A balcony power plant is a type of micro power plant that can be used to generate electricity on a small scale.
Balcony power plants are usually installed on the balconies of buildings and use the sunlight falling on the balconies to generate electricity.
Balcony power plants are a new technology that is already being used successfully in various areas to generate electricity. In addition to generating electricity, balcony power plants can also help heat water or provide other types of energy, making them a versatile and environmentally friendly way of generating energy
In principle, there is no legal limit to the number of balcony power plants. However, you should note the following points: If the total product exceeds 600 watts of power, you can no longer use the bureaucratically simplified procedures that are intended for small operators.
The performance of your inverter is decisive for the maximum permitted wattage of a mini PV system. This must not feed more than 600 watts into the house network in order to prevent overloading and thus overheating of the individual strands (and in the worst case a house fire).
Since April 2019, the grid connection standard (application rule VDE-AR-N 4105) has stipulated that private individuals can report their balcony power plants up to 600 watts in Germany in a simplified manner.
Many network operators offer corresponding simplified forms on their website or on request.
Yes, unlike in other countries, the so-called minor limit of up to 600 watts does not apply in Germany.
This means that you also have to register a balcony power plant with an output of less than 600 watts with the local grid operator.
The energy generated with the balcony power plant is therefore consumed directly. If more electricity is generated than is consumed, this surplus goes back into the power grid.
You give away this green electricity to your neighbors. Storage solutions for this type of system can help.
According to the law, the electricity meter must not run backwards, which can sometimes happen with conventional meters with a rotating disc. In this case, the meter would actually have to be replaced.
An old meter without a backstop would turn backwards if your mini photovoltaic (PV) feeds in more electricity than you are currently using. As a result, the meter would incorrectly record the electricity purchased from the electricity provider and thus also the taxes, duties and surcharges to be paid - a criminal offense!
If you still have an analogue electricity meter with a rotary disc installed (a so-called Ferraris meter), it is usually a meter without a backstop. Your measuring point operator or a specialist electrician commissioned by him exchanges this when you put a mini PV into operation and register it with him.
The following electricity meters are permitted : analog meters with backstop digital electricity meters (bidirectional counters or counters with backstop) intelligent "smart" electricity meters.
A legally and technically safe operation of a balcony power plant is possible up to a maximum output power of 600 watts at the inverter. This is regulated in the VDE standard AR-N 4105-2018:11. The performance refers to the house connection, i.e. it applies to each meter. The simplified procedure for registering your balcony power plant with the grid operator is based on this. That means only one balcony power plant per meter is allowed.
What can happen if I don't register my pluggable solar device with the Federal Network Agency? If the Federal Network Agency considers pluggable photovoltaic modules to be reportable, a fine could theoretically be imposed under Section 21 (MaStRV).
If electricity from the photovoltaic system is consumed itself, this is a "non-company purpose" in the sense of the OFD. Self-consumption is therefore regarded as a "free value transfer" and must be taxed accordingly
No, a normal Schuko socket is usually sufficient, provided the solar device complies with the DGS safety standard for pluggable power generation devices (DGS 0001).
How do balcony power plants work? A balcony power plant usually consists of one or two solar modules, which together can produce a maximum of 600 watts peak, and an inverter. If more modules are in use, the inverter throttles the power to a maximum of 600 watts peak
