Number of home solar panels in Germany doubles in one year, reaching 1 million

Germany’s balcony solar panel boom continues unfettered, as the total number of installed units surpasses one million. The panels are inexpensive to install and save homeowners and tenants money on their utility bills.

1 million balcony solar panels now installed in Germany

According to figures from the German Solar Industry Association (BSW), there are now one million balcony solar panel units installed in houses across the country. As of June 2024, there were half a million units installed, meaning the number has doubled in the past year.

The figures show a continuing trend. In August 2023, the traffic light coalition 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.

A record-breaking number of balcony solar panels were installed in Germany during every quarter of 2024. In the first quarter, more than 50.000 new units were installed, in the second quarter, 152.000 new units were installed, and by the end of 2024, 435.000 new units had been installed, compared to just 270.000 units installed in the whole of 2023.

The total of 800.000 units installed at the end of 2024 marked a record, which has now been broken again, with the 1 million installations. 

Who can install balcony solar panels in Germany?

Think all these people might be onto something? Installing balcony solar panels in Germany is relatively easy, whether you’re a renter or homeowner.

First, consider how much sun your balcony gets to determine whether it's worth investing in solar panels. A solar panel kit can cost between 300 and 1.000 euros, depending on demand and has a lifespan of 25 years. According to figures from Verivox, solar panels save households an average of 228 euros per year on electricity.

When weighing up whether an installation is worth it, it is also wise to check which kind of subsidies might be available. For example, tenants in Berlin can apply for a 500-euro Business SolarPLUS subsidy from the city’s senate if they would like help to cover installation costs.

As a tenant, you should get permission from your landlord in advance, but the circumstances under which your landlord can deny your request are limited. 

If you’ve ticked all the above boxes, you can install the panels yourself. The final step is to register your “balcony solar plant” in the Bundesnetzagentur’s Marktstammdatenregister (MaStR) database, which must be done within a month of installation.