In 2024, the number of solar photovoltaic panels that can be easily installed on balconies, registered in Germany’s Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur) registry, nearly doubled, surpassing 780,000 units.
By the first half of the upcoming year, the number is expected to exceed the significant threshold of 1 million. The boom in small-scale solar energy systems has been fueled by falling prices and simpler designs, according to the Merkur publication.
Additionally, last autumn, legislation required homeowners to approve the installation of such solar systems. Karsten Körnig, head of the non-governmental Federal Solar Energy Association (BSW-Solar), believes that the observed trend is unlikely to change following the upcoming early parliamentary elections in February. He is confident that the energy policy of the future German government will not worsen the conditions for “balcony power plants.”
Last year, DW reported an 85% increase in solar energy, noting that the capacity added in the past year equaled 14 nuclear power plant units (about 14 gigawatts). The main drivers behind the development of Germany’s photovoltaic sector are owners or tenants of individual houses and apartments.
