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Coastalwatch

They are installing almost as much per month as we do in a year!

Germany hits 100 GW milestone

The country installed around 1.12 GW of new PV capacity in January, thus raising its cumulative installed solar power over the 100 GW threshold.

https://www.pv-magazine.com/2025/02/18/germany-hits-100-gw-milestone/?utm_source=Global+|+Newsletter&utm_campaign=9fc35a42cb-dailynl_gl&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_6916ce32b6-9fc35a42cb-159300013

Martyn1981

Coastalwatch said:

They are installing almost as much per month as we do in a year!

Germany hits 100 GW milestone

The country installed around 1.12 GW of new PV capacity in January, thus raising its cumulative installed solar power over the 100 GW threshold.

https://www.pv-magazine.com/2025/02/18/germany-hits-100-gw-milestone/?utm_source=Global+|+Newsletter&utm_campaign=9fc35a42cb-dailynl_gl&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_6916ce32b6-9fc35a42cb-159300013

Strewth! That's some major milestone.

Trying to word this just as a comparison, but it keeps sounding anti-nuclear, but that's not the intention.

So, 100GWp of PV in Germany, after taking capacity factors into account, is probably equal to about 12GW of nuclear. Each generating around 11GW average over a year.

I think the vast bulk of German PV has been installed in the last 15yrs (they were the main driving force of early FiT schemes in the late 2000's). So that time period also probably compares well to the commissioning time for a new nuclear project. [But the PV generating during the 15yr period.]

The balcony PV part is also fascinating, as a quick and easy way to add PV. I think Germany, like much of Europe, allows plug-in PV like this, using a small inverter or micro-inverters. Whereas the UK requires hardwiring, or the use of a socket on a dedicated circuit (effectively the same I think?)

No idea if the UK is right or wrong, I am a bit safety conscience myself, but something I've harped on about for over a decade in the UK, would be a small 1 or 2 panel canopy system. Make a simple rainshield over the front or back door, or over a porch, all DIY, or handyman.

QrizB

Martyn1981 said:

The balcony PV part is also fascinating, as a quick and easy way to add PV. I think Germany, like much of Europe, allows plug-in PV like this, using a small inverter or micro-inverters. Whereas the UK requires hardwiring, or the use of a socket on a dedicated circuit (effectively the same I think?)
No idea if the UK is right or wrong, I am a bit safety conscience myself, but something I've harped on about for over a decade in the UK, would be a small 1 or 2 panel canopy system. Make a simple rainshield over the front or back door, or over a porch, all DIY, or handyman.

I understand the theoretical concerns about plug-in PV - by taking a circuit that's designed to be fed form one point (the consumer unit) and adding a second source of power (the PV) you risk allowing loads on the circuit that exceed the capacity of the conductors without tripping the protective devices (fuse/MCB/RCBO) fitted to the CU or PV system.

The "simple" option of reducing the rating of the CU MCB then means the circuit can't supply its designed power when the PV isn't generating.

Germany's approach is to limit you to (link) 800 watts of balcony PV, which is only 4 amps or so. I guess German wiring regs are such that adding a 4A supply to the wrong end of a circuit has been deemed acceptable by VDE. (Is Germany all radial circuits, rather than rings, which eliminates the chance of a broken ring fault?)

Edit: here's a self-install kit, 800 watt inverter plus 900 watts of panel for £300:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/134766303393

International shipping from Germany is a bit of a sting, at ~£100 if you wanted one delivered to the UK, but it show's what's possible when there's a market.

Second edit to add photo/screenshot, since eBay links tend to expire.

Martyn1981

QrizB said:

Edit: here's a self-install kit, 800 watt inverter plus 900 watts of panel for £300:

Cheers and WOW!

To be blunt, why wouldn't you at that price, if you have a balcony or similar. No wonder it's rolling out so fast. I'll have to ask my BiL who lives in Sweden. He's got a balcony, I wonder if the idea has crossed his mind.

michaels

Martyn1981 said:

QrizB said:

Edit: here's a self-install kit, 800 watt inverter plus 900 watts of panel for £300:

Cheers and WOW!

To be blunt, why wouldn't you at that price, if you have a balcony or similar. No wonder it's rolling out so fast. I'll have to ask my BiL who lives in Sweden. He's got a balcony, I wonder if the idea has crossed his mind.

Not sure if these tend to be mounted vertically and not necessarily due south.  Reasonable ballpark guess at annual output perhaps 600kwh?  At 15p per kwh (assume 50% is exported at a SEG of 10p and 50% displaces imports at 20p) gives a payback period of just over 3 years.

70sbudgie

Also, a vertical mounted panel that faces south would better offset winter load, without particularly adding to summer peak generation. 

silverwhistle

I would definitely had one of those when I lived in Italy as I had a fourth floor south facing balcony and a maximum supply of 3kW (tripping at 3.3 in practice). Heating was by immersion and the thought occurs that you could have a dedicated circuit to an immersion which will take anything you throw at it up to its maximum rating.

Back in 2013 these weren't available but that year within a month of returning to my house in the UK I had 4kWp on my roof, so I was definitely aware of the possibilities.

JKenH

QrizB said:

Martyn1981 said:

The balcony PV part is also fascinating, as a quick and easy way to add PV. I think Germany, like much of Europe, allows plug-in PV like this, using a small inverter or micro-inverters. Whereas the UK requires hardwiring, or the use of a socket on a dedicated circuit (effectively the same I think?)
No idea if the UK is right or wrong, I am a bit safety conscience myself, but something I've harped on about for over a decade in the UK, would be a small 1 or 2 panel canopy system. Make a simple rainshield over the front or back door, or over a porch, all DIY, or handyman.

I understand the theoretical concerns about plug-in PV - by taking a circuit that's designed to be fed form one point (the consumer unit) and adding a second source of power (the PV) you risk allowing loads on the circuit that exceed the capacity of the conductors without tripping the protective devices (fuse/MCB/RCBO) fitted to the CU or PV system.

The "simple" option of reducing the rating of the CU MCB then means the circuit can't supply its designed power when the PV isn't generating.

Germany's approach is to limit you to (link) 800 watts of balcony PV, which is only 4 amps or so. I guess German wiring regs are such that adding a 4A supply to the wrong end of a circuit has been deemed acceptable by VDE. (Is Germany all radial circuits, rather than rings, which eliminates the chance of a broken ring fault?)

Edit: here's a self-install kit, 800 watt inverter plus 900 watts of panel for £300:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/134766303393

International shipping from Germany is a bit of a sting, at ~£100 if you wanted one delivered to the UK, but it show's what's possible when there's a market.

Second edit to add photo/screenshot, since eBay links tend to expire.

Or you could buy this EcoFlow PowerStream for £99. I’ve had one of these for a couple of years wired up to a couple of odd solar panels mounted on pallets on casters so they can be oriented towards the sun. As it’s a ground mount I get a lot of shade in the winter but have seen 9 Os in summer. The inverter has lived outside for 2 winters, just protected by a bit of shelter from the panels. At the time they were on sale there was a bit of discussion whether they complied with UK regs and EcoFlow withdrew them.

https://www.hampshiregenerators.co.uk/generators/portable-power-stations/ecoflow-powerstream-microinverter/

michaels

JKenH said:

QrizB said:

Martyn1981 said:

The balcony PV part is also fascinating, as a quick and easy way to add PV. I think Germany, like much of Europe, allows plug-in PV like this, using a small inverter or micro-inverters. Whereas the UK requires hardwiring, or the use of a socket on a dedicated circuit (effectively the same I think?)
No idea if the UK is right or wrong, I am a bit safety conscience myself, but something I've harped on about for over a decade in the UK, would be a small 1 or 2 panel canopy system. Make a simple rainshield over the front or back door, or over a porch, all DIY, or handyman.

I understand the theoretical concerns about plug-in PV - by taking a circuit that's designed to be fed form one point (the consumer unit) and adding a second source of power (the PV) you risk allowing loads on the circuit that exceed the capacity of the conductors without tripping the protective devices (fuse/MCB/RCBO) fitted to the CU or PV system.

The "simple" option of reducing the rating of the CU MCB then means the circuit can't supply its designed power when the PV isn't generating.

Germany's approach is to limit you to (link) 800 watts of balcony PV, which is only 4 amps or so. I guess German wiring regs are such that adding a 4A supply to the wrong end of a circuit has been deemed acceptable by VDE. (Is Germany all radial circuits, rather than rings, which eliminates the chance of a broken ring fault?)

Edit: here's a self-install kit, 800 watt inverter plus 900 watts of panel for £300:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/134766303393

International shipping from Germany is a bit of a sting, at ~£100 if you wanted one delivered to the UK, but it show's what's possible when there's a market.

Second edit to add photo/screenshot, since eBay links tend to expire.

Or you could buy this EcoFlow PowerStream for £99. I’ve had one of these for a couple of years wired up to a couple of odd solar panels mounted on pallets on casters so they can be oriented towards the sun. As it’s a ground mount I get a lot of shade in the winter but have seen 9 Os in summer. The inverter has lived outside for 2 winters, just protected by a bit of shelter from the panels. At the time they were on sale there was a bit of discussion whether they complied with UK regs and EcoFlow withdrew them.

https://www.hampshiregenerators.co.uk/generators/portable-power-stations/ecoflow-powerstream-microinverter/

Apart from the regs, could you literally just attach 2 random second hand panels and plug into a socket ring?

ed110220

JKenH said:

QrizB said:

Martyn1981 said:

The balcony PV part is also fascinating, as a quick and easy way to add PV. I think Germany, like much of Europe, allows plug-in PV like this, using a small inverter or micro-inverters. Whereas the UK requires hardwiring, or the use of a socket on a dedicated circuit (effectively the same I think?)
No idea if the UK is right or wrong, I am a bit safety conscience myself, but something I've harped on about for over a decade in the UK, would be a small 1 or 2 panel canopy system. Make a simple rainshield over the front or back door, or over a porch, all DIY, or handyman.

I understand the theoretical concerns about plug-in PV - by taking a circuit that's designed to be fed form one point (the consumer unit) and adding a second source of power (the PV) you risk allowing loads on the circuit that exceed the capacity of the conductors without tripping the protective devices (fuse/MCB/RCBO) fitted to the CU or PV system.

The "simple" option of reducing the rating of the CU MCB then means the circuit can't supply its designed power when the PV isn't generating.

Germany's approach is to limit you to (link) 800 watts of balcony PV, which is only 4 amps or so. I guess German wiring regs are such that adding a 4A supply to the wrong end of a circuit has been deemed acceptable by VDE. (Is Germany all radial circuits, rather than rings, which eliminates the chance of a broken ring fault?)

Edit: here's a self-install kit, 800 watt inverter plus 900 watts of panel for £300:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/134766303393

International shipping from Germany is a bit of a sting, at ~£100 if you wanted one delivered to the UK, but it show's what's possible when there's a market.

Second edit to add photo/screenshot, since eBay links tend to expire.

Or you could buy this EcoFlow PowerStream for £99. I’ve had one of these for a couple of years wired up to a couple of odd solar panels mounted on pallets on casters so they can be oriented towards the sun. As it’s a ground mount I get a lot of shade in the winter but have seen 9 Os in summer. The inverter has lived outside for 2 winters, just protected by a bit of shelter from the panels. At the time they were on sale there was a bit of discussion whether they complied with UK regs and EcoFlow withdrew them.

https://www.hampshiregenerators.co.uk/generators/portable-power-stations/ecoflow-powerstream-microinverter/

Very interesting set up you've built there! This has got me thinking of mounting a few more panels vertically on the back of our house as the S facing roof face is all covered already.