Solar cells are hanging on more and more German balconies. The market master data register now lists more than 400,000 plug-in solar systems in operation. In the first quarter alone, 50,000 of the devices, which are also called balcony power plants because of their frequent installation location, were put into operation. The actual figures are likely to be even higher, since on the one hand there are unregistered systems and, on the other hand, systems can also be registered later.
The most systems are in North Rhine-Westphalia, with well over 80,000, followed by Bavaria with more than 60,000 and Lower Saxony with more than 50,000. At the beginning of April, almost 50,000 systems were reported for Baden-Württemberg, and the reality is likely to be the same here lie above it. The distribution roughly follows the country and population size, with the city states and Saarland bringing up the rear.
Overall, growth has been rapid recently: nine months ago – in mid-2023 – the number of systems reported as being in operation nationwide in the market master data register was only around 230,000. The German Solar Industry Association (BSW) believes it is likely “that demand for solar technology as a whole will continue to increase in 2024,” says Managing Director Carsten Körnig. However, market growth, which in the past was in the three-digit percentage range, will level off. It is in the nature of things that this cannot be repeated as often as desired. In addition, there has recently been a special boom due, among other things, to the energy crisis in connection with the war of aggression against Ukraine, which is now ebbing somewhat.