Aldi Nord sells balcony power plant from June

Balcony power plants, small photovoltaic systems for the balcony, are becoming increasingly popular, also in view of increased energy prices. Now Aldi Nord is the first discounter to offer such a balcony power plant in its stores.

Small balcony power plant with 350 watts peak power

The package offered at Aldi Nord includes two 116 × 75 centimeter solar modules with an output of 175 watts, reaching a peak output of 350 watts. In addition, there are matching MC4 extensions, a mounting set with which everything can be attached to the balcony railing, and a 600-watt inverter with a five-meter supply cable. Aldi does not rely on a standardized connection, which will presumably soon become mandatory in the EU, but on a commercially available plug. It is noticeable that the power of 600 watts, which the inverter makes possible, is not achievable with the solar modules included in the package. This would require upgrading the balcony power plant with additional modules. According to Aldi, such an upgrade will be possible in the future, and additional solar modules will be available exclusively through the online store.

The inverter used is produced by the US company NEP. It is compatible with the smartphone app NEPViewer, with which it is possible to track the electricity yield. However, this requires that a WLAN connection can be used at the location of the balcony power plant.

Origin of the solar modules

It is unclear who manufactures the remaining elements of the balcony power plant. In this regard, Aldi Nord states that the set is manufactured by Solovoltaik. Solovoltaik is a brand name belonging to the import company monolith GmbH. This indicates that it is not the manufacturer, but merely the importer of the solar modules. This in turn is significant, as the manufacturer’s warranty of three years seems problematic if it is not clear to whom it can be claimed. In addition, there is a 25-year performance warranty on the solar modules and a ten-year warranty on materials and workmanship. How these guarantees differ from the three-year manufacturer’s warranty is not clear.

Overall, the balcony power plant from Aldi thus raises some questions that cannot be clarified in advance. Interested parties should deal with the warranty issues mentioned before a possible purchase in order to be able to enforce their claims in case of doubt.

Price and availability

The balcony power plant will be available from June at Aldi Nord. The price is 469 euros.