Rules · Germany

Balcony solar panels in Germany: what the rules say

In Germany you can plug in a balcony kit (Steckersolargerät) with up to 800 VA of inverter output and 2,000 Wp of panels, and the only paperwork is registering it in the Marktstammdatenregister within one month. If you rent or live in a block with an owners’ association, you have a right to permission, but you still have to ask for it.

Reviewed on 6 November 2026

Balcony of an old German building with two solar panels on the railing

The essentials

Limits: Up to 800 VA of inverter output and 2,000 Wp of panels
Paperwork: Register in the Marktstammdatenregister (MaStR) within a month; no need to tell the grid operator
Plug: Schuko up to 960 Wp and 800 VA; above that, a special plug (Wieland)
Meter: An old Ferraris meter is tolerated until it is replaced, at no cost to you
Renters and owners’ associations: A right to permission (§ 554 BGB, § 20 WEG), but you must ask
Subsidies: 0 % VAT; no federal grant; local schemes that change often
BatteryUnder review: Separate MaStR entry and, according to the VDE form, an F.1.2 notice to the grid operator

We mark as “under review” anything we could not confirm in an official source.

Power limits since Solarpaket I

Germany’s renewable energy act (EEG, § 3 Nr. 43) defines a Steckersolargerät — a plug-in solar device — with two limits: no more than 2,000 W of panels and 800 VA of inverter output in total ². These special rules apply to devices commissioned from 16 May 2024 ².

Both limits are added up across all devices behind the same metering point. What counts is the highest output the inverter can be set to, even if software caps it lower ².

The old 600 VA limit no longer exists ¹.

Registering in the Marktstammdatenregister

The only formality is registering the device in the Marktstammdatenregister (MaStR), the installation register run by the Bundesnetzagentur, the federal regulator. You have one month from commissioning ¹².

You no longer need to notify the Netzbetreiber (your local grid operator): the Bundesnetzagentur passes the information on automatically ³⁸. Only if you want to be paid for the electricity you feed into the grid do you also have to register with the Netzbetreiber ¹.

Since 1 April 2024, on top of your personal details, the register asks for “only five details” about the device instead of around 20 ⁸.

Electricity meter

The Netzbetreiber or the Messstellenbetreiber (the company that runs your meter) has to fit a bidirectional meter (Zweirichtungszähler) or a smart metering system ².

You can connect the device before the swap; in the meantime, readings from the old meter are treated as correct. The swap has to happen without undue delay (“unverzüglich”) and without you having to order it. According to the Bundesnetzagentur, this grace period should last weeks, a few months at most ².

An old Ferraris meter that runs backwards is allowed until then ³. You cannot be charged for the meter swap ³¹⁴.

Plug: Schuko or Wieland

The product standard DIN VDE V 0126-95 was published on 14 November 2025 and has applied since 1 December 2025 ⁴⁵. It is a Vornorm: a technical standard, not a law.

An ordinary Schuko plug complies if the device has no more than 960 Wp of panels and 800 VA of inverter output ¹⁴. Basic protection must come from a modified plug with a protective cover, an internal disconnect switch or galvanic isolation in the inverter ¹⁴. Never connect several devices through a power strip ¹.

Between 960 Wp and 2,000 Wp you need a special energy socket, for example to DIN VDE V 0628-1, usually called “Wieland” ¹⁴. That socket must be fitted by an electrician ³. The VDE recommends having an electrician check the circuit; the fuse may need to be reduced ¹.

The inverter needs a unit certificate (Einheitenzertifikat) showing it meets the grid connection standard VDE-AR-N 4105 ¹. The current version is VDE-AR-N 4105:2026-03, in use since 1 March 2026 ¹¹⁵.

Renters and flat owners

Since 17 October 2024, generating electricity with a Steckersolargerät has been a “privileged measure” under § 554 BGB (the Civil Code’s tenancy rules) and § 20 WEG (the law on owner-occupied flats), alongside EV charging, accessibility, burglary protection and fibre broadband ⁶⁷³.

As a tenant, you can require your landlord to allow the necessary alteration. The landlord can only refuse if it would be unreasonable for them (“nicht zumutbar”), even taking your interest into account ⁶³. Any clause in your contract to your disadvantage is void (§ 554 Abs. 2), and the landlord can ask for an additional security deposit ⁶. It is a right to obtain permission, not an exemption: you still have to ask.

As a flat owner, you can require the owners’ association to approve an “angemessen” (reasonable) installation; the association decides by majority how it is done. You cannot demand it if it fundamentally changes the building or unfairly disadvantages another owner (§ 20 Abs. 4 WEG) ⁷.

If you rent a flat in such a building, you ask your landlord, who can in turn require the association’s approval ¹⁷.

Kits with a batteryUnder review

The battery counts as a separate unit: you also have to register it in the MaStR within one month, and the EEG has no exceptions for plug-in solar batteries ⁹¹⁴.

According to the official VDE form (Annex F of VDE-AR-N 4105:2026-03), form F.1.2 is the simplified procedure for set-ups of up to 800 VA in total. It goes to the Netzbetreiber, in addition to the MaStR entry, if you want feed-in payment, if you have panels with a battery, or if you only have a battery ¹⁸.

This point is not fully settled: grid operators do not all handle it the same way, and one secondary source we could not verify says some require the full procedure with an electrician ¹⁵. Check with your Netzbetreiber before connecting.

DIN VDE V 0126-95 does not cover devices with a built-in battery; a DKE committee is drafting a separate standard ⁴⁵.

VAT, subsidies and insurance

Panels, essential components and batteries are sold at 0 % VAT (§ 12 Abs. 3 Nr. 1 UStG) if installed on or near a home and the gross output in the MaStR is no more than 30 kWp ¹⁹. This includes Steckersolargeräte ³.

In 2026 there is no federal grant specifically for these kits, and many regional and municipal budgets have run out ²⁰²¹. Local schemes change constantly: always check the official source.

Two examples with an official source. Munich pays €0.40/Wp up to 800 Wp per home (at most €320 and 50 % of the cost, or 95 % with a München-Pass), and you must apply before buying ²⁴. Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania pays €500 to tenants whose main home is in the state, applied for by post once the device is installed ²²²³; the quota for owners has been used up since 2023 ²³, and we found no official 2026 page confirming how much budget is left.

Insurance is optional. The device can often be added to your buildings, home contents or liability insurance; tell your insurer ³.

Unconfirmed pointsUnder review

MaStR details: the Bundesnetzagentur mentions five ⁸, but pv magazine lists six: location, display name of the unit, commissioning date, total panel output, inverter output and meter number ⁹. We found no official list, so it is unclear whether the meter number is mandatory.

Devices installed before DIN VDE V 0126-95: secondary sources say the standard is not retroactive and existing devices need no changes ¹⁶, but no official VDE or DKE source confirms this.

Form F.1.2: according to secondary sources, a private person can fill it in without an electrician’s signature ¹⁵.

Other local schemes: aggregator sites in October 2026 list Konstanz, Pforzheim, Göttingen (since 1 June 2026) and Darmstadt as open, and Cologne (since 28 September 2026), Stuttgart, Freiburg, Bonn, Kassel, Heidelberg, Böblingen and Saxony as used up or closed ²⁰²¹. We have not checked these on the official websites.

Information, not legal advice

This page summarises the rules as of 6 November 2026, based on the sources cited. It is general information, not legal advice. Rules and subsidies change: before you decide, check the official source and, if you are unsure about your case, ask a professional, your Netzbetreiber or the Verbraucherzentrale (Germany’s consumer advice centres).

What is about to change

EEG 2027: the government bill (Drucksache 21/7867, 29 July 2026) had its first reading on 24 September 2026. Press reports expect the second and third readings in mid-November 2026, with entry into force planned for 1 January 2027 ¹⁰²⁵.
According to the draft and analyses, EEG 2027 would keep the 2 kW and 800 VA limits, pay nothing for feed-in and make clear that you can have more than one device ¹¹¹²¹³.
The definition would include a battery connected “hinter demselben Wechselrichter” (behind the same inverter); an AC battery with its own inverter would fall outside it, according to industry readings ¹¹¹².
There is political pushback: the SPD wants changes and a Bundesrat committee proposes separate rules for small installations. The final text may change ²⁵.
VDE-AR-N 4105:2026-03: according to secondary sources, a general transition period runs until early March 2027 ¹⁵. The DKE is drafting a product standard for devices with batteries ⁴⁵.

Before you buy

Choose a device with an inverter of up to 800 VA, panels of up to 2,000 Wp and a VDE-AR-N 4105 certificate. To use Schuko: panels of up to 960 Wp and a device that meets DIN VDE V 0126-95 ¹⁴.
If you rent, ask your landlord for written permission before fitting it; if you own a flat, ask the owners’ association for approval ⁶⁷.
Check your city or state subsidies before buying: some, like Munich’s, require you to apply first ²⁴. Make sure the invoice shows 0 % VAT ¹⁹.
Register the device (and any battery, as a separate unit) in the MaStR within one month of commissioning ¹²⁹.
Do not use power strips. If your wiring is old or you want a Wieland plug, call an electrician ¹³.
Tell your insurer about the device ³.

Sources

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