Is a balcony solar kit worth it? Savings and payback explained
A balcony solar kit is worth it for most homes: a two-panel 800 W kit produces up to 1,600 kWh a year in southern Europe, and every kWh you use yourself is a kWh you don't buy. How much you save depends on three numbers: how much the kit produces where you live, how much of that you use yourself, and what you pay per kWh. This guide shows how to work it out.
What a balcony solar kit does
The kit's panels feed a microinverter that turns their power into household electricity. You plug it into a socket, and your appliances use that electricity first. You save the price of every kWh your home uses from the kit instead of the grid.
Why the savings vary
1. Sunshine where you live
The same kit produces much more in Seville than in Hamburg. A two-panel 800 W kit produces up to 1,600 kWh a year in southern Europe, and less further north. Orientation and shade matter too: south-facing and unshaded is best, east or west still works well.
2. How much you use yourself
A kit saves money on the electricity you use while it produces. Fridges, routers, standby devices and appliances running during the day use it directly. What you don't use flows into the grid, often for little or no payment. Running the washing machine or dishwasher at midday raises your savings; a battery stores the surplus for the evening.
3. Your electricity price
The higher your price per kWh, the more each kWh is worth. According to Eurostat, households in the EU paid on average about €0.28 per kWh in the first half of 2026, with Germany and Belgium around €0.36 and Bulgaria around €0.13.
How to calculate your savings
Savings per year = kWh produced × share you use yourself × your price per kWh.
An example with round numbers: a kit producing 1,000 kWh a year, of which you use 70% yourself, at €0.28 per kWh, saves 1,000 × 0.7 × 0.28 = €196 a year. At €0.36 per kWh the same kit saves about €252. Divide the kit's price by the yearly saving to get the payback time in years.
| Production | Used yourself | Price per kWh | Saving per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 kWh | 70% | €0.28 | €196 |
| 1,000 kWh | 70% | €0.36 | €252 |
| 1,600 kWh | 70% | €0.28 | €314 |
These are illustrations, not quotes. Our savings calculator estimates production for your exact location, panel angle and orientation.
How to save more
- Get the full 800 W. A kit at the legal limit produces more than a smaller one for little extra cost.
- Tilt the panels. An angled mount produces more than panels hanging flat.
- Shift your use to midday. Run appliances while the sun shines.
- Add a battery. Store the surplus and use it in the evening. See our kits with battery.
Rules that affect savings
In most countries surplus fed into the grid from a plug-in kit is not paid, so self-consumption is what counts. In Spain, a kit with a CIE can earn compensation for surplus on your bill. Our plug-in solar rules by country explain what applies where you live.
Frequently asked questions
How long until a balcony solar kit pays for itself?
Divide the kit price by your yearly saving. With higher electricity prices and good sunshine, payback comes sooner.
Does it still save money in winter?
Yes, but less: production is highest from spring to autumn.
Is it worth it in a flat?
Yes, if you have a balcony, wall or terrace with some sun. In many countries you need your landlord's or owners' association's consent; check your country page.
Is a battery worth it?
It pays off when you are out during the day and much of your production would otherwise flow into the grid.
Get your solar kit today
Find the kit that fits your space in our balcony solar kits, or start with storage in our kits with battery.
Electricity prices: Eurostat, household prices including taxes, first half of 2026.
