Balcony power plant

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Updated – June 2, 2024

A balcony power plant is a photovoltaic system with a (feed-in) power of currently a maximum of 600 W. It is expected that the legally - arbitrarily - set power limit will be raised to 800 W in the course of 2023.

The background is that inverters that are sold in conjunction with a “balcony power plant” are limited to 600 W feed-in power and can, if necessary, be converted to 800 W via software.

The rush for such offers is still unbroken. However, it should be noted that many complete offers do not always contain the best components.

In this respect, if you want to purchase the economically most economical variant in terms of price-performance, it becomes necessary to deal with technical data, in particular the efficiencies of PV modules and inverters.

In addition, with some supposedly cheap offers, the devil is in the details: shipping costs can easily reach three-digit euros.

Another point is the consideration of pricing with regard to VAT. PV systems and their associated components are currently exempt from VAT, provided that the systems are intended for installation and supply in direct connection with real estate.

Finally, there is still the availability. Delivery times of up to several months are certainly possible. Some retailers also have minimum purchase quantities.

Installation example

As an example, an individual system is described here, which is close to the possible optimum in terms of technical data and availability at the time this article was published:

• Jinko Solar Tiger Neo JKM435N-54HL4R-V – 435Wp Black Frame Solar Module
• Solax – X1-0.6-SD MINI G3.1

You can get a decent one for around 600 euros Inverter with 98 % efficiency and two PV modules (1762 x 1134 x 30 mm), which have the best efficiency among the modules that can be delivered immediately or at short notice, namely 21.77 %.

All that is additionally required is: connection cable from the PV modules to the inverter, as well as mounting material. The PV cables should be 6 mm² not less than 4 mm, although in sets it is usually 4 mm² are offered: the thicker the cable, the lower the line losses!

Assembly of the PV modules

The PV modules can be installed either horizontally or vertically and always without tension or torsion.
The angle of inclination should be relatively steep in order to achieve higher yields, especially in winter when the sun is lower. In summer, comparatively, there is still enough yield even at a steeper angle. In addition, with steeper installation, less dust and snow accumulates, both of which increase yields.

Ensure there is sufficient rear ventilation to avoid a reduction in performance and/or defects due to heat build-up.

Further contributions

Details about Plant planning and technical design are included in this Article to find.

Notice

All electrical installation work must be carried out by qualified personnel in compliance with applicable regulations. When working on electrical installations, they must always be kept safely disconnected from the power supply!
To inform uninvolved third parties, appropriate information signs must be attached to the shutdown devices during the work.

ps If you need personal support in the implementation for a fee, you are welcome to Ticketing make!