Why are other countries’ ‘missing out’ on balcony solar?
The EU has said that member states can aid the adoption of balcony solar. But it’s not mandatory, and it’s not been embraced by all countries.
Belgium, notably, has banned plug-in solar devices over fears about the impact of having unregistered systems feeding into the electricity grid.
Grid operators want to have oversight of electricity supply, as sudden changes can lead to a power failure. “But in our view this is not really an issue,” explains Osenberg, “because the injection from the balcony system is so small that the impact would also be quite negligible.”
Austria, France, Italy, Poland and Luxembourg have all taken an encouraging stance towards balcony solar. While renewable energy campaigners in Spain are seeking to get their government to loosen the rules soon.