Germany simplifies rules for hundreds of thousands of “balcony” solar systems

Germany’s Federal Network Agency (BNetzA) has simplified the registration of plug-in balcony solar photovoltaic (PV) units or ‘balcony power plants’ as of 1 April.

“People should be able to participate in the energy transition as easily as possible,” BNetzA head Klaus Müller said, adding that balcony power plants could now be registered quickly and unbureaucratically in the regulator’s core energy market data register online portal (MaStR).

To register, tenants or homeowners will have to enter five details about their balcony power plants in addition to personal information. The registration previously required around 20 entries.

“These simplifications represent a significant reduction in bureaucracy during registration,” Müller added.

The move to facilitate the installation of easy-to-use PV units in homes and apartments comes amid a solar boom evident in MaStR figures, according to the network agency.

In 2023 alone, 1.6 million new electricity generation systems were installed and registered on the online portal, 300,000 of which were balcony power plants.

“This shows that the energy transition has reached the broader population,” BNetzA noted. “Therefore, a simplified and practical way to register these systems is essential.”

The German parliament (Bundestag) is currently discussing legislation to further accelerate solar expansion.

The use of balcony power units is expected to be further deregulated, making a simple registration in the MaStR sufficient and an additional declaration to grid operators no longer necessary.

The network agency is also in the process of modernising the online register to improve user experience.

Germany aims to cover 80 percent of its electricity demand with renewable energy by 2030, and photovoltaics are expected to make an important contribution.