Balcony solar system regulations for 2026 in Germany: What is permitted?

This page describes the rules in Germany. A brief overview for Austria and Luxembourg is provided at the end.

The law refers to balcony solar systems as ‘plug-in solar devices’: modules, inverters, connection cables and plugs for the flat’s electrical circuit. Simplified rules apply to these, provided two limits are observed. The inverter must not exceed 800 volt-amperes (VA), commonly referred to as ‘800 watts’ in everyday language. The modules must not exceed a combined peak power of 2,000 watts (Wp).

Both limits apply to all devices connected to the same supply point – that is, the connection point from which you draw electricity. A rooftop PV system is not included in this calculation.

It is intentional for the module output to exceed the inverter’s capacity: with four modules totalling 2,000 Wp, the inverter comes closer to its 800 VA limit in the mornings, evenings and on cloudy days. You can find out how much electricity this generates per year in the guide Balcony Solar System: Yield.

Some micro inverters can be set to more than 800 VA by a switch, an app or software. They do not count as a balcony solar system, even if you throttle them to 800 VA: according to the Federal Network Agency, the highest adjustable output is what counts. Sets with four modules can be found under Balcony Solar System 2000 Watt; check the inverter output there.

Sources: Section 8(5a) and Section 3(43) of the EEG, Federal Network Agency, balcony solar systems, checked on 7 November 2026

Yes, with the Federal Network Agency’s Market Master Data Register (Marktstammdatenregister) within one month of commissioning. You cannot be required to register with the grid operator.

Previously, there were two notifications: one to the grid operator and one to the register. Since the Solar Package I (May 2024), only the register entry remains. This applies provided the system has a maximum of 800 VA and 2,000 Wp. The grid operator may require a notification for a storage unit; see balcony solar system with storage.

Sources: Section 8(5a) of the EEG, Section 5(5) of the MaStRV, Registration guide for the Market Master Data Register, checked on 7 November 2026

The storage unit is entered in the Market Master Data Register (Marktstammdatenregister) as a separate unit; the easiest way is to do this at the same time as registering the balcony solar system. You can also add it later.

A storage unit such as the Growatt NOAH 2000 is situated between the modules and the inverter. During the day, it stores any electricity that the flat does not consume and later feeds it back to the flat via the inverter. The maximum power flowing into the domestic grid remains 800 VA.

The exemption for plug-in solar devices does not apply to storage systems. According to the EEG/KWKG Clearing House, under current legislation, storage systems are “not covered by the exemption for plug-in solar devices pursuant to Section 8(5a) of the EEG 2023 …, even if they are sold in combination with plug-in solar devices”. Accordingly, even “plug-and-play storage-solar system combinations” do not fall under the definition of a plug-in solar system. Your grid operator may therefore require you to register the storage system with them as well. It is best to check with them before connection. The draft of the new EEG includes storage systems in the definition and does not apply the limits to them (see 2027). To find out whether a storage system is worthwhile for you, see Balcony solar system with storage: when does it make sense?

Sources: Market Master Data Register, Guidance on Balcony Solar Systems and Storage Systems, Section 3(43) EEG, checked on 7 November 2026; EEG/KWKG Clearing House, Frequently Asked Legal Question 1, as at 9 October 2026, checked on 8 November 2026

You may start using your existing meter straight away, even if an old disc-type meter runs backwards. The metering point operator will replace it of their own accord.

An old Ferraris meter with a disc can run backwards if the balcony solar system supplies more electricity than the flat currently needs. This is permitted until the meter is replaced. The metering point operator will then, without your request, install a modern metering device that counts consumption and grid feed-in separately, or a smart metering system.

According to the Federal Network Agency, this takes place ‘without delay’, i.e. within weeks to a few months, not years. A digital meter that already counts in both directions does not need to be replaced.

Sources: Section 10a(2) and (3) of the EEG, Federal Network Agency, balcony solar systems, checked on 7 November 2026

Under the EEG, as many as you like, provided their combined output remains below 800 VA and 2,000 Wp. The product standard, however, provides for only one unit per household.

The limits do not apply per unit, but to all units connected to the same supply point. Anyone wishing to install more should have a standard PV system installed by a qualified electrician and register it with the grid operator.

According to the explanatory memorandum to the Solarpaket I, the point of consumption corresponds in most cases to the flat or house; the Federal Network Agency refers to the market location from which you obtain your electricity. The product standard also requires a notice on the plug stating that only one plug-in solar device may be connected per household: several units on one circuit can overload the wiring. Have a second unit connected by a qualified electrician.

Sources: Federal Network Agency, balcony solar systems, Parliamentary Paper 20/8657, p. 83, DKE, FAQs on DIN VDE V 0126-95, checked on 7 November 2026

The law does not specify a particular plug. The product standard of December 2025 permits the Schuko plug for module power up to 960 Wp; above this, the Wieland plug on an energy socket installed by a qualified electrician.

For a long time, there was debate over whether a balcony solar system could be connected to a standard domestic socket (Schuko). Since December 2025, there has been a dedicated product standard: DIN VDE V 0126-95. It is a pre-standard: not a law, but a recognised technical regulation. It does not affect devices that are already in operation.

Sources: VDE, product standard for plug-in solar devices, DKE, interpretation of the standard DIN VDE V 0126-95, DKE, FAQs on DIN VDE V 0126-95, checked on 7 November 2026

Since 17 October 2024, tenants and flat owners have been entitled to have a balcony solar system permitted.

Tenants must ask the landlord for permission. The landlord must agree, unless the balcony solar system cannot reasonably be expected of them, even taking the tenant’s interests into account. You can undertake to pay an additional security deposit. Any agreement that deviates from this to the detriment of the tenant is invalid.

Flat owners have the same right vis-à-vis the owners’ association. As a rule, the owners’ meeting no longer decides on whether to allow it, but on how it is to be implemented, for example where and how it is mounted. Only projects that fundamentally alter the property or unfairly disadvantage an owner remain excluded.

Before purchasing, ask whether there are any installation guidelines for the building. The guide Mounting Brackets for Solar Panels describes brackets for railings, walls and roofs.

Sources: Section 554 of the German Civil Code (BGB), Section 20(2)(5) and (4) of the German Condominium Act (WEG), checked on 7 November 2026

No feed-in tariff

Electricity that you do not consume yourself is fed into the grid without any remuneration. Only then do the simplified rules apply. Anyone wishing to receive the standard feed-in tariff forfeits these simplified rules.

Source: Section 21(1) of the EEG, checked on 7 November 2026

No curtailment

The Solarspitzengesetz (Peak Solar Act) of February 2025 limits the grid feed-in from new PV systems without control technology to 60 per cent. Balcony solar systems up to 800 VA and 2,000 Wp are exempt from this.

Source: Section 9(1) and (2) of the EEG, checked on 7 November 2026

0% VAT

Photovoltaic systems and their essential components are subject to a VAT rate of 0 % (zero rate) under the conditions set out in Section 12(3) of the German VAT Act (UStG). Please indicate during the ordering process whether these conditions apply. The Federal Ministry of Finance explicitly mentions balcony solar systems in this context. For more information, see VAT on photovoltaics.

Source: Section 12 of the German Value Added Tax Act (UStG), checked on 7 November 2026

Subsidies

There is no federal grant available. Some federal states and cities offer funding for balcony solar systems, though in some cases an application must be submitted before purchase. Current schemes are listed under Balcony Solar System Funding 2026.

The Federal Government has presented a draft of a new Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG), which is due to come into force on 1 January 2027. It has not yet been adopted. For balcony solar systems, it provides as follows:

• A storage unit connected to the same inverter will form part of the balcony solar system; the limits of 800 VA and 2,000 Wp do not apply to it.
• Grid feed-in will remain without remuneration, and the exemption from curtailment will remain in place.

Status of the legislative process: first reading in the Bundestag on 24 September 2026, followed by consideration in the committees. We will update this section as soon as the law has been passed.

Sources: Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs, draft bill of 29 July 2026, German Bundestag, first reading, checked on 7 November 2026

Austria

• Up to 0.8 kW per installation without a licence and without a dedicated metering point.
• Notify the grid operator two weeks before commissioning.
• Grid feed-in via a permanently installed socket, provided the manufacturer authorises this; no extension leads or multi-socket adaptors.

Sources: Electricity Industry Act, Federal Law Gazette I No. 91/2025, oesterreich.gv.at, E-Control, checked on 7 November 2026

Luxembourg

• Inverter capacity of up to 799 W is permitted.
• A Wieland plug is recommended but not mandatory.
• No subsidy is available under the Klimabonus scheme. Please check with your local authority to find out whether they require a permit or declaration.

Source: Klima-Agence, checked on 7 November 2026

The kits have a rated power of 800 VA on the domestic mains supply. The kit with 930 Wp without a storage unit remains below the 960 Wp limit for the Schuko plug; the kit with NEXA 2000 utilises the full 2,000 Wp. The NEXA 2000 delivers 800 W as standard; you can set the NEXA 2000 to up to 1,000 W in the app (Power+); according to the Federal Network Agency, the highest settable power rating is the decisive factor. The NOAH 2000 and NEXA 2000 storage units are also available individually for retrofitting.

Kits with 800 VA by default

Growatt · JA Solar · Item no. PV10710555Growatt · PV10710555

PV Balcony System With Growatt NEO 800 Micro Inverter + JA Solar Solar Module

• 0.93 kWp
• 0.8 kW

In the set: 2 × Module 465 W · Micro inverter

• 2 × Module 465 W
• Micro inverter

€259.00

incl. 0 % VAT for system operators*

In stock · plus shipping costs

Plus shipping costs

Growatt · JA Solar · Item no. PV10710097Growatt · PV10710097

PV Balcony System With NOAH 2000 Battery + Growatt NEO800M-X Micro Inverter + JA Solar Black Frame Solar Module

• 0.93 kWp
• 2.05 kWh
• 0.8 kW

In the set: 2 × Module 465 W · Storage · Micro inverter

• 2 × Module 465 W
• Storage
• Micro inverter

€709.00

incl. 0 % VAT for system operators*

In stock · plus shipping costs

Plus shipping costs

Growatt · JA Solar · Item no. PV10710680Growatt · PV10710680

PV Balcony System With NEXA 2000 Battery + JA Solar Glass-Glass Bifacial Full Black Solar Module

• 2 kWp
• 2.05 kWh
• 0.8 kW

In the set: 4 × Module 500 W · Storage

• 4 × Module 500 W
• Storage

€890.00

incl. 0 % VAT for system operators*

In stock · plus shipping costs

Plus shipping costs

Growatt · NOAH2000Growatt · NOAH2000

Growatt NOAH 2000 Plug & Play Battery

• 2.05 kWh
• Battery with separate micro-inverter
• Low Voltage

€409.00

incl. 0 % VAT for system operators*

In stock · Free shipping

Free shipping

Growatt · NEXA 2000Growatt · NEXA 2000

Growatt NEXA 2000 Plug & Play Battery

• 2.05 kWh
• Battery with built-in inverter
• Low Voltage

€495.00

incl. 0 % VAT for system operators*

In stock · Free shipping

Free shipping

* Section 12(3) UStG: only with the operator declaration at checkout, otherwise plus 19 % VAT.

You can find further sets under Balcony solar systems without storage, Balcony solar systems with storage and Storage systems for balcony solar systems.