Reducing electricity costs in your rented apartment with a balcony power plant sounds tempting. However, many people shy away from the labyrinth surrounding the topic of legitimacy. What are tenants allowed to do and where can landlords still intervene?
Balcony power plants in rental apartments are on the rise. More and more tenants want to produce their own clean electricity from solar energy and reduce their electricity bills. This is particularly worthwhile in times of increased additional costs. Anyone who works from home can tell you a thing or two – electricity is becoming more and more expensive. A balcony power plant is expensive to purchase, but it pays off over time.
Own home power plants have potential, especially for tenants with a balcony. Depending on the orientation of the balcony and the performance of the system, you can save a few euros on your electricity bill. But are tenants allowed to simply install a balcony power plant in their rented apartment? We give an answer.
Adjusted rules 2024
As early as 2023, the federal government decided to make it easier for tenants to install balcony power plants. After all, this also serves the country’s goals of further expanding alternative electricity generation. The government has long been in favor of a legal right to install a small photovoltaic system on the balcony in apartment buildings. However, legal implementation is still a while away and is expected to take place in the second quarter of 2024. What are tenants currently allowed to do and what will be allowed in the near future?
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What tenants need to pay attention to
So far, the requirements for installing a balcony power plant in a rented apartment are still somewhat unclear. In general, tenants are allowed to operate small systems, but there are numerous rules and a lot of potential for violations and conflicts. In some cases, the landlord still has the right to intervene. That’s why tenants should protect themselves before installation and pay attention to a few points:
- The balcony power plant must be registered with the Federal Network Agency and in the market master data register.
- Tenants are only allowed to feed a maximum of 600 watts of solar power into the house network. In the near future the amount will be increased to 800 watts.
- It currently still makes sense to obtain express written permission from the landlord for the installation of a balcony power plant including new sockets and electricity meters.
Requirements for installing a balcony power plant in the rental apartment
The assembly and use of a balcony power plant is permitted for everyone in Germany. However, there are a few things to take into account. In order to avoid bureaucratic hurdles and make the use of a mini photovoltaic system as easy as possible, tenants should avoid the EEG feed-in tariff. This means that the energy obtained from the balcony power plant is fed exclusively into your own home network and currently does not exceed 600 watts. This also eliminates the need to hire an electrician, as tenants can connect these systems themselves. New digital electricity meters often have to be installed, especially in old rental apartments. The Federal Network Agency is responsible for this. It makes sense to apply for an electricity meter with a backstop when registering the power plant with the agency, as larger quantities will be available in the future Electricity may be fed into the network.
The rental agreement – look closely
Before installing a balcony power plant, tenants should read the fine print in the rental agreement. Because numerous specifications are often already anchored here. You should pay close attention, especially when it comes to assembly: Can the tenant permanently attach something to the balcony railing or mount it on the outside wall? And what should you pay attention to? If common areas such as the roof are used for assembly, the landlord’s consent must be obtained. If there is nothing like this in the rental agreement, it is still advisable to ask the landlord for permission. Additional questions can also be clarified:
- Which documents should be presented (proof of registration with the network operator and in the market master data register, CE mark of the system, liability insurance)?
- Is the balcony armor viable for the balcony power plant?
- Do I need to install an additional Wieland plug and a new electricity meter?
- Isn’t the system visually distracting?
- Can the power plant be completely dismantled without causing damage to the balcony or facade?
The right to a balcony power plant is to be included in the privileged measures in tenancy law this year. This means that landlords can no longer fundamentally prohibit such a system. However, professional installation is a basic requirement. It still makes sense to take a thorough look at the rental agreement and talk to the landlord in the future in order to avoid conflicts.
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further requirements
When installing a balcony power plant in a rental apartment, the VDE standard for plug-in PV systems must be adhered to. On the one hand, this includes the fact that the inverter must currently be limited to 600 watts. Soon it will even be able to achieve an output of 800 watts. That’s why it makes sense to buy systems now with an inverter that can be upgraded from 600 to 800 watts. On the other hand, the standard stipulates that a balcony power plant must be connected via a Wieland power socket. However, the usual Schuko plug connections are currently often used. Here too she wants to Federal Government readjust and legalize them in the future. A Schuko connection is considered safe, so no additional qualified electrician is necessary.
Balcony power plants – a worthwhile investment
Especially with regard to the new, adapted rules, it is becoming increasingly easier to install a balcony power plant and produce your own electricity at home. There are numerous ready-made plug-in solar devices that simply need to be installed on the balcony railing and, once plugged in, feed clean solar power into the home network. However, how much savings potential a solar system really offers depends on a few factors. These include, for example, the orientation of the balcony, the number of hours of sunshine, the performance of the device and the consumption of the household. If all of these factors are optimized, the savings can be large and the acquisition costs of the balcony power plant will be quickly amortized.
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