Balcony Solar Calculator: Yield, Savings & Payback

How much power a plug-in balcony solar system makes where you live – hour by hour from five years of satellite weather, with self-consumption and payback.

Balcony solar in New York

  • Yield per year: 927 kWh
  • Saved per year: $98
  • Used at home: 547 kWh · 59 %
  • Pays for itself: 9.5 years
  • Modules: 2 · Power per module: 450 Wp · Inverter: 800 W · Mounting: On the railing (vertical) · Facing: South · Electricity use per year: 4,500 kWh · Electricity price: $0.18/kWh · System cost: $930

Yield per month

  • Weather: PVGIS © European Union, 2019–2023
  • January: 97 kWh
  • February: 89 kWh
  • March: 98 kWh
  • April: 72 kWh
  • May: 56 kWh
  • June: 46 kWh
  • July: 50 kWh
  • August: 61 kWh
  • September: 79 kWh
  • October: 85 kWh
  • November: 104 kWh
  • December: 88 kWh

Which mounting yields most?

  • Same modules, same direction – only the angle changes.
  • On the railing (vertical): 927 kWh
  • On a stand (30°): 1,366 kWh
  • Flat (15°): 1,285 kWh

What a balcony solar system yields in 12 cities

  • Two 450 Wp modules behind an 800 W inverter: the yield per year from the weather of 2019–2023 (PVGIS), vertical on the railing or tilted 30° on a stand.
  • New York: Railing, south 927 kWh · 30°, south 1,366 kWh · 30°, east 1,087 kWh · 30°, west 1,041 kWh
  • Los Angeles: Railing, south 1,035 kWh · 30°, south 1,723 kWh · 30°, east 1,395 kWh · 30°, west 1,409 kWh
  • Chicago: Railing, south 843 kWh · 30°, south 1,297 kWh · 30°, east 1,125 kWh · 30°, west 891 kWh
  • Houston: Railing, south 761 kWh · 30°, south 1,356 kWh · 30°, east 1,158 kWh · 30°, west 1,123 kWh
  • Miami: Railing, south 787 kWh · 30°, south 1,489 kWh · 30°, east 1,304 kWh · 30°, west 1,242 kWh
  • Seattle: Railing, south 803 kWh · 30°, south 1,144 kWh · 30°, east 867 kWh · 30°, west 895 kWh
  • Denver: Railing, south 1,222 kWh · 30°, south 1,753 kWh · 30°, east 1,412 kWh · 30°, west 1,292 kWh
  • Boston: Railing, south 943 kWh · 30°, south 1,350 kWh · 30°, east 1,061 kWh · 30°, west 1,022 kWh
  • Toronto: Railing, south 810 kWh · 30°, south 1,227 kWh · 30°, east 1,063 kWh · 30°, west 839 kWh
  • London: Railing, south 718 kWh · 30°, south 993 kWh · 30°, east 800 kWh · 30°, west 763 kWh
  • Manchester: Railing, south 624 kWh · 30°, south 865 kWh · 30°, east 696 kWh · 30°, west 682 kWh
  • Edinburgh: Railing, south 664 kWh · 30°, south 877 kWh · 30°, east 677 kWh · 30°, west 678 kWh

FAQ

  • How much electricity does a balcony solar system produce in New York? With the settings above (0.9 kWp of modules) a balcony system in New York produces 927 kWh per year on average (weather 2019–2023).
  • Is a balcony solar system worth it? With the settings above it saves about $98 a year and pays for itself after about 9.5 years. What matters is how much electricity runs during the day – the base load of fridge, router and standby devices uses most of it.
  • Vertical on the railing or tilted on a stand? Vertical on the railing, the modules produce about 927 kWh a year in New York, tilted at 30° about 1,366 kWh. Vertical modules do relatively better in winter, when the sun is low.
  • Is it worth it on an east, west or north balcony? East and west usually yield 15–25% less than south, but spread the power into the morning or evening, when more is often used. A north balcony hardly pays – change the direction above to see it for your place.

The rules in Germany

Since the Solarpaket I (May 2024), balcony systems with up to 800 W of inverter power and 2,000 Wp of modules only need a simplified registration in the Marktstammdatenregister – no application to the grid operator. A Schuko plug is tolerated; a Wieland socket is safer.

Is it worth it on an east, west or north balcony? East and west usually yield 15–25% less than south, but spread the power into the morning or evening, when more is often used. A north balcony hardly pays – change the direction above to see it for your place.

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