You too can use the sun on your balcony to reduce your electricity consumption and increase the proportion of renewable solar power.
In Switzerland, you can feed up to 600W of solar energy into the household grid without a permit (subject to registration). This is then consumed directly by the connected appliances. This means that less energy is purchased from the power grid. Surplus energy is fed back into the power grid.

All you need is a socket on the balcony and a railing that is suitable for installation.
And of course our balcony solar set.

How much energy can be generated with a balcony solar system?

The yield basically depends on 3 factors.
- Installed power (panel power / size)
- Weather (sunshine duration, intensity, temperature)
- Orientation & shading of the panels

With our set with 2x 450Wp panels, the following yield* can be expected (south orientation, vertical installation):

- Weesen approx. 800kWh
- Zurich approx. 790kWh
- Bern approx. 870kWh
- Chur approx. 910kWh

This corresponds to slightly more than 1/3 of the annual consumption of a single-family house without a heat pump (2200kWh / year).

At an electricity price of 40Rp./kWh, a yield of 800kWh can save around CHF 320 in electricity costs.

* Calculated with the PHOTOVOLTAIC GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION SYSTEM of the EU.

Our sets consist of the following components:

Solar panel framed 450Wp bifacial
or
Solar panel semiflexible 405Wp / 220Wp
Micro inverter
Connection cable
depending on set
SolarHook mounting set
Solar extension cable

Things to know about BalkonSolar systems

• Do I need the landlord's permission?

  
  

  Balcony power plants are recommended by the Federal Office of Energy, especially for tenants.

• Please check your tenancy agreement to see if there is anything against a privacy screen on the balcony.
  It is best to consult your landlord so that surprises and possible dismantling can be avoided. Apparently the authorities are not yet in agreement here. It is therefore surprising that certain environmental and energy authorities recommend the installation of balcony solar systems to tenants and others point out in newspaper interviews that the landlord must give his consent.
  
  A solar panel can certainly be compared to a privacy screen on the balcony, for which no permission is usually required.
  However, this can be interpreted differently when installing framed panels. Care should also be taken to ensure that the balcony railing is not damaged/scratched. If you move away, the system can simply be dismantled again. As long as nothing is changed to the electrical installation, there should be nothing to prevent a balcony solar system.
  
  However, other rules may apply to listed buildings or in core zones.
  Solar panels can reflect the sun like a mirror at certain sun angles, which can disturb neighbors.
  
  

• Do I need permission from the grid operator?

  
  

  No. However, the grid operator must be informed in writing before the system is commissioned.
  In addition to the name and address of the grid connection, the grid operator also requires a declaration of conformity for the inverter. However, it may not prohibit the system.
  
  In its bulletin on plug & play photovoltaic systems, the ESTI (Inspectorate for Heavy Current Installations) requires an RCD (residual current circuit breaker) type B in the feed-in line or a residual current monitoring unit (RCMU). The RCMU in accordance with DIN VDE 0126-1-1 is installed in our NEP Micro inverters.
  
  

• Are feed-in tariffs also possible?

  
  

  According to newspaper reports, this depends on the grid provider. A survey has shown, for example, that a feed-in tariff is possible with Berner Kraftwerke and also with Elektrizitätswerk Zürich. However, the conditions vary. In any case, a meter is required which can measure the feed-in. Depending on the system, a replacement may exceed the yield. Replacing a meter costs up to 200 euros - the energy supplier in Basel, for example, refuses to pay a feed-in tariff

• What happens if my refrigerator is not on the same phase as the balcony socket?

  
  

  Today's grid meters have phase compensation. This means that if your SolarBalcony produces energy on phase 2, but the refrigerator consumes energy on phase 1, this is compensated for by the grid meter.

• Can the NEP Micro inverter also be operated on an off-grid system?

  
  

  Our NEP Micro inverter can be operated on an off-grid system from Victron Energy (MultiPlus with assistant). With the VDE standard "VDE 4105 overfrequency load shedding function", it fulfills the guidelines which reduce/stop the micro inverter power via frequency increase.
  
  However, feeding power back into the grid is then excluded or must be realized through device selection, programming and approval. You can find more information on this under energy storage systems.