How Germany outfitted half a million balconies with solar panels
Meet balkonkraftwerk, the simple technology putting solar power in the hands of renters and nudging Germany toward its clean energy goals.
It is also highly portable, so it can easily be transported from one apartment to another if the owner moves. According to Grist, Germany now has more than 550,000 balcony solar installations, half of which were installed in 2023. During the first six months of 2024, Germany added 200 megawatts of balcony solar.
While sunnier regions elsewhere have the potential to generate far more electricity, in Germany falling prices, improved technology and political support have helped drive a solar balcony boom.
More than 500,000 of the systems have already been set up across Germany, and new laws that relaxed rules around solar panel installation have contributed to a boom in use.
The plummeting prices have filtered down to the household level in Germany. The price of solar panel systems for balconies has halved in the last two years, with small models available from around E200 ($233) and large ones that include storage costing under E1,000 ($1166).
PDF includes complete article with source references for printing and offline reading.
Download detailed specifications for our photovoltaic containers, BESS systems, and mobile energy storage solutions.
Industrial Zone 15, ul. Fabryczna 24
Pabianice 95-200, Poland
+48 42 212 00 00
Monday - Friday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM CET