Small solar systems - Record for balcony power plants - relief for tenants
The number of balcony power plants in Germany is growing faster and faster - and small solar systems are expected to receive an additional boost. The Bundestag will decide on Thursday evening that it will be easier for tenants and housing co-owners to install balcony power plants. Carsten Körnig, CEO of the Federal Solar Industry Association, sees the just ended record quarter as a "booster" for the balcony solarization. He expects an additional demand surge for so-called plug-and-play solar systems.
According to the market data register of the Federal Network Agency, so many of the small solar systems went into operation in the second quarter as never before. As of Wednesday, it showed over 152,000 balcony power plants that went into operation from April to June. That's a huge increase of 52 percent compared to the previous record holder, the second quarter of 2023. The market data register currently records about 563,000 operating systems in total. The actual numbers may even be higher, as there is a several-week registration deadline and some systems are not registered.
Easier for tenants and housing co-owners
In the Bundestag, it's about changes to tenancy and housing co-ownership law. To install a balcony power plant, tenants and housing co-owners have had to obtain the explicit consent of their landlords - or, as housing co-owners, the approval of the co-owner association. This consent could previously be denied without reason.
Now, solar generation through plug-and-play solar systems is to be included in the catalog of so-called privileged measures. These are building modifications that cannot be simply blocked by landlords or housing co-owner associations - for example, renovations for barrier-free access or burglar protection. Landlords and housing co-owner associations should still have a consultative role in determining exactly where a solar panel system is installed on the property. Whether such a system can be installed at all would then no longer be a matter of contention.
The Federal Solar Industry Association welcomes "the right to harvest solar power"
Körnig said that it would be quasi legislated "the right to harvest solar power." Daniel Föst, building and housing policy spokesman for the FDP parliamentary group, said that hurdles would be removed for balcony power plants. This is an important step that would enable significant energy savings in households.
Green energy politician Katrin Uhlig praised the changes, saying that installing a plug-and-play solar system would be even easier. "So more people can easily participate in the energy transition and actively shape it."
The SPD parliamentarian Daniel Rinkert sees the changes as a way to promote the energy transition in one's own four walls. With these changes, tenants and owners would be put in a position to decide for themselves whether they wanted to install such devices at home. "This enables a simple, bureaucracy-free way to reduce energy costs." He also pointed out that housing co-owner meetings could become digital.
Already simplifications have been decided.
In the past quarter, Balcony power plants from Berlin received a boost from Rückenwind Berlin. Therefore, registration of the devices was simplified starting from April 1st. Now, a simplified registration in the market master data register of the Federal Network Agency is sufficient. A solar package is also in effect - it allows, among other things, the use of a regular socket for the devices, the temporary use of old, non-digital meters, and a higher power of 800 watts at the inverter instead of the previously valid 600 watts. Every reduction in bureaucracy leads to an increase in demand, says Köning.
Moreover, the current boom may have been fueled by cheaper prices. The BSW does not keep statistics on this, says Köning. However, he assumes "that, just like with module prices, price reductions have occurred in the last few months." In building markets, balcony power plants were recently available for a few hundred euros.
According to RWTH Aachen, they are profitable in three to six years
Balcony power plants are relatively small solar systems that are connected to the household grid via a socket. They do not have to be installed on the balcony. The electricity produced by them reduces consumption and, therefore, the electricity bill for their operators. Excess electricity flows freely into the public grid. Whether they are profitable depends not only on the purchase price and location but also on whether the operators consume the electricity they generate during the production period. According to a recently published study by RWTH Aachen on behalf of Eon, they are profitable on average from a operating time of three to six years.
- The decision by the Bundestag to make it easier for tenants and housing co-owners to install balcony power plants is expected to further boost the number of balcony power stations in Germany.
- The Federal Network Agency's market data register showed that over 152,000 balcony power plants went into operation in Germany's second quarter, setting a new record and marking a 52% increase from the previous record holder.
- In Bonn, the Bundestag is discussing changes to the tenancy and housing co-ownership law to make it easier for tenants and housing co-owners to install balcony power plants.
- According to Carsten Körnig, CEO of the Federal Solar Industry Association, the record quarter for balcony power plants serves as a "booster" for the balcony solarization and is expected to lead to an additional surge in demand for plug-and-play solar systems.
- The German market for balcony power plants has seen a significant boost in Berlin, thanks to measures taken by Rückenwind Berlin which simplified the registration of these systems starting from April 1st.
- The cost savings from using balcony power plants can be substantial, with a recently published study by RWTH Aachen showing that they are profitable on average within a range of three to six years.
- The German government's support for alternative energies and the energy transition is driving the growth of the balcony power plant market, providing incentives for consumers to invest in renewable energy sources.
