Are they still worthwhile?

Solar power for the “small exchange” is soaring

Christian Hoog bought his balcony power plant for 550 euros last year and covers around a third of his electricity needs when the weather is right.(Bild: Pressefoto Scharinger/Daniel Scharinger)

In the shadow of a future government's uncertain subsidy policy and rising electricity costs, Upper Austrians want to get what they can quickly. And not everyone can or wants to invest in a large PV system - so solar power for the "small purse" is also booming.

"I actually wanted a large PV system, but then my installer kept letting me down and I ended up buying a balcony power plant," says Christian Hoog (58) from Braunau in Upper Austria, explaining why he opted for "scaled-down" solar power production rather out of necessity. His conclusion after almost six months of operation: "I'm very satisfied."