Balcony solar · decision tool
Is balcony solar worth it for you?
A calculator that answers the question — not a sales page. It works for any system, from any shop: describe the hardware, your balcony, and how you live, and we’ll simulate a full year, hour by hour. Every assumption is on the table below, and sometimes the honest answer is “don’t buy it.”
Your system
Start from a preset or describe any kit you’re considering — including one you’d buy elsewhere.
Total peak watts of all panels.
0 = no battery. Stores midday excess for the evening.
Hardware + mounting + installation.
Your balcony
Where the panels face decides when — and how much — they produce.
Not sure? If the midday sun shines straight onto your balcony, that’s south.
Tilted panels catch more sun than vertical mounts.
From buildings, trees, or the balcony above you.
Your home & money
Solar only saves money when someone is home to use it — or a battery catches it.
Check a yearly bill. Greek average ≈ 3,500 kWh.
Your all-in price per kWh, from your bill.
Default financing at 5% APR — adjust it in the assumptions ledger.
The verdict
Updates live as you change anything above.
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Your monthly reality
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Your money over time
The line is your running total: once it crosses zero, the system has paid for itself. The bars show cash flow for the selected period: savings minus any payment or upfront cost. Shown for the way you chose to pay — flip between upfront and financing under “How will you pay?”.
Includes panel degradation and electricity-price inflation (editable below). Batteries typically carry a 10-year warranty, panels 25 years — the chart scales to your break-even point.
One day on your balcony
In Greece, a plug-in balcony system isn’t paid for power it pushes to the grid — every kWh you don’t use on the spot (or store) is simply lost. This is your simulated day: when the sun produces, when you consume, and where every watt-hour goes.
Every assumption, on the table
These defaults drive the numbers above. Disagree with any of them? Change them — the whole page recalculates. Sources: EU PVGIS (solar yield), GlobalPetrolPrices (Greek tariffs), Government Gazette B 5074/2024 (net billing rules).
When it’s not worth it
A calculator you can trust has to be able to say no. These are the situations where we’d tell you to keep your money.
North-facing, no alternatives
A north balcony in Athens produces roughly a third of a south one. Payback stretches past a decade — your money works harder elsewhere.
Heavy shade most of the day
A taller building across the street can erase 40%+ of output. No package fixes geometry. Check the simulation above with “Most of the day” shade.
Nobody home in daylight, no battery
Without a battery, power you don’t use the moment it’s made is exported unpaid. Evening-heavy households should compare with a battery — or skip it.
South/SE/SW, someone home or a battery
Sun-facing balcony plus daytime use or storage is the sweet spot: payback typically lands in 4–7 years, then it’s pure savings for a decade more.
Numbers look good for your balcony?
This calculator works with any hardware. If you’d like it installed in Athens with the paperwork handled, our packages match the presets above.