Balcony power plant subsidies 2026: federal, state and city schemes

This overview shows which programmes are currently running, which have been fully utilised or have ended, and which federal regulations apply to each balcony power plant.

We check each programme monthly on the funding body’s website. This overview does not replace professional advice: the funding body’s terms and conditions apply, and funding may be exhausted at any time.

Whether the application is submitted before or after the purchase is determined by each scheme individually. Düsseldorf, Leipzig and Munich require the application to be submitted before the purchase; anyone who makes a purchase there first will no longer be able to apply for the grant. Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Darmstadt, Freiburg im Breisgau and Gelsenkirchen will only accept the application once the system has been purchased and installed.

Hamburg

Electricity from the balcony – support for low-income households

• Grant: up to 90 per cent of the acquisition costs
• Intended for: Low-income households, for example those receiving citizen’s income, basic income support, housing benefit, child supplement or BAföG
• Application: Advice and application via Caritas
• Duration: since October 2025; no end date specified
• Source: Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, verified on 2 October 2026

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania

Grants for plug-and-play photovoltaic systems

• Grant: €500 per installation and residential unit, up to the eligible costs
• Intended for: only tenants with their primary residence in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania; funding for property owners has been exhausted
• System: 200 to 800 W, purchased from 8 November 2022
• Application: following installation and registration in the market master data register, with the consent of the landlord or owners’ association where required
• Storage: with or without storage
• Duration: Directive valid until 31 December 2027
• Source: Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania State Development Agency, checked on 2 October 2026

We have not found any further regional programmes for balcony power plants in the federal funding database.

Darmstadt

Photovoltaics Funding Programme – Balcony Solar Systems

• Grant: 50% of the costs, up to a maximum of €200 (200 to 450 W) or €400 (450 W and above)
• System: Modules with an invoice date after 28 June 2022; purchase, assembly and installation are eligible for funding
• Application: following purchase and commissioning
• Duration: continued until 2026, no application deadline; funding granted only whilst budgetary resources are available
• Source: Darmstadt, City of Science, checked on 2 October 2026

Düsseldorf

Climate-friendly living and working – balcony solar systems

• Grant: 50 per cent of the costs, up to a maximum of €600; €800 with a Düsselpass
• Application: before purchase; the purchase is only made once the grant number has been issued
• Storage: including devices with integrated storage
• Duration: Directive in force since 1 January 2025; no end date for applications specified
• Source: City of Düsseldorf, checked on 2 October 2026

Freiburg im Breisgau

Climate-friendly living – balcony module

• Grant: a flat-rate payment of €150 for the connection; €300 with the Freiburg Pass
• Intended for: tenants only, with the landlord’s consent
• System: Inverter in accordance with VDE with NA protection
• Application: online, once the balcony module has been installed, within 6 months of the invoice date
• Duration: no end date specified
• Source: City of Freiburg im Breisgau, checked on 2 October 2026

Gelsenkirchen

Promotion of plug-in solar devices in urban areas

• Grant: €100 per installation, up to a maximum of the purchase price
• Intended for: one device per residential unit
• System: up to 800 W inverter power, no second-hand equipment
• Application: following installation, with entry in the market master data register (status ‘in operation’)
• Duration: Directive valid until 13 December 2026
• Source: City of Gelsenkirchen, checked on 2 October 2026

Kassel

Balcony Power Plants Funding Programme

• Grant: €150; low-income households: all costs covered by the energy-saving advisory service
• Intended for: Resident in Kassel
• Application: Submit invoices and supporting documents from the market master data register digitally
• Duration: Programme 2024 to 2026
• Source: City of Kassel, checked on 2 October 2026

Leipzig

Sector-specific funding guidelines for the promotion of plug-in solar devices

• Grant: up to €500 per device, not exceeding the purchase price
• Intended for: holders of the Leipzig Pass only; installation within the city limits
• System: at least 300 Wp
• Application: prior to purchase; cannot be combined with regional funding
• Duration: no programme end specified
• Source: City of Leipzig, checked on 2 October 2026

Mainz

Promotion of plug-and-play photovoltaic systems (balcony power plants)

• Grant: a one-off payment of up to €200 per household
• Intended for: Tenants and homeowners on low incomes
• System: up to 800 W feed-in power, modules up to 2 kW, new device
• Duration: new as of 2026
• Source: City of Mainz, checked on 2 October 2026

Marburg

Special Funding Programme for Balcony Power Plants (Mini-photovoltaics)

• Grant: 50 per cent of installation costs, up to a maximum of €400 (excluding materials); with the MarburgPass, 85 cents per watt of inverter capacity, up to a maximum of 85 per cent of the system costs
• Intended for: Owners, tenants, owners’ associations and societies
• System: 200 to 800 W output power; one measure per residential unit
• Application: to Stadtwerke Marburg; currently only provisional approvals, subject to budgetary funds
• Duration: no application deadline or programme end date specified
• Source: University City of Marburg, checked on 2 October 2026

Munich

Promotion of plug-in solar devices (balcony power plants)

• Grant: €0.40 per Wp up to 800 Wp, maximum 50 per cent of the costs; with the München-Pass, 95 per cent of eligible costs
• Intended for: Households residing in the dwelling; installation within the urban area
• Application: to be submitted via the city’s funding portal prior to placing the order; commissioning and supporting documentation must be provided within 1 year
• Storage: a battery storage system is eligible for funding if it is purchased together with the appliance
• Duration: no end date for the application or budget specified
• Source: City of Munich, checked on 2 October 2026

These programmes are not currently accepting new applications. We are continuing to list them because some towns are launching new rounds.

• Berlin (closed): no further applications. Source: Investitionsbank Berlin, checked on 2 October 2026
• Saxony (completed): expired on 30 June 2026. Source: Sächsische Aufbaubank, checked on 2 October 2026
• Schleswig-Holstein (on hold): provisional suspension since 16 November 2023; no new applications. Source: State Capital Kiel, verified on 2 October 2026
• Augsburg (completed): expired on 15 December 2025. Source: City of Augsburg, checked on 2 October 2026
• Bochum (completed): terminated early on 18 June 2026. Source: City of Bochum, verified on 2 October 2026
• Braunschweig (fully utilised): Funding year 2026 fully utilised; no further applications. Source: City of Braunschweig, checked on 2 October 2026
• Dortmund (exhausted): Application freeze (announcement dated 17 July 2024). Source: City of Dortmund, checked on 2 October 2026
• Essen (completed): discontinued on 3 July 2025. Source: City of Essen, verified on 2 October 2026
• Frankfurt am Main (exhausted): Funds exhausted since 3 June 2025; resumption pending. Source: City of Frankfurt am Main, checked on 2 October 2026
• Göttingen (funds exhausted): Funds exhausted (application period began on 1 June 2026). Source: City of Göttingen, verified on 2 October 2026
• Hagen (completed): Lottery procedure in June 2023; no ongoing funding documented. Source: City of Hagen, verified on 2 October 2026
• Hamm (completed): Directive expires on 31 December 2022. Source: City of Hamm, checked on 2 October 2026
• Krefeld (fully utilised): both funding schemes are currently fully utilised. Source: City of Krefeld, checked on 2 October 2026
• Cologne (fully utilised): 2026 budget fully utilised; directive valid until 31 December 2026. Source: City of Cologne, verified on 2 October 2026
• Lübeck (completed): the second round ended on 30 November 2023. Source: Hanseatic City of Lübeck, checked on 2 October 2026
• Mannheim (completed): removed during the reorganisation of the funding programmes. Source: City of Mannheim, checked on 2 October 2026
• Potsdam (on hold): no applications currently possible. Source: City of Potsdam, checked on 2 October 2026
• Stuttgart (completed): no further funding since the new directive came into force in May 2026. Source: City of Stuttgart, checked on 2 October 2026
• Wiesbaden (completed): expired on 30 June 2024. Source: City of Wiesbaden, checked on 2 October 2026

0% VAT

For photovoltaic systems and their essential components, including storage units, no VAT is payable subject to the conditions set out in Section 12(3) of the German Value Added Tax Act (UStG). The exemption applies to the supply to the operator of a system located on or near residential properties; for a system up to 30 kWp according to the Market Master Data Register, this condition is deemed to be met. There is no application form. You must indicate whether the conditions are met during the ordering process. Find out more on the page ‘Value Added Tax on Photovoltaics’.

Source: Section 12 of the German Value Added Tax Act (UStG), checked on 2 October 2026

Performance limits

The simplified rules for plug-in solar systems apply up to an inverter output of 800 VA and a module output of 2,000 Wp, calculated per grid connection. This has been the position of the Federal Network Agency since Solar Package I (May 2024).

Source: Federal Network Agency, checked on 2 October 2026

Market Master Data Register

Every balcony power plant is entered in the market master data register. Since 1 April 2024, five details about the plant have been sufficient for this. Many subsidy schemes require this entry as proof.

Source: Federal Network Agency, checked on 2 October 2026

Tenants and owners

Since 17 October 2024, tenants have been entitled to require their landlord to permit a plug-in solar device, unless this would be unreasonable to expect of them (Section 554 of the German Civil Code (BGB)). For flat owners, the corresponding provisions under the German Condominium Act apply.

Source: Section 554 of the German Civil Code (BGB), checked on 2 October 2026

Ready-made kits containing modules, micro inverters and accessories can be found under ‘Balcony power plants’, ‘Balcony power plants with storage’, ‘Balcony power plants without storage’, ‘Storage for balcony power plants’ and ‘Micro inverters’. Before purchasing, check whether your local authority’s scheme specifies a power limit or requires you to submit an application before making a purchase.

Whether a storage system is worthwhile is discussed under ‘Balcony power plant with storage: When does it make sense?’, whilst the rules on VAT are covered under ‘VAT on photovoltaics’.