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Another 220,000 apartment dwellers in Germany installed solar panels on their balconies in the first half of 2024 as a simplified registration process boosted installations, according to electricity regulator Bundesnetzagentur.
The registration platform was overhauled in April to speed up approvals. Residents now only need to enter five key pieces of information about their balcony solar systems, down from 20 previously. This came after the government exempted this segment of the market from value-added tax, and some municipalities introduced generous subsidies.
How it works: Landlords or tenants who live in apartment blocks typically mount two solar panels onto their balconies, using their balustrades, walls or terrace areas. The electricity generated is fed via cables and an inverter into regular household plug points. Installations are quick and easy and don’t require the oversight of an electrician.
The latest: Compared to the first quarter of 2024, the number of balcony solar systems installed between April and June more than tripled, Bundesnetzagentur’s data shows.
Some 220,000 units, with a total capacity of 200MW, were registered through the first half of the year. The average capacity per unit was 900 watts, up from 800 watts in the previous year.
“Thanks to the simplified registration in the core energy market data register that went into effect in April of this year, the Bundesnetzagentur assumes data will be significantly better than in the previous year,” the agency said in a statement.
Although balcony solar units are a tiny component of the overall electricity system, they nevertheless help to reduce demand on the national grid and make self-generation more widely accessible.
According to Bundesnetzagentur, 9.3 GW of new renewable energy capacity was added across the country in the first half, mainly in the form of rooftop solar installations.
