Vienna's solar balcony stations booming thanks to falling prices

In Austria, people living in apartment blocks are increasingly playing their part in generating electricity… by putting solar panels on their balconies.

"Installing the device only took three minutes," explained Kamil Rogacz, one of thousands of Viennese to have recently installed the device, keeping his running costs low and reducing his ecological footprint.

Regulators believe the falling price of solar panels, which now cost less than half of what they did last year, will convince many more Austrians to start producing their own power, even if they live in an apartment.

"I can cover the fridge and the Playstation's standby with this power station," Kamil told CGTN. In summer, the 37-year-old says he can reduce the power bill for his single-person household by up to 40 per cent, which translates to a saving of roughly $20 a month.

These devices plug into regular electricity sockets and are limited to producing 800 watts each in order not to overload the city's electricity grid, which will receive any surplus power.

In 2023, roughly 5,000 city residents officially installed similar plants which cost around $300.  However, suppliers believe that number to be significantly higher because many people may not declare them. Suppliers believe the number of users will continue to rise.

"We are confident that the boom will continue," Alfons Haber, head of Austrian energy regulator 'E-Control' told CGTN.

The Austrian government has recently introduced legislation to make it easier to install solar panels on balconies. Until now, neighbors could easily object if they felt it would damage the look of the building. Now objections need to be based on other issues such as safety.

"To every balcony its own solar power plant - this will soon be easier," is the message from Austria's climate action minister Leonore Gewessler. "Citizens are an active part of the energy transition."