As part of our Ukraine Project we asked Olena from Eco Club Rivne to install balcony solar on her balcony and see what happens.
This article delves into the personal journey of installing a solar power plant on an average balcony in Ukraine, highlighting the legal considerations, technical challenges, and practical benefits. By sharing this experience, we aim to inspire and inform others who may be considering a similar project, emphasizing the potential for energy self-sufficiency even in urban environments.
I own the apartment together with my husband’s sister, who had no objections to the installation of solar panels on the balcony. There were also no complaints from neighbours or the condominium association. In addition, the design does not worsen the appearance of the building in any way.
When planning the installation of the panels on the balcony, we studied the building regulations in detail, in particular:
- DBN B.2.2-15:2019 ‘Buildings and structures. Residential buildings. Main provisions’
- Order No. 76 dated 17.05.2005 ‘On Approval of the Rules for the Maintenance of Residential Buildings and Adjoining Territories’.
As for balconies, the owner may potentially make certain changes to them with impunity. For example, unauthorised glazing is permitted in accordance with DBN B.2.2-15:2019, namely clause 10.7: „It is allowed to glaze summer rooms in kitchens and living rooms, provided that they provide the normalised coefficient of natural light and air exchange of apartments.“
This means that it is also possible to install structures on balconies.
In accordance with Order No. 76 of 17.05.2005, redevelopment is considered to be a redevelopment:
- Moving and dismantling partitions
- Transfer and arrangement of doorways
- Arrangement and re-equipment of vestibules
- Addition of balconies at the level of the first floors of multi-storey buildings
Conversion includes:
- Installation of individual heating and other engineering equipment
- Relocation of heating, plumbing and gas appliances
- Arrangement and re-equipment of toilets, bathrooms, ventilation ducts
Our apartment has a construction passport, but it does not contain electrical schemes or other technical details.
Regarding electricity:
I have reviewed the contract with the electricity company and have not found any clauses that contradict the installation and operation of my solar power plant.
In particular:
- There are no restrictions in the contract on the use of alternative energy sources for own needs.
- There are no prohibitions on independent production and consumption of electricity without transferring it to the general grid.
- There are no requirements for mandatory coordination of such systems if they do not affect the operation of the centralised grid.
Given that all electricity is used exclusively for our own needs and the equipment meets all technical standards, the installation of such a system is completely legal.
We are currently testing the system. The main problem is the lack of an accurate understanding of the level of electricity consumption in the apartment. This is necessary in order to avoid overflows to the external network and to properly configure the parameters in the software.
We tried several options for placing the equipment, but for now we decided to fix it on the balcony.
So, now let’s go through the steps:
First, we received everything we needed to install the solar power plant on the balcony (except for the PV module) on 3 February 2025.
Installation of PV modules on the balcon
When we tried to switch on the SPP, the weather was cloudy and the inverter lacked power (we realised this later, but at first we thought it was a hardware malfunction). We had to find out if the PV module was working and if all the elements were in good condition. Then we tried to connect directly to the charging station (there is a special input). Everything worked. However, the inverter still did not have enough power that day and the software showed 0 W of output.
The next day, the weather improved, but we had already used an extension cord and the inverter worked as expected.
Screenshots from the monitoring app
Buying in Ukraine
- The microinverter on the official website: mikroinvertor-ecoflow costs 5,805 UAH – 129.5 euros (at the exchange rate as of 01.04.2025, 1 euro costs 44.8278 UAH).
- Such a PV module costs about 149 euros, according to what I find on the Internet.
- Cable products:
- flat cable (possibly of a shorter length) plaskyi-kabel-ecoflow 885 UAH – 19.74 EUR.
- extension cable (possibly of a different length) extension cable 2 205 UAH – 49.2 EUR.
- Mounts – unfortunately, I don’t know where to find similar ones.
In total, it comes out to about: 129.5+149+19.74+49.2 = 347.44 euros + shipping + mounts.
This is intresting:
- Inverter would be slightly cheaper in Germany: 110 EUR
- Solarmodules would be much cheaper around 50 – 70 EUR
- Flat cable would be similar price
- extension cable much cheaper if we make them DIY.
- Mounts are broadly available in Germany
So there is still work to do, to make it easier for Ukrainian Consumers to use it.
Electricity generation:
According to the programme, the PV system has produced 8.85 kWh so far, which means that we have saved 4.32 UAH*8.85=38.232 UAH (0.85 EUR). It should also be taken into account that when we are at work, in order to avoid overflows into the grid on sunny days, we limit the output by setting the consumption at 100 W, and on weekends I try to use electrical appliances more actively during the hours of the best generation.
The most important aspect of energy independence
Particular attention should be paid to the fact that the situation in the country remains very unstable. During massive attacks, the power supply was cut off for several hours or even longer.
Thanks to the charging station, combined with the equipment provided, we will be able to fully supply ourselves with electricity during outages, even for long periods. This makes it possible to maintain the operation of the most important electrical appliances, in particular:
- Boilers – for heating and hot water supply
- Lighting – for the normal functioning of the home
- Refrigerator – for food preservation
- Television, internet and other devices – for important information and communication
This not only increases comfort, but also significantly reduces dependence on the centralised power grid, which is especially important in an unstable energy situation.