Interest in balcony power plants has risen sharply in the wake of the energy crisis. The great demand could not be met in some cases. The prices for systems shot up as a result. Now balcony power plants are becoming cheaper thanks to several factors.
The increasing energy costs during the energy crisis made sure that many people are concerned with balcony power plants. Interest in small systems with simplified registration meant that mini PV systems were temporarily difficult to obtain. In the meantime, however, prices are falling: balcony power plants are becoming noticeably cheaper and the supply on the market is growing. Several factors are responsible for this.
BALCONY POWER PLANTS ARE BECOMING CHEAPER: THAT’S WHAT’S BEHIND IT
There are several reasons why balcony power plants are becoming cheaper. On the one hand, the supply chains from China have at least partially recovered. As a result, more components for PV systems can be purchased and installed at low cost. As a result, the range of different systems is not only increasing, the individual manufacturers can also offer the complete sets at lower prices. There are now numerous offers with 600-watt inverters for less than 1,000 euros. However, you can probably benefit even more from a price drop in PV systems in the coming months.
As part of the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG), the sales tax for balcony power plants should give way . On September 14, 2022, the Federal Cabinet decided on several tax improvements for energy storage and photovoltaic systems. Larger PV systems and solar storage systems are also affected. The price reduction does not only apply to the PV system and the power storage unititself, but also includes delivery, importation and installation. As a result, both balcony power plants and larger PV systems can be purchased much more cheaply for private households in the future. The only requirement for the waiver of sales tax is that the solar system is installed on or near private homes, apartments and public buildings.
CHEAPER BALCONY POWER PLANTS: PLANTS PAY FOR THEMSELVES MUCH EARLIER
If you look at the change in the acquisition costs for balcony power plants and at the same time the increased electricity prices, a balcony power plant is more worthwhile today than ever. Several balcony power plants are currently available from Amazon in a complete set for only 799 euros . The Eckert NewEngergy balcony power plant and the complete set Solar-PV 820WP from Deye. Both are offered in a ready-to-plug-in version, so that you can easily put them into operation after registering accordingly. Thanks to the long waiting times for a necessary electricity meter replacement , it is worth inquiring with your network operator when ordering and before delivery.
At 840 watts and 740 watts, both balcony power plants have a higher module output than the 600 watts that are output by the inverter. However, thanks to the limitation imposed by the inverter, this is not a problem, as it never feeds in more than the maximum permitted amount for balcony power plants. In fact, you benefit from the higher wattage, because even in poorer light conditions , more electricity is still generated with your PV system.
How quickly your electricity cost savings outweighs the acquisition costs for the balcony power plant depends on various factors. A surface that is as shade-free as possible and the highest possible level of self-consumption of the electricity produced are crucial. On average, you can recoup the acquisition costs in five to ten years. If electricity prices continue to be high, four to eight years is more likely. However, since balcony power plants are supposed to run for up to 25 years, provided they are not damaged, you can also benefit from your own electricity far beyond offsetting the acquisition costs. An additional profitable side effect of balcony power plants is that they use self-consumption for the calculation of theReduce electricity price brake . Owners of new PV systems thus have a better chance of receiving purchased electricity at a reduced price.
