With the drop in the price of solar cells, you can now use balcony or facade for your own electricity generation with a portable solar system. The solar modules are already affordable and available online or in hardware stores. In addition, many terraces or balconies offer enough space through their railings to install such a minian location. But is this strategy for saving and reducing CO₂ emissions? Here are some useful information that could help you as a tenant or landlord on this matter.
Why you should equip balcony and apartment with a mobile solar system
If you live in the city and your landlord is not readySun collectors on the roofTo install, you can either consider a joint solar park or place portable solar panels on your balcony. So you can create your own electricity and take your solar panels with you when you move out. If you obtain your electricity from a network that is not 100 % operated with clean, renewable electricity, you can reduce your CO₂ footprint by using your solar collectors to operate some things in your house that require electricity. You can reduce your electricity bill and make sure that you use carbon -free energy.
A watts are a unit of performance. It measures how much energy a device consumes or produces at a certain point in time. You need a solar panel (or a battery) that can produce 100 watts to make two 50-watt light bulbs shine. A watt hour is a measure of how much energy is used up over an hour. If you want to burn your two 50-watt light bulbs for 10 hours, you need a solar module that can generate 1,000 watt hours or 1 kilowatt hour (kWh). There is not necessarily a one-to-one language between the watts and the number of watt hours that a device can output.
Costs and advantages of mini solar systems
SmallPhotovoltaic systems and their advantageshave not only been trendy since the increase in electricity prices. With such a small format solar collector, tenants or owners can build their own small power plant on a balcony or terrace and use them for their household. In this case, important questions come, such as which regulations have to be observed. You can connect the system to the power grid of the apartment or house with a plug. Various names such as mini-PV or plug-in power plants circulate in stores. Strictly speaking, these are not systems, but electrical household appliances. They are designed in such a way that lay people can easily install them up to an output of 600 watts without any problems. However, more powerful devices must be installed by experts.
The current produced can then be used for coffee, for the television or for theWashing machine. You can mostly consume the electricity from a small photovoltaic system in the household, although the electricity generated is not fed into the network. You also do not have to dig deep into your pocket, as you can use balcony and railings to install a solar system. The prices for such a solar module vary between 400 and 800 euros. When buying, however, it is recommended to the seal of the German Sonnenenenergie Society. V. (DGS), as this enables a high security standard.
Is registration and approval of the landlord necessary?
It is recommended to obtain the landlord's permission to install such a system. In addition, as a tenant, you should ask about your landlord's consent before youSwitch to environmentally friendly solar energyAnd attach a solar module. If you are the owner, you usually have to inform the owner community early in order to be able to attach the modules to the balcony or house facade. After installation, the network operators and the Federal Network Agency are also informed. So that the electricity meter does not run backwards, you should have a electricity meter installed with a return lock or a two -way direction. The switch is usually changed by the network operator.
Factors to be observed during installation
You can also carry out the installation of solar collectors on the balcony on your own. This does not necessarily require the help of solar installers. The balcony should be aligned to the south if possible if you live in the northern hemisphere. Another advantage of such an installation is that you can take the PV system with you when you move out of the apartment. This system is simple because it is not bound to the power grid behind the meter of the apartment. This means that the system is clean and easy to install.
As a security measure, it would be ideal to have a custom -made support structure in the balcony in order to safely fix the panels. The size of the balcony determines the size and number of panels. The larger the panel, the lower the price per watt. Larger solar modules with 320 or 360 W are available, but they are quite bulky and heavy, with 160 watts being optimal. The size of such a plate is usually 150 x 70 cm and it weighs about 12.5 kg. An inverter with 22–60 V input voltage would be ideal to switch two panels in series. You can also use microw interpreters instead of normal inverters.
When the storm of a solar system can supply balcony and apartment
Since photovoltaic generates energy, there should be a way to store it as a direct current. The inverter converts direct current into alternating current. A battery that stores energy should also be connected to the system. A charge controller for the solar panel is required for each system with a nominal output of 12 watts or higher. In the case of clouds, however, electricity production will decrease by 20-30 %. Since the sun moves continuously across the sky, the optimal angle of inclination does not take longer than 1–2 hours a day. Therefore, real 100 W power from a 100-watt panel is rarely produced. How much you can supply electricity from your balcony depends on the location and the amount of sunlight that your outdoor area receives. In comparison, a portable solar module can charge your smartphone in the sun after a day.
Economic amortization
The financial amortization period for a solar system on the balcony is usually 25 years. The average system costs would be around 1000 euros. The system would generate an average of 543 kWh of energy per year. If the modules had been on the roof, the entire calculation would have been different. The energy production on the roof is far above that on the balcony. A solar system on the terrace or balcony therefore definitely has its own limits. The financial amortization of the system is quite long due to the relatively small solar system. In view of the lighting conditions of a balcony, theInvestment, however, worth it.
How long can devices be driven with solar energy?
A solar collector on the balcony can supply devices with about 400 W with electricity for about 6–7 hours or drive energy in a medium-sized house with LED lamps. Depending on the weather and time of day, two small PV modules with 160 watt, which are placed on a balcony, can deliver 10–190 watts. You can use this accordingly for the consumption of different home devices. If there is no power consumption, the surplus goes to the urban power grid. With solar collectors and a battery on the balcony, a solar-powered charging station for electronic devices such as laptops, phones, wireless earphones, a few 12 V emergency lights, etc. can also be used.
According to experts, a small solar system on the balcony can produce about 10 to 20 percent of their own electricity requirements. In a sample calculation by NDR.de, the annual savings for a standard module with an output of 300 watts is an approximate savings of 60 euros per year. This applies to 200 kilowatt hours generated and with average electricity price of 30 cents. You cannot be very self -sufficient with a solar system on the balcony, but it at least helps to save costs in the long term. However, it can take five to nine years for the acquisition costs to have amortized.
Tips on batteries if you use balcony or facade for a solar system
Batteries are expensive, although a solar module is also required, which also explains the long amortization period. The generation of electricity through the panels on the balcony is limited because their number is lower and it is only exposed to the sun to a limited extent. There are certain tips for optimizing electricity generation. The adaptation of the inclination of solar modules to the seasons helps to create more electricity. It is easy to set the tendency of panels attached in a balcony. Small adjustments can be made every hour, daily or monthly. Sometimes it is the maximum to adjust the angle two or four times a year. Since the solar collectors are very close together, they can also regularlySolar system cleanedbecome. Dust and dirt on the panels cause a loss of 1 % of the energy generated. Without proper washing, the loss in dry, dusty and heavily frequented regions is about 4-6 %.
By choosing a low-voltage DC system, you can also save on energy and money. Solar modules generate direct current, inverters convert this direct current into alternating current. For certain devices that are operated internally with direct current, it is converted back into direct current. In the inverter, however, DC-AC-DC conversion carry out, which could lead to considerable energy losses. Connecting the direct current generated by solar modules either on direct current devices or on direct current batteries for storage can therefore prevent further energy loss. A DC system multiplies the generation of electricity by 1.4 times. Less solar modules are required and there is no need to buy a DC/AC inverter, which can also save money.
