Balcony power plants: Baden-Württemberg on the way to the energy transition

Balcony power plants: Baden-Württemberg on the way to the energy transition

The installation of balcony solar systems is booming in Baden-Württemberg: currently there are about130,000 balcony power plantsreported in the state. This makes Baden-Württemberg the third highest federal state in Germany, only behind North Rhine-Westphalia200,000and Bavaria with150,000registered facilities. Super exciting across the country – more than thata million balcony power plantsare registered throughout Germany. The trend is being further fueled by rising electricity prices and easier regulations for putting systems into operation. Since April 2024, tenants and apartment owners only have to provide information to the Federal Network Agency; registration with the network operator is no longer necessary, which makes installation considerably easier.

Over the last few years, the number of balcony power plants in Baden-Württemberg has increased dramatically. At the beginning of 2024 there were still around45,200in operation. The Ministry of the Environment assumes that not all systems are registered, so the actual number could be even higher. Interestingly, the density of balcony power plants is per1,000 householdsat about24in Baden-Württemberg and25in the national average. Lower Saxony narrowly leads the ranking34 systemsper 1,000 households. The use of photovoltaic roof systems has also increased in this context, not least due to the introduction of mandatory PV for new buildings in 2022.

The boom and its background

What makes balcony power plants so attractive? In addition to the economic savings that arise from self-generated electricity, they also contribute to the energy transition. These small solar systems, consisting of photovoltaic modules and an inverter, generate direct current, which is then converted into alternating current and fed into the consumer circuits. Where larger systems are often out of the question, balcony power plants are the perfect solution for rental apartments and apartments, as they enable easy participation in the energy transition.

The Federal Environment Agency emphasizes that these small power plants, despite their smaller contribution to electricity production compared to larger systems, promote acceptance and commitment to renewable energies, especially among tenants. The legal requirements have also been simplified: systems with an output of up to2,000 watts(direct current) and800 watts(alternating current) only require registration in the market master data register. Furthermore, counters running backwards are temporarily tolerated, which enables operation before the counter is changed.

Funding opportunities and challenges

While the state government in Baden-Württemberg does not offer any special subsidies for balcony power plants, there are still some municipal initiatives. In cities likeLudwigsburg,Aalen,FriedrichshafenandLörrachThere are funding programs that make it easier for the population to invest in this technology. A look across national borders shows that... Berlin, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Saxony even grants amounting to up to500 eurosare offered to make it easier to get started using balcony power plants.

The economic viability of these small power plants also depends heavily on the individual use and size of the systems. The self-generated electricity costs are usually lower than the electricity purchase costs, which enables users to get a good deal. There is also a higher amortization through personal consumption. However, potential buyers should keep in mind that their economic benefits often exceed the purchase costs of battery storage, which is often only partially profitable.

Overall, the development of balcony power plants in Germany shows that more and more people are willing to actively shape the energy transition - even if the actual electricity contribution of these small solutions remains comparatively small. However, they offer an excellent opportunity to promote awareness and engagement with renewable energy.