IKEA to sell affordable, DIY solar panel kits in Germany

Swedish furniture giant IKEA has launched a range of affordable balcony solar panel kits at its stores in Germany. The country is seeing a balcony solar panel boom due to a recent legislative change.

IKEA launches balcony solar panels

From this week, residents in Germany will be able to purchase balcony solar panel kits at one of the country's 54 IKEA branches. Typical of IKEA goods, customers will be able to easily assemble and install the solar panels themselves.

“We are offering an easy entry point into solar energy for tenants who don’t have access to their own roof,” IKEA Germany boss Walter Kadnar told the Bild tabloid.

IKEA’s solar panels sold on the German market will be produced by another Swedish company, Svea Solar. “Eco Flow Stream” built-it-yourself solar panels made by Svea Solar cost between 449 euros and 2.000 euros. Customers with an IKEA Family card will receive a 15 percent discount.

According to Svea, panels sold as part of the “Stream” range are designed to be expanded, so customers can add more panels to their network in the future if they wish, and save more on utility bills.

Germany’s solar panel boom breaks new record

IKEA’s announcement comes as Germany’s solar panel boom breaks a new record, with 1 million balcony solar panels now installed across the country. In June 2024, there were half a million units installed, meaning the number has doubled in just one year.

The figures show a continuing trend. In August 2023, the German government passed its Solar Package I policy, which was implemented in January 2024. The policy cleared several bureaucratic hurdles that made it cumbersome to install balcony solar panels, and since then, the number of installed units has skyrocketed.

Renters in Germany must obtain permission from their landlord before installing balcony solar panels; however, the circumstances under which their landlord can reject their request are limited. According to figures from Verivox, solar panels save households an average of 228 euros per year on electricity.