Berlin.
Buying a balcony power plant with storage – many people are currently thinking about this. We looked at electricity storage and their costs.
- Small power plants in the house can reduce dependency on the electricity provider and reduce energy costs in the long term
- Balcony power plants – small photovoltaic systems – are an alternative that can be implemented quickly, in contrast to classic solar systems
- Powerful batteries are now available for balcony power plants – you can find the best power storage devices here
More and more people dream of their own power supply. It is also no longer the privilege of farmers or homeowners to generate their own electricity with the help of solar cells. With mini solar systems – also known as balcony power plants – tenants or garden owners can now generate at least part of their electricity needs themselves. The principle of the balcony power plant is simple: it produces electricity – this is fed into the private power grid fed into the grid and immediately used again by household appliances in your own household.
Balcony power plant: Don’t give away electricity and use storage – but there’s a catch
This means: The acquisition costs for a balcony power plant are amortized over time through the electricity costs. In many municipalities there is even a state subsidy for a balcony power plant – hundreds of euros in subsidies are possible locally. Investing in such a mini solar system can therefore pay off for almost all consumers. Excess electricity is fed into the public grid. There is usually no compensation for consumers for this. The Strom but does not necessarily have to be given away
The solution: buy a balcony power plant with electricity storage – but many storage systems have a catch. Especially cheaper systems often only have a very small storage capacity. But is the addition to the balcony power plant therefore pointless? Below we also go over the pros and cons of the Storage – and summarize what you should pay attention to when purchasing a balcony power plant with electricity storage. Solar generators – often referred to as power stations – are often offered on the network.
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Balcony power plant with storage: electricity into the power station instead of into the grid – this is how it works
These batteries in addition to balcony power plant store the self-generated electricity instead of feeding it directly into the grid – this is then tapped off again if necessary. The storage systems are sometimes already available together as a complete package for the small power station at home – i.e. with solar modules, inverters and the necessary connection cables. An existing balcony power plant can also be retrofitted with a power station – these are available with various storage capacities. But is the upgrade worth it? More on that below.
In line with this topic:
Buy a balcony power station with storage: The advantages of the power station at a glance
Electricity that is not consumed immediately is no longer lost in the grid. Rather, it can be used at times when it is needed. If the tenant is at his place of work during the day, the sun charges the battery. In the evening, when the computer or television is on, she gets a call again. This is how the energy comes out of you balcony power plant used more efficiently. But not only in terms of efficiency, a memory for the mini solar system can be a sensible and forward-looking investment. Come in addition:
Balcony power plants with storage have the function of an emergency generator. The battery helps at least for a certain time during a short blackout in the power grid. At least that lighting can be ensured in this way.
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Finally, you can use the battery for the balcony power plant also circumvent the standard that is still in force, which stipulates a special feed socket for balcony solar systems in the home network. If the electricity is only produced for the power station and from there directly to the consumer devices, the system does not have to be registered.
Buying a balcony power plant with storage: Costs and power loss – these disadvantages exist
For many buyers of one balcony power plant the financial aspect is paramount. The small power plants – which are offered from prices of 500 euros upwards – only pay for themselves after a few years given the current development in electricity prices in Germany. After this period of time, the consumer will still save money for many years. However, the purchase of a power station for the balcony power plant shakes this calculation. Depending on the capacity and performance, they cost a few hundred to several thousand euros.
Some of the electricity in the batteries is also lost – if the battery is idle for long periods of time. The prices of the batteries depend on various factors. The most important thing is the charging capacity – i.e. the question of how much energy the power station can store. The storage range extends from a few hundred watt hours (Wh) to 2000-3000 Wh. The output power also determines the performance of the battery. In addition, large household appliances can only be operated with the Battery operate when capacity allows.
Buy or retrofit a balcony power plant with storage: This factor determines the price
Otherwise, the washing machine and the like only work for a short time or not at all with the battery power from the balcony power station. In addition, the power station is equipped with connections or Schuko sockets. Since both mini solar systems and suitable power stations have not been available for very long, there is still a lack of extensive comparative tests and empirical values. However, some brand manufacturers have now established themselves with the storage devices. Your batteries are increasing more powerful and tend to be cheaper.
The latter is to be expected after the boom in the energy crisis in 2022 and gradually easing supply bottlenecks. But how much do the devices currently cost? We looked at the prices of save for balcony power plants looked at and roughly divided into three categories: less capacity (around 288 to 716 Wh), middle class (around 1,000 Wh) and upper class (2,000 Wh and more). Just as with the performance of balcony power plants, the same applies to storage: the larger the capacity, the more expensive the product.
Balcony power plant with storage in the test: There is so much power for less than 500 euros
A few hundred watt hours are sufficient for charging mobile devices or for lighting in the tent when camping. Here, the manufacturer Ecoflow offers, for example, the “River” power station with 288 Wh. The battery is commercially available for less than 500 euros. The Bluetti EB70 battery has a significantly higher capacity of 716 Wh. Buyers have to shell out almost 700 euros for this. For a balcony power plant with less output – for example when there is less sun – these storage systems can do the Mini solar system add to.
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Balcony power plant with storage from 1,000 euros in the test: output of 1,000 Wh and more
In the middle class you will find the generators with an output of 1,000 Wh and more. An example is the Anker Powerhouse 757 with a capacity of 1,229 Wh – at just under 1,500 euros, this device is an additional hit for the price balcony power plant to book. The competitor Ecoflow Delta 2 has a slightly lower capacity with 1,024 Wh for around 1,200 euros. These power storage devices do significantly more than the entry-level devices for less than 500 euros. They can also help with a brief blackout.
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Balcony power plant with top-class storage: the powerful storage with over 3,000 Wh
In the meantime, manufacturers are also bringing quite powerful storage systems for balcony power plants onto the market. These include the Jackery Explorer 2000 Pro with 2,160 Wh, which costs around 1,800 euros. The Ecoflow Delta Pro even has 3,600 Wh. At around 4,000 euros, the memory is also quite expensive. In contrast to the lower or middle class, they get consumer real powerhouses here. These are primarily of interest to owners of several mini solar systems, where large amounts of electricity are generated.
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The use of a power station for a balcony power plant is flexible. Of course, the storage can also be charged directly from the power grid if the battery is needed for a camping trip at the weekend, for example, and the sun does not provide enough energy for the balcony power plant. As useful as this acquisition is, one fact remains: the profitability of a mini solar system drops massively when the costs for storage are included. Depending on the capacity, the memory is even more expensive than that balcony power plant self.
And yet: Especially in times of rising electricity prices, balcony power plants become attractive. Especially since a memory is not absolutely necessary – the direct route to the socket and into the domestic power grid also relieves the strain. Especially since electricity is always consumed in the house – for example from the refrigerator or the telephone system. Several legal innovations have made solar power even more attractive since 2023 – including balcony power plants. And for whom no PV system is an option? A mini wind turbine in the garden could be an alternative here – it actually exists.
More articles from this category can be found here: Life
