Snowflakes fall softly onto the balconies installed at Jens Sax’s place, a Berliner who constantly checks his phone to monitor the electricity generated by his panels. Although the current amount is modest, Sax highlights that he has saved 79 euros (82 dollars) since he installed this technology that revolutionizes solar energy in August.
In 2024, more than 800,000 solar balcony systems were installed in Germany, according to official data. This number is more than double the previous year and ten times the figure from 2022. The consulting firm EmpowerSource estimates that there are three million of these active systems in the country, including some that are not officially registered.
Leonhard Probst, a researcher at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems, mentions that installation figures could be higher because many systems are not registered. These installations are more economical and easier to install than photovoltaic panels on rooftops.
## Impact of Covid and the technology revolutionizing solar energy
The first economy in Europe has set a goal for 80% of its gross electricity consumption to be renewable by 2030, compared to the 59% achieved in 2024. Solar energy contributed 14.6% of the electricity in Germany last year.
The solar balcony systems, although less powerful than rooftop panels, cover part of a house’s demand, being used for tasks such as charging computers.
Probst calculates that these systems represent only 2% of Germany’s total solar capacity, but he expects this number to increase. “There is an educational effect, more people are familiarizing themselves with solar energy and this could lead them to invest in more powerful systems,” he says.
Oliver Lang, head of the company Sonnenrepublik in Berlin, states that the company has grown in recent years thanks to the covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine. Lang recalls that demand was low when they started selling the systems six years ago. “It started during Covid when people had time, then the war in Ukraine began and there was fear of electrical shortages. Then the subsidies came in,” he explains.
## Governmental support and future prospects
The government has supported this trend through subsidies and favorable regulations. The city council of Frankfurt, for example, paid Christoph Stadelmann, a 60-year-old educator, half of the 650 euros (676 dollars) that his system cost early last year. Stadelmann expects to recover his investment in three years.
According to Lang from Sonnenrepublik, for a more powerful classic photovoltaic installation, the initial investment is around 15,000 euros, and it takes about 15 years to recover it.
Electricity prices in Germany stabilized after reaching their peak in 2022, but they remain among the highest in Europe. Surveys indicate that the cost of living is one of the population’s major concerns ahead of the legislative elections on February 23.
Jens Sax admits that saving money weighed more than environmental concerns in his decision to acquire a solar balcony system. Mirjam Sax, his wife, recommends these systems despite Germany’s sometimes grey skies: “If you have a balcony and a bit of sun, you can install one or two panels to see if it’s worth it. It’s easy, and there’s a price for every budget.”
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