In June 2021 I bought a balcony power plant. I ordered this relatively naively. A large solar system was out of the question for my apartment in an apartment building, so I decided on a mini solar system with an elevated structure for the Yuma terrace. Back then, the hype about balcony power plants wasn’t like it is today. Now I’ve sold my system and I’ll tell you what mistakes you shouldn’t make.
While almost everyone in Germany has heard the word balcony power plant at some point and partly knows what it is all about, this was not the case a few years ago. At that time it was all still under “Guerrilla PV”. Hardly anyone has actually registered their system, as the network operators have put many obstacles in people’s way. I experienced that myself when I… wanted to register a balcony power plant as the first in my town. The result was a lot of phone calls, discussions and long waiting times. But at some point it worked.
Today the problem is no longer known. Basically every network operator has ready-made forms for registration a ready-to-use solar system. Within a few days, the electricity meter is replaced and it’s up and running. In the meantime, I have helped build countless balcony power plants and I am happy that it is now working so smoothly. But I do regret my naivety at the time. That’s why I sold my balcony power plant.
Balcony power plant sold after 2 years
I currently have a balcony power plant with two solar cells, each generating 300 watts. This gives me a maximum of 600 watts. The inverter creates 600 watts. Recently I was able to compare my balcony power plant with that of my neighbor. He has an 820 watt model. As a result, it generates much more energy. That’s exactly what I wanted too. Since I work in the home office and can use the energy quite well, the decision was made. It has to be a stronger balcony power plant.
Fortunately, one Known wanted a balcony power plant with elevation. I sold my model to him. So I ordered a new balcony power plant. The 800 watt model from Netto, which comes with an inverter that can be upgraded to 800 watts. If the 600 watt limit is lifted, I can pull out more power.
Top performance is not that important to me, it is the extra power achieved on overcast days. The larger and more powerful solar cells bring a lot more power.
Now you might think: wait a minute, but you’re making the same mistake. Maximum 800 watts with 800 watt inverter. Yes, that’s right. But the 820-watt set wasn’t available at the time, and the solar cells mustn’t be more than two square meters in size, otherwise I can’t hang them up. There are now balcony power plants with 1,080 watts. But they can only stand on the ground. And here I make a good compromise, which allows me to make good use of the maximum performance. If the rules change at some point, I can switch again.
This is what you need to know about balcony power plants:
My tip for the purchase of a balcony power plant
So if you buy a balcony power plant, then get one with as much power as possible. If you want to build it on a garden shed or hang it up somewhere, you must not exceed two square meters of space per module. If you have a large terrace, you can also choose larger modules with elevation on the ground. In the end, you will give away a lot of energy during the summer months. But especially on overcast days you will get more out of it. Just don’t pay too much. I wouldn’t spend more than 650 euros for a balcony power plant including all the accessories. I currently save just over 100 euros a year in electricity costs with it.