For many households without rooftop access, balcony solar panels may offer a way to take advantage of solar power and reduce their electricity bills.

Already extremely popular in Germany and other countries in Europe, putting solar panels on a balcony is a simple way to get some free power for people in apartments.

In this article, we’ll take you through what balcony solar panels are, the different systems available, and what their requirements are.

Balcony solar panel systems consist of one or two solar panels attached to the outside of your balcony to provide a small amount of power for use in your home.

These panels can either be installed vertically, flush with the balcony, or at an angle to improve the amount of sunlight they catch.

There are two distinct variations in the type of balcony solar panel system based on how they supply electricity.

• Plug-in Solar Panels: The solar panels are designed to connect directly to your home power supply with a microgenerator and cable to plug into a power outlet.
• Solar Power Stations: The balcony solar panels are connected to a power station, combining a battery with power outlets that allow you to connect appliances.

These will have different price points and requirements for installation. A power station will add to the price of the solar panels, but doesn’t require any certification since it doesn’t connect to the grid.

The price of balcony solar panels will depend on the power and number of panels, and if the system includes a generator or is just plugging into the wall.

Balcony solar panels designed to plug into an outlet might cost between €500 and €900. Having a solar power station could add another €750 on up to thousands of euro more, depending on the model.

There are many people living in apartment buildings which either don’t have the roof space for solar panels or where individual apartment owners aren’t able to install them on the roof.

They can also offer an alternative for homes where the shape or size of a roof makes it unsuitable for solar panels.

If these buildings have a balcony, that could be the ideal place to put some solar PV panels.

Whether or not it is worthwhile or safe to install solar panels on your balcony will depend on the following factors.

Part of the appeal of balcony solar panel systems is the ability to install them yourself. Just place the solar panels in their frame, hook up the microinverter, and plug it into an outlet.

However, Irish regulations regarding microgeneration seem to make DIY systems impossible.

For any microgeneration system, solar, wind, etc, which is connected to the grid an NC6 form must be filled in to get the system approved by the ESB.

This requires details of the installer who put the solar panels in, including the details fo a Safe Electric registered electrician.

The regulations do not currently seem to distinguish between balcony solar, which is plugged into an outlet, and larger, more permanent solar PV installations.

So while it would seem that you can legally get solar panels on your balcony, you cannot currently do it yourself, which is one of the key virtues of these systems.

If you are renting an apartment, then it is possible that you would need permission from a landlord to install solar panels on the balcony.

The NC6 form mentioned above also requires the Meter Point Reference Number (MPRN) of the property.

This MPRN must be registered in the name of the applicant. Whether this is the tenant or landlord will depend on the terms of an individual’s lease or rental agreement.

Living in an apartment building, there may well be regulations on what you are allowed to attach to your balcony, especially if they are going on the outside of the frame.

If you have doubts about whether or not balcony solar panels are permitted, check with your local authority to see if they have any regulations regarding the use of balconies.

The building management company may also have rules about what is and is not allowed on an apartment balcony.

If your property is a protected structure or in an architectural conservation area, you may also need approval for anything which would alter the external appearance of the building. This is true even if you aren’t altering the fabric of the building.