# Balkonkraftwerk

By [Brandon Donnelly](https://brandondonnelly.com) · 2024-10-02

architecture, balcony-solar-panels, balkonkraftwerk, environment, germany, renewable-power, solar-panels, toronto

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Germany has, over the last 2 years, [really gotten into balcony solar panels](https://grist.org/buildings/how-germany-outfitted-half-a-million-balconies-with-solar-panels/):

> _The ease of installation and a potent mix of government policies to encourage adoption has made the wee arrays hugely popular. More than_ [_550,000 of them_](https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/germany-gives-apartment-dwellers-legal-right-solar-power-2024-07-05/) _dot cities and towns nationwide, half of which were installed in 2023. During the first half of this year, Germany added_ [_200 megawatts_](https://www.pv-magazine.com/2024/07/19/germanys-balcony-pv-installations-hit-200-mw-in-h1/) _of balcony solar. Regulations limit each system to just 800 watts, enough to power a small fridge or charge a laptop, but the cumulative effect is nudging the country toward its clean energy goals while giving apartment dwellers, who make up_ [_more than half_](https://www.destatis.de/Europa/EN/Topic/Population-Labour-Social-Issues/Social-issues-living-conditions/RentedAccommodation.html) _of the population, an easy way to save money and address the climate crisis._

Of course, there's only so much that panels like these can produce. By some estimates, a "large well-positioned balcony" might only produce 15% of a home's electricity needs. But hey, that's still something, and it seems like something that Toronto should be looking at.

We also have balconies.

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*Originally published on [Brandon Donnelly](https://brandondonnelly.com/balkonkraftwerk)*