Apartment Residents Can Install Solar Panels on Balconies and Save Money

Residents of multi-family buildings in Poland are increasingly looking at the possibility of installing photovoltaic panels on their balconies. This smaller alternative to home solar power plants aims to reduce electricity bills. As analyses emphasize, although the capacity of such an installation is significantly lower than that available to homeowners, it can bring tangible savings over the course of a year. However, the procedure is somewhat more complicated than for single-family homes. Primarily, to install panels on a common area like a balcony, approval must be obtained from the building manager—the housing association or cooperative. The next mandatory step is to notify the so-called micro-installation to the local distribution network operator. The operator then has 30 days to replace the energy meter with a bidirectional one, which will enable the settlement of electricity production. Photovoltaics in Poland began mass development in the early 2010s, initially supported by subsidy programs. A breakthrough occurred in 2019 with the introduction of a simplified settlement system for prosumers, the so-called net-metering, which allowed for storing surplus generated energy in the grid. The investment boom made Poland one of the fastest-growing photovoltaic markets in Europe. The total installed photovoltaic capacity in Poland since the beginning of 2020 has increased fifteenfold. According to estimates by the Instrat Foundation, it has reached a level of about 25 gigawatts. Half of this capacity comes precisely from prosumer installations, i.e., those belonging to households and small businesses. Growth of Installed Photovoltaic Capacity in Poland: 2020: 1.7, 2021: 4.0, 2022: 12.0, 2023: 19.0, 2024: 22.0, 2025: 25.0 Nevertheless, after the change in the settlement system for new installations in 2024, the growth dynamics of new prosumers clearly slowed down. Less favorable financial rules discouraged some potential investors. Balcony installations, sometimes colloquially called "photo-balconies," are seen as a way to partially protect against rising energy prices, especially in cities where access to a roof is limited. Their profitability depends on many factors: the balcony's orientation relative to the sun, panel capacity, and individual energy consumption. However, experts point out that at current electricity prices, the return on such an investment, estimated at several years, is realistic. Key Changes for Prosumers: Settlement system before 2024: Net-metering (discount 1:0.8 or 1:0.7) → New system (selling surpluses at market prices); Capacity growth dynamics: Very high → Significantly lower In the context of the entire market, the development of micro-installations, including balcony ones, is a key element of the energy transition, increasing citizen participation in green energy generation and improving system security through its decentralization.