Millionth Balcony-Based Power Plant Installed - Balcony count escalates to a million figures.
Title: Over a Million Balcony Solar Roofs Lighting Up Germany
packing a punch! The number of these solar wonders in Germany has almost doubled in a year, hitting the one-million mark, claims data from the market data register and estimates by the German Solar Association (BSW). "We reckon that the one-millionth plug-and-play solar device is already humming, given that there are still pending notifications to the Federal Network Agency," says BSW CEO Carsten Koernig.
These solar marvels - officially called plug-and-play solar devices - are mini solar installations, frequently mounted on balconies, but they don't have to be. They can output up to 800 watts of power when the sun is up, funneling it into your home network via a power outlet. This simple setup helps reduce the need to draw electricity from suppliers.
As for the savings, remember - sunshine is free! If your setup generates more power than you consume, that excess gets fed into the grid, all without costing you a dime. Devices with storage systems aren’t considered plug-and-play solar devices and are subject to different rules.
**"Installing a balcony solar system could pay for itself in 2.5 to 5 years," according to an analysis by Verivox last month. The sweetest setup is when your balcony faces south, the solar modules are angled, and there's no shade on them.
Numbers and Expectations
As of today, the market data register shows 975,583 installation projects up and running, with another 20,000 temporarily or permanently shut down. The statistics from the register often lag behind the real count of balcony solar systems, as noted by the Federal Network Agency. This is due to a one-month reporting deadline and some projects failing to report despite the obligation to do so. The half-million mark was hit in early June 2024, exactly a year ago.
In a Verivox survey, 9% of 1,007 respondents said they already have a balcony solar system installed, while 17% plan to get one. About 21% have no space, 15% don't find the mini-solar installation worth the investment, and 19% have no interest whatsoever in a balcony solar system.
Regulations by the previous traffic light coalition have made it easier to install balcony solar power systems, including trimming down landlord and property owner requirements. The initial surge in installations was due to high electricity prices stemming from the Ukraine conflict.
Shining Hope for Inner Cities
"After solar panels have long been ubiquitous in single-family homes, the solar boom on balconies is now reshaping the look of urban centers," says BSW CEO Koernig. "An increasingly diverse group of people are capitalizing on the energy revolution."
Balcony solar systems allow folks to directly participate in and profit from the energy transition. Their collective impact on the nation's electricity production is relatively small. Combined, the currently registered systems have a maximum capacity of about 0.9 gigawatts. Solar installations nationwide - including rooftops, open spaces, and similar - total more than a hundred times that.
The highest counts are found in NRW and Bavaria.
*interested in getting a balcony solar system? You're not alone! The majority of balcony power plants, 194,077, are in operation in North Rhine-Westphalia. Bavaria follows suit with 148,284 registrations in the market data register. The actual numbers may be slightly higher in places like NRW, which likely has already surpassed 200,000 installations. In the competition for third place, Lower Saxony is currently leading slightly with 127,879 registered installations, followed closely by Baden-Württemberg with 127,665. Next up, Hesse has 73,898, Rhineland-Palatinate (58,085), Saxony (54,415), Schleswig-Holstein (41,106), and Brandenburg with 34,157 installations. In Saxony-Anhalt, there are 26,576, in Thuringia 25,706, and in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania 20,838. Berlin boasts 18,445 installations, followed by the Saarland with 12,130. The smallest number of installations can be found in Hamburg with 7,202 and Bremen with 5,118. The density is lower in city-states like Hamburg and Bremen because fewer people have suitable spaces to install._
Vocational training programs could be implemented to equip the community with the necessary skills to install, maintain, and improve the efficiency of these renewable-energy solar systems, contributing to the German industry's needs. Moreover, offering financing options for these energy-saving devices, such as solar roofs, would make them more accessible and attractive, increasing adoption rates across Germany.
