New funding guidelines for balcony power plants: Application from 2026 in Pentling!

New funding guidelines for balcony power plants: Application from 2026 in Pentling!

On October 24, 2025, the municipality of Pentling published a new guideline to promote plug-in generation systems, also known as balcony power plants. This initiative aims to promote the use of mini photovoltaic systems and is scheduled to come into force from January 1, 2026. According to the Pentling Municipality's official website, a grant application will be made available to support the installation of these facilities. Further details can be found in the [PDF document on the directive](https://www.pentling.de/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/ Directive-zur-Foerderung-steckerFertiger-Erzeugungsanlagen-sog.-Balkonkraften-ab-01.01.2026.pdf), which is currently not available as it appears empty.

Balcony power plants, also known as plug-in solar devices, consist of photovoltaic modules, inverters, connecting cables and a substructure. These systems generate direct current, which is converted into alternating current by an inverter. The solar power generated is either fed into the consumer circuit or can be used in a separate circuit. According to that Federal Environment Agency These devices contribute slightly to the energy transition, but offer the opportunity to significantly reduce household electricity bills.

Legal framework

The legal basis for the use of plug-in solar devices was laid down in the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) 2024. The module power must not exceed 2,000 watts in direct current and 800 watts in alternating current, and registration in the market master data register is required. Operation can even occur before meter replacement, meaning that old meters can be replaced with bidirectional meters if necessary. This happens at no additional cost to the operators. In addition, balcony power plants are excluded from the system grouping with larger roof systems.

These systems can be commissioned by end customers with up to an inverter output of 800 watts; higher outputs may only be installed by qualified electricians. These devices are also recognized as privileged structural changes in tenancy law and WEG (Condominium Ownership Act).

Economic aspects and feed-in tariffs

The economic viability of balcony power plants depends heavily on the electricity they consume. Payback can be achieved within a few years, making them more attractive in this respect than larger roof systems. What is particularly noteworthy is that the cost of electricity generation is on average lower than the cost of purchasing electricity. Since 2023, the sales tax on photovoltaic systems up to 30 kW has been reduced to 0%.

Operators of balcony power plants have the option of registering their systems without a feed-in tariff, although the feed-in tariff for such devices is low; For example, this is around 13 euros per year for 800 watts. Although the feed-in tariff is assessed by law, there is no direct connection to the market value of the electricity fed in. The electricity fed in free of charge helps to reduce the EEG differential costs.

In addition, balcony solar systems and rooftop solar systems can be operated from the same grid connection. The feed-in can be recorded via a common measuring device, which simplifies things for operators. Different funding rates for balcony and rooftop solar systems lead to a special calculation of the feed-in tariff, depending on the installed capacity. Operators can choose whether to treat their balcony solar system like a conventional solar system or use the special regulations for plug-in solar devices.

For further information on the subject of balcony power plants, we recommend visiting the website Federal Network Agency, which provides comprehensive data and guidance on the use and promotion of solar systems.