Greek balcony-solar rules: what the final decision says

What counts as balcony solar

The decision calls them micro-solar systems with a plug and defines them as solar systems "which may be combined with a storage system, with maximum power up to 800 Watt and installed capacity up to 1,000 Watt". They are installed "in and on buildings" and used "exclusively to cover their own consumption".

In practice, the inverter delivers no more than 800 W, while the panels behind it can add up to 1,000 W. The extra headroom helps on balconies that don't face the sun ideally, or when panels hang vertically on a railing: you produce more in the morning and afternoon without going over the limit.

Self-consumption only

The power you make is used in your home first: fridge, router, air conditioning, devices on standby. Anything it doesn't cover comes from the grid as usual. If production ever exceeds use and power flows out to the grid, you are not paid for it.

That's why sizing matters: the value comes from production that matches your own daytime use. A battery lets you move some of it to the evening.

Notification instead of licensing

Instead of a connection application and a study, as with rooftop PV, you file an online notification with DEDDIE through a dedicated digital portal. The portal isn't live yet. DEDDIE must announce its start date by 31 December 2026.

Engineer's or installer's declaration, and an active YDE

An engineer or installer must declare that the system meets the DEDDIE/ELOT specifications. Your supply also needs an active installer's declaration (YDE), the certificate that your home's electrical installation is safe.

The draft asked for a new YDE renewed every two years. That was dropped. The final decision only requires an active YDE on the supply.

Smart meter

DEDDIE installs a smart meter to record how the system runs. The draft's mandatory directional sensor for balcony systems was removed, which lowers equipment costs.

Areas with limited grid capacity

New compared with the draft: DEDDIE can identify parts of the grid where new balcony systems can't be connected and block them there. Which areas are affected hasn't been announced yet.

Batteries

Balcony systems can be combined with a battery. The same decision also allows standalone batteries for self-consumption for the first time, with power up to 100% of the supply's contracted capacity, a directional sensor and telemetry. On a dynamic (orange) tariff, a battery can charge when power is cheap and cover your use when it's expensive.

What else the same decision changes

The decision covers all self-consumption, not just balconies:

• Household PV up to 10.8 kW: one bilateral contract with the supplier instead of a three-party one.
• Surplus from household systems is paid at day-ahead market prices (or the special RES market price on non-interconnected islands).
• Collective self-consumption is extended to consumers in residential complexes.
• Municipalities and public bodies get the value of their surplus credited to their bill.
• Standalone batteries are allowed for individuals and companies.
• An Electronic Self-Consumption Registry is set up.

What to do now

1. Don't install yet. Wait for DEDDIE's specifications. Equipment bought today may not meet them.
2. Check the YDE on your supply. A licensed electrician can tell you whether it's active or needs replacing.
3. Look at your balcony. Orientation, midday shade, a railing or wall for mounting, distance to a socket.
4. Talk to your landlord or building if you rent or the facade changes.
5. Estimate the savings with your own usage in the payback calculator.