Germany surpasses 1 million plug-in solar devices, signaling strong interest in decentralized energy solutions in the country, says BSW Solar
Strong interest saw around 135,000 new units installed between January 2025 and April 2025
With simpler permitting processes in place since April 1, 2024, the boom can be expected to continue
Balcony solar power plants – also known as plug-in solar devices – have crossed the 1 million installation mark in Germany, according to the German Solar Industry Association (BSW Solar), which says this proves the growing public interest in decentralized renewable energy solutions. The boom is not yet over.
Based on Bundesnetzagentur’s (BNeTzA) registration data for plug-in solar devices, the association had previously projected reaching this milestone by the end of June 2025. However, updated registration data from the Federal Network Agency shows that the million mark has been exceeded.
Around 135,000 new devices were plugged in between January 2025 and April 2025, representing an annual increase of 36%. BSW Solar says that the output of the newly installed balcony power plants increased by around 75% during this period. BNeTzA says 53.4 MW of balcony solar came online in April 2025 (see Germany Installed Over 838 MW Of Solar PV In April 2025).
Balcony solar systems with their easy, plug-and-play feature make the generation and consumption of solar energy democratic, while helping consumers lower their electricity bills. The association says the investment in such devices pays off for itself within a few years.
“Now that solar roofs have long been standard in residential areas, the solar boom on balconies will now increasingly shape the image of inner cities. Ever broader sections of the population are benefiting from the solar energy transition,” said Carsten Körnig, BSW Solar CEO.
The typical module output for such a device is up to 2,000 W, while the connected load as per the VDE Association for Electrical, Electronic & Information Technologies draft standard may not exceed 800 W of AC power. A plug-in solar device is without storage capacity.
The boost comes from the ease of permitting procedures in the country, starting from April 1, 2024 (see Germany Simplifies Rules For Balcony Solar Power Plants).