Germans turn to balcony solar panels to save money

As snowflakes gently settled on his balcony photo voltaic panels on a chilly winter’s day, Berliner Jens Sax checked his smartphone to see how a lot electrical energy they had been producing.

The quantity was modest now, mentioned Sax, who admitted to being hooked on the cellphone notifications that preserve observe of the panels’ output, “but we’ve saved 79 euros since installing them in August”.

Greater than 800,000 such kits had been put in in Germany by the top of 2024, official knowledge reveals—boosted by subsidies and a want to avoid wasting amid excessive power prices.

That was greater than double the quantity from a yr earlier and 10 instances the determine for 2022.

EmpowerSource, a consultancy, estimates that three million kits at the moment are in operation nationwide, together with people who haven’t been formally registered.

Set up numbers are seemingly an underestimate, mentioned Leonhard Probst, a researcher on the Fraunhofer Institute for Photo voltaic Vitality Methods, for the reason that kits usually stay unregistered.

Cheaper than photovoltaic roof panels and straightforward to put in—the panels merely plug into energy sockets—balcony photo voltaic is taking off as Germany seeks to change to renewables.

COVID and conflict

Europe’s largest financial system desires 80 % of gross energy consumption to come back from renewables by 2030, up from 59 % in 2024. Solar energy provided 14.6 % of Germany’s electrical energy final yr.

Far much less highly effective than roof panels, balcony photo voltaic kits cowl solely a part of a family’s power wants and are used for duties corresponding to charging computer systems or powering dishwashers.

Probst estimates that the kits make up solely about two % of the virtually 100 gigawatts of Germany’s complete photo voltaic capability, however he expects that share to develop and thinks the kits may increase photo voltaic extra broadly.

“There’s an educational effect, it familiarizes a larger number of people with solar power and might spur them to invest in more powerful systems,” he mentioned.

Oliver Lang, based mostly in Berlin and head of photo voltaic equipment firm Sonnenrepublik, mentioned the agency had grown in recent times thanks totheCovid-19 pandemic and the conflict in Ukraine.

“At the beginning it was niche, there was very little demand when we started selling them six years ago,” he mentioned.

“It started duringCovidwhen people had time on their hands, then the war in Ukraine began and there was a fear of electricity shortages, and then subsidies came in.”

Authorities subsidies

Metropolis authorities in Frankfurt gave Christoph Stadelmann, a 60-year-old trainer, half of the 650 euros ($676) he paid for his equipment firstly of final yr.

Stadelmann expects to make his a refund inside three years.

“Typical roof panels, a more powerful system, start from about 15,000 euros,” mentioned Lang of Sonnenrepublik.

“They’ll take 15 years to pay off.”

German power costs have stabilized after a peak in 2022 however are nonetheless among the many highest in Europe.

Opinion polls present that the price of dwelling is certainly one of voters’ main issues forward of parliamentary elections on February 23.

Value financial savings had been extra essential than environmental concerns in Sax’s determination to plump for balcony photo voltaic panels, he mentioned.

Authorities measures have supported the growth. Package house owners now now not must register the gadgets, and individuals who dwell in apartment buildings can use them with out the proprietor’s or constructing supervisor’s permission.

Supportive regulation is the primary motive for Germany’s tilt in the direction of balcony photo voltaic panels, with uptake far forward of different European nations, mentioned Christian Ofenheusle, founding father of EmpowerSource.

Mirjam Sax, married to Jens, mentioned she would suggest balcony solar panels regardless of Germany’s typically grey climate.

“If you’ve got a balcony, if you’ve got a bit of sun, you can put up a panel or two to see if it’s worth it,” she mentioned.

“It’s easy and there’s a price for every budget.”

© 2025 AFP