01
What a balcony solar kit is
The parts, how it is installed, how long it lasts and which safety precautions to take.
Read the guide
Plug-in balcony solar kits: comparison, calculator and rules
We compare kits from different brands sold on Amazon, work out how much they would produce where you live and sum up the rules in each country. We do not make or sell any kit.
- 16 products checked
- 5 countries
- Official sources cited
- No brand sponsors us
Balcony solar kits compared
Kits from several brands available in your Amazon store. We pick them on specifications; the affiliate link does not change the order.
Products available on Amazon.co.uk. Each country has its own selection: switch language to see that country’s store.
Voltacon
800W Plug-In Solar Kit Hoymiles HF-800-WB + 2x JA Solar 465W
- 2 panels · 930 Wp
- 800 W microinverter
- UK plug
Affiliate link
Check that the inverter is listed for G98 and tell your network operator (DNO). We have not yet confirmed that this kit meets version 2 of the government’s plug-in specification. Rules in the UK
Listings checked on 6 November 2026. As an Amazon Associate, this site earns from qualifying purchases. Affiliate links do not change the price or the order of our recommendations.
Guides to help you decide calmly
02
How to choose a kit
Orientation, tilt, shade, panel type, microinverter certificates and mounts to suit your balcony.
Read the guide
03
Batteries for the balcony
When adding a battery is worth it and when it only stretches the payback time.
Read the guideHow much your balcony would produce
Choose the city, the orientation, the kit size and what you pay for electricity. We give you the estimated yearly output, the savings and the payback time, with the assumptions in plain sight.
Open the calculatorIt is an estimate, not a promise: shade on the balcony and the way you use energy change the result.
1,288kWh/year
800 Wp kit facing south and tilted at 30° in Madrid
606kWh/year
The same kit hanging vertically from the railing in Berlin
Source: PVGIS v5.3, Joint Research Centre of the European Commission. System losses: 14 %.
The rules, country by country
How much power is allowed, whether you must notify the network operator, which plug is accepted and what happens in a shared building or if you rent. Each page lists its sources and the date it was reviewed.
How a balcony kit works
Panels
One or two photovoltaic modules fixed to the railing or the wall, or resting on the terrace floor.
Microinverter
Converts the direct current from the panels into the alternating current used at home, and switches itself off if the grid goes down.
Plug
Connects to a socket in your home, never to an extension lead or a multi-plug adaptor. The fridge or the router use that energy first.
Savings
What the panel produces is used at home first. The more you use while the sun is out, the lower your bill.
How we work
- Official data
- Output figures come from PVGIS, the solar irradiation tool of the European Commission's Joint Research Centre.
- Sources cited
- Every statement about the rules links to the official gazette, regulator or network operator behind it, with a date.
- No promises
- We show the assumptions behind every calculation and flag when a rule is under review or the sources contradict each other.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an installer?
It depends on the country. In Spain, up to 800 W, with no export to the grid and no dedicated circuit, you do not need an installer, but the kit must have export limitation. In Germany, registering it in the federal register is enough. In Poland you must notify the network operator 30 days in advance. Each country page gives the details with its sources.
Can I fit one if I rent?
You almost always need the landlord's written permission if you touch the façade or the railing, and in a shared building the residents' association may have to vote on it. In Germany, since October 2024, the landlord can only refuse with justified reasons.
Can I plug it into any socket?
Never into an extension lead or a multi-plug adaptor. What is accepted varies by country: in Germany, the Schuko plug up to 800 VA; in the United Kingdom, a standard plug with a 5 A fuse; in France, the wiring standard prohibits it and it is a grey area.
How much does it save a year?
It depends on the orientation, shade, city and how much energy you use while the sun is out. The calculator gives you an estimate based on your details and shows you the assumptions.
What happens to the energy I do not use?
It goes out to the grid and, in most countries, nobody pays you for it. A battery lets you store it for later, although it usually adds years to the payback time.