They are simple to set up, and considerable reductions can be made to electricity bills. It may not be a romantic tale like Romeo and Juliet, but Spain's balcony scene is heating up as the country begins to fall for what has been a largely German romance with plug-in solar panels installed at home.
The term "balcony power plant" has been coined.
Manufacturers claim that installing two 300-watt panels can reduce a typical household's electricity bill by up to 30% on average. For a cost of £350-£650, and with no installation fees, it's possible that the panels could pay for themselves within six years.
In Spain, where two thirds of the population reside in apartments and installing panels on the roof necessitates the approval of a majority of the building's residents, this DIY technology has clear benefits.
With solar balconies, no such consent is required unless the facade is listed as a building of historical interest or there is a specific restriction from the residents' association or local authority. Furthermore, as long as the installation doesn't exceed 800 watts, there's no need for certification, which can cost anywhere from £85 to £320, depending on the region.
“The beauty of the solar balconies is that they’re adaptable, cost-effective and can connect straight into the domestic network by means of a converter, so you don’t have to pay for the installation,” says Santiago Vernetta, CEO of Tornasol Energy, one of Spain's principal suppliers.
As the price of solar panels keeps decreasing, Vernetta points out that the cost of having them installed often ends up being a bigger expense than the panels themselves.
As with all solar power systems, balcony solar power only functions during daylight hours and a battery storage system can add at least £800 to the installation cost.
Raquel Paule, director of the Madrid-based Fundación Renovables, says the increasingly well-known energy communities, where residents can benefit from solar installations on the roofs of nearby schools and sports centres, are another way round the problem of majority consent.
“She says, 'Balcony power is another important part of the overall picture.' She points out that it’s another way to harness electricity from our surroundings.”
Vernetta states that the vertical surface area of cities is considerably larger than that of rooftops and notes that, in Spain, sun panels on balcony areas gain more benefit from the low winter sun.
Cities like Helsinki have already started testing buildings with exterior solar panels.
“Plugging in solar is just one component of the full range of options,” says Michael Schmela, director of market intelligence at SolarPower Europe, an umbrella body for 320 European solar power organisations.
What's special about balcony power is its versatility and the fact that it can be installed as part of the building itself.
This is the next step. The technology is available, but regulations and architectures must be prepared for it. There are numerous solutions, and balcony solar power is the latest development in this field.
Paule stresses that self-sufficiency, whether at a household or community energy level, is a crucial factor in the transition to more sustainable energy, with cities particularly reliant on external sources as they receive around 97% of their electricity from outside.
“Cities need to become more independent by generating their own energy. She says, "The energy transition involves a change from cities relying on a centralised system provided by big companies to a more decentralized, more democratic and more inclusive model, and this is what the energy companies fear."
Large-scale energy companies should be actively promoting renewable energy, as they have had a considerable role in contributing to our current predicament," she says. "Rather than imposing barriers, they should facilitate access to the grid they oversee by making it available to everyone.
While some towns and regions have offered modest monetary handouts, the German boom has been driven by the rise in electricity costs that followed Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the ruling that neighbours don't have the right to object to solar panels on balconies.
Although balcony power accounts for just a small fraction of its overall solar energy capacity, Germany remains the European leader in solar installations. It aims to generate 80% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030. The EU's target is 42%, which Schmela believes will be met.
Belgium, which had previously banned plug-in solar devices, is relaxing its rules due to a fear of electricity from unauthorised sources being fed back into the grid.
"For years, solar has been the fastest-growing and most cost-effective energy sector," Schmela states, noting that what is currently required is further development of battery technology and closer integration between wind, solar, and other renewable energy sources.
Vernetta says Spain has been lagging behind in adopting balcony power, but remains hopeful that this technology will gain widespread acceptance.
He points out that if 1.5 million Germans have bought solar balcony kits, there must be something worthwhile about it.
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