According to the Federal Network Agency, thousands of balcony power stations are in use in Germany. But when does purchasing one have a positive effect on your wallet?
According to the Federal Network Agency's market data register, up to 566,000 (as of July 2024) balcony power plants or mini photovoltaic systems have already been registered in this country. These are the official figures. However, experts believe the number of unreported cases is likely to be significantly higher.
While North Rhine-Westphalia has the most systems with around 114,000 systems, followed by Bavaria with around 86,000 systems, Lower Saxony leads in terms of percentage distribution per household: Here, 1.9 percent of households use a mini solar system. In Schleswig-Holstein, the proportion is 1.8 percent. Solar modules are also very popular in Saxony (1.7 percent) and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (1.6 percent). In the city states of Berlin (0.5 percent) and Hamburg (0.4 percent), however, the proportion is lower.
According to a calculation by the comparison portal Verivox, the purchase of a balcony power plant pays for itself after just three to four years. However, the company's calculation assumes a device with an output of 800 watts and optimal conditions in terms of weather and orientation (more on this here). In this case, 552 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity could be produced annually.
If the majority of this is used by the user, at an average electricity price of 35.91 cents per kilowatt hour, up to 159 euros can be saved per year, Verivox summarizes. The comparison portal estimates the purchase costs for such systems at 500 to 700 euros. This means that the investment pays for itself in three to four years. If the plug-in solar system remains in operation for 20 years, a total electricity cost saving of up to 3,174 euros is possible.
It is also important to include funding opportunities in the calculation.
The information on the distribution of mini solar systems is based on data from the Federal Network Agency's market data register. The profitability calculation was carried out for a three-person household with an annual electricity consumption of 4,000 kWh and a system with 800 W output. The underlying electricity price comes from the Verivox consumer price index for electricity from July 2024.
