the house. I’m now extremely excited about the sunny days and the associated yields.
The wooden look balcony power plant fits perfectly with the architectural style of the house
The energy transition can come
I was amazed from the first feedback from my friends who I showed the photos to. It was only after they were pointed out that they discovered the balcony panels. So, what are you waiting for? Choose the right balcony power plant at autosolar.ch, order it and become part of the energy transition.
Building my own balcony power plant was a rewarding and fulfilling experience for me. Generating and using my own electricity reduces my carbon footprint in the simplest way. With this experience report I would like to show that everyone can make a contribution to the energy transition.
My chosen balcony power plant with 600W output in a wood look is available from AutoSolar for CHF 999. With the code “technikblog5” you get a bit of a discount…