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Balcony power plant & Bluetti: How to provide your own electricity

To produce solar energy for private power generation, you don’t necessarily have to be a homeowner. Tenants can also generate a few kilowatt hours from the sun. This does not involve large-scale solar panels on the roof of the apartment building. Instead, the balcony at home can be equipped with suitable solar cells. In the following, we want to show you what you should consider when setting up a balcony power plant and what smart storage solutions manufacturer Bluetti offers you.

What is a balcony power plant?

The term balcony power plant may possibly trigger misleading mental cinema in some people. Here one does not establish by any means a martial-looking power station with smoking chimneys on the own balcony. Instead, one uses one or more solar panels to generate electricity with the help of solar energy. Despite its name, a balcony power plant does not necessarily have to be used on the balcony. In fact, energy generation in the garden or on the terrace is now also included. It is primarily the size of the photovoltaic system that makes a balcony power plant. Thus it concerns here usually smaller plants.

Meanwhile, small-scale domestic power plants are no longer popular only among people with ecological lifestyles. In view of rising energy costs, more and more people are opting for environmentally friendly energy generation for the sake of their wallets. However, a balcony power plant is not always suitable for supplying the entire household with electricity, if only because of its compact size. Rather, the method of power generation is a practical supplement to conventional household electricity. A major advantage over a classic PV system for the roof of the house is the uncomplicated installation. As a rule, even laymen can set up their own balcony power plant.

What legal framework conditions must be observed?

Another major advantage is that a balcony power plant does not usually require a permit. The only exceptions are plants whose inverters offer an output of more than 600 watts. But even here, a simplified registration procedure is possible. It is important that owners of an affected power plant take care of a permit as soon as possible. After all, otherwise there is the threat of a penalty payment. To obtain a permit, you only have to fulfill three requirements. First, you have to inform your network operator. They will then provide you with a suitable electricity meter for a small fee. If you already have a meter, you must have it checked.

After all, the electricity provider wants to make sure that you don’t have a meter that can run backwards. Last but not least, you have to register with the Federal Network Agency. They will then list your balcony power plant in the market master data register. Fortunately, registration can be done conveniently online. If you want to avoid this cumbersome procedure, you should choose a balcony power plant with no more than 600 watts of power right from the start. Alternatively, it is also a good idea not to feed the generated electricity into the domestic power grid in the first place. Storing it in a power station is also conceivable.

Feed in or store in a power station?

Anyone who decides to use a balcony power station and wants to feed the generated energy into the grid must reckon with significantly more effort than when using a power station. In addition to the ease of installation, the use of a power station also scores with flexibility. After all, the electricity generated cannot simply be used in one’s own household. On top of that, you can easily take the fully charged power station with you to the park, on an outdoor excursion or on a camping vacation.

Balcony Power Station
Bluetti offers extensive storage options in a modular design. (Image: Bluetti)

In addition, storage using a power station eliminates the pesky permitting process. Finally, the local power grid remains untouched by your balcony power station. One of the most popular and well-known manufacturers is Bluetti. The U.S.-based company specializes in mobile energy storage units, as well as emergency power solutions for entire households. In the process, the energy expert even offers practical bundles consisting of a power station and solar panels.

Uncomplicated power storage with Bluetti

Bluetti has several options on offer for generating and, above all, storing electricity using solar energy. From huge storage options that supply your household with green electricity during the day to compact, portable power stations, the US manufacturer offers several products. Here’s how you can build your own balcony power station.

Bluetti EP600 & B500

With the bundle consisting of EP600 and B500 you get a practical way to effectively reduce your electricity bill. The EP600 is an energy storage system that efficiently stores captured solar energy. During the day, you can use the collected power as household electricity. This saves you from higher bills during peak hours.

Bluetti has modern storage options on offer, allowing you to use green energy. (Image: Bluetti)

With the help of the EP600 and B500 combination, you can get exactly the power you need out of your photovoltaic system thanks to the modular design. Up to 6,000 watts are possible here. Cost savings and environmental protection are not the only concerns. More and more people are also concerned about the stability of the local power grid. With the help of the EP600 UPS system, you can prepare yourself in the best possible way for a power failure.

Balcony Power Station
Bluetti EP600 and B500 in a residential building. (Image: Bluetti)

If the grid operator suddenly stops supplying power, the system will automatically turn on and you won’t notice the power outage. This is the perfect backup for your entire apartment or house. Bluetti not only offers the system with a 10-year manufacturer’s warranty. On top of that, the company offers you a free installation service.

Bluetti AC500 & B300S

With the help of the Bluetti AC500 and B300S, you get a 5,000 watt inverter in your home. This allows a maximum solar charge of proud 3,000 watts and scores again with a practical modular design. The battery capacity of the AC500 can be expanded with additional battery packs in the form of the B300S. Between 3072 and 18432 Wh are possible here. Since Bluetti relies on modern LiFePO4 batteries, you not only benefit from maximum safety. On top of that, the battery technology promises a long service life.

Balcony Power Plant
AC500 and B300S (Image: Bluetti)

According to Bluetti, the energy storage device should be able to last more than 3500 charging cycles, which is equivalent to more than 10 years. Bluetti does not call its bundle consisting of AC500 and B300S a mere power station. Rather, the term “Home Backup Power Station” is used here. And quite rightly so. After all, the huge battery capacity of up to 18,432 kWh in combination with an output power of 5000 watts ensures that you can easily bridge temporary power outages here. Since even up to 10,000 watts of power are supposed to be possible at the peak thanks to the powerful inverter, any of your household appliances should be able to be reliably supplied with power here.

Balcony Power Station
AC500 (Image: Bluetti)

Thanks to its modular design, the power station can also be perfectly used in combination to create a balcony power station in your home. But the AC500 is also characterized by high flexibility. After all, you can easily take the power station with you on vacation to have a reliable power supply on the road. By the way, the power station can be charged with an impressive 3,000 watts via solar power. The household socket is even faster. The battery is full within 50 minutes. These and other reasons ensure that the AC500 & B300S has bagged the Innovation Award at CES 2023.

Bluetti EB3A & EB55 & EB70

Bluetti doesn’t just have large format energy storage units on offer. Also handy power stations such as Bluetti EB3A & EB55 & EB70 belong to the repertoire of the US-Americans. The available since September 2022 EB3A is one of the smallest energy storage devices on the entire market. It offers a battery capacity of 268 Wh and an output power of 600 watts.

In combination with a solar panel, mobile energy storage units such as the Bluetti EB3A can be charged not only in the balcony power station, but also on the go. (Image: Bluetti)

This means it can be conveniently used as a power supplier for smartphone, notebook and co. on camping vacations. If you’re going on a trip, you can conveniently charge the compact power station with your balcony power station. With the help of a solar panel with 200 watts of power, the power station is then fully charged within two hours.

Bluetti EB55 (Image: Bluetti)

One size larger, again, is the Bluetti EB55. Here you get not only more connections such as 2x Schuko sockets offered. On top of that, the power station scores with 537 Wh battery capacity and an output power of 700 watts. The wireless charging pad on the top is also really practical and can be used to charge your smartphone, for example.

Balcony Power Station
Bluetti EB70 (Image: Bluetti)

In combination with a balcony power station, 200 watts of charging power are also possible here. With 1,000 watts of output power and 716 Wh battery capacity then again scores the Bluetti EB70. Thanks to the wide range of products, you can choose exactly the power station that suits you.

Conclusion: balcony power plant provides flexibility and environmental protection

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Anyone who is thinking of getting a balcony power plant should definitely take a look at Bluetti’s products. After all, the expert for modern energy solutions has an exciting variety to offer in the field of power stations.

The LiFePO4 rechargeable batteries of the Bluetti products ensure safety and durability. (Image: Bluetti)

Starting with the powerful stationary inverter to the handy power station, everyone should find something here. What they have in common is that they can work perfectly with photovoltaic systems. Bluetti therefore also offers matching solar panels for its power stations. If you place them on a terrace or balcony, you get a balcony power station that is also mobile.

Simon Lüthje

I am co-founder of this blog and am very interested in everything that has to do with technology, but I also like to play games. I was born in Hamburg, but now I live in Bad Segeberg.

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To produce solar energy for private power generation, you don’t necessarily have to be a homeowner. Tenants can also generate a few kilowatt hours from the sun. This does not involve large-scale solar panels on the roof of the apartment building. Instead, the balcony at home can be equipped with suitable solar cells. In the … (Weiterlesen...)

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