Plug-in solar in Nuremberg: yield and saving in 2026
On an east-facing balcony, 900 Wp produce about 496 kWh a year in Nuremberg and save a couple using 2,500 kWh €117.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How we calculate
Saving per year
€154
667 kWh of solar power, 63 % of it used at home
| Generation per year | 667 kWh |
|---|---|
| of which used at home | 424 kWh · 63 % |
| into the grid, unpaid | 243 kWh |
| clipped by the inverter (800 VA) | 1 kWh |
| Saving on the electricity bill | €154 |
| Payback | 2.9 years |
| Saving over 20 years | €3,071 |
Step-by-step calculation
- Postcode 90403 (area of Nürnberg): 1,070 kWh per kWp at 35° south according to PVGIS for the centre of the postcode.
- Tilt 90° and the chosen direction: 743 kWh per kWp. Times 0.90 kWp: 669 kWh before the inverter.
- Quarter-hour by quarter-hour against 74 metered households using 2,500 kWh a year: the household uses 63 % of the output itself.
- 424 kWh × 36.2 ct = €154 a year; €450 purchase price ÷ saving = payback.
Estimate based on average weather 2005 to 2023 (PVGIS) and metered household loads. A single year can differ by a few per cent. How we calculate
Nuremberg (Nürnberg) sits in the upper middle for solar yield: PVGIS gives 1,070 kWh per kilowatt peak at 35 degrees south for postcode 90403, rank 7 of 15 big cities, while Munich ranks 1 at 1,137 kWh. Uptake is the other way round: the Market Master Data Register lists 5,095 plug-in devices in Nuremberg, 9.6 per 1,000 residents, against only 6.6 in Munich; the national figure is 18.3. A plug-in system (Balkonkraftwerk) of 900 Wp hanging upright facing south produces about 667 kWh in Nuremberg, facing east 496 kWh, facing west 487 kWh. A couple using 2,500 kWh consumes 65 % of the east-balcony output itself and saves €117 a year at 36.2 cents per kWh; €450 of purchase cost comes back after 3.8 years. A 2 kWh battery lifts the saving to €171. In the register, Nuremberg's roof systems are strikingly rarely paired with a battery: 0.72 per system, rank 14 in the comparison.
Franconia and Upper Bavaria compared
| Indicator | Nuremberg | Munich |
|---|---|---|
| PVGIS yield per kWp, 35° south | 1,070 kWh | 1,137 kWh |
| Rank among 15 big cities | 7 | 1 |
| Share November to February | 16.2 % | 19.1 % |
| Plug-in devices per 1,000 residents | 9.6 | 6.6 |
| Batteries per building system | 0.72 | 0.74 |
| Building systems on full feed-in | 16 % | 15 % |
| Roof systems facing mainly south | 46 % | 45 % |
Bavaria's two largest cities differ more in yield than in uptake: Munich has more sun, Nuremberg more balcony systems per head. If you move from Munich to Franconia or the other way round, do not carry over the other city's figures; calculate with your own postcode. The comparison with the state capital is set out on plug-in solar Munich.
Upright on the railing: where Nuremberg loses ground
At 35 degrees south, Nuremberg and Dresden are practically level, 1,070 against 1,071 kWh per kWp. Hang the panels upright and the picture changes: in Nuremberg, 69 % of the tilted yield remains, in Dresden 71 %. On a south balcony that is 667 against 687 kWh. The conversion to other tilts rests on separate PVGIS queries for each wider region, and for the area around Nuremberg they give a smaller factor for upright surfaces than for the Elbe valley.
If you have a south balcony and may tilt the panels, you therefore gain a little more in Nuremberg than elsewhere: 961 instead of 667 kWh. Whether tilting on a railing is allowed and safe depends on the parapet, wind load and landlord; the guide to orientation has pointers.
Breakfast power or evening power
East and west balconies are close in Nuremberg, the east one even slightly ahead at 496 kWh, the west one behind at 487 kWh. They deliver 26 % and 27 % less than a south balcony respectively but use a larger share of their power at home, because it does not arrive in the midday peak. With an east balcony it pays to run the washing machine and dishwasher in the morning; with a west balcony the power comes while you cook.
A small battery, worked through
Among the big cities, Nuremberg's roof systems have one of the lowest battery ratios at 0.72 per system, rank 14 of 15. For a balcony system that says nothing about whether a battery helps; that depends on consumption. For a couple using 2,500 kWh with an east balcony:
| Battery | used at home | Self-consumption share | Saving per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| none | 324 kWh | 65 % | €117 |
| 1 kWh | 440 kWh | 89 % | €159 |
| 2 kWh | 472 kWh | 95 % | €171 |
The extra amount per year is the ceiling on what the battery may cost you annually. The counter-calculation with purchase price and lifetime is in the battery comparison.
Sandstone, half-timbering and heritage protection
In the old town within the city walls and in parts of the 19th-century districts, many buildings are listed. There, even a bracket on the parapet may need permission from the city as the lower heritage authority. Elsewhere the usual rules apply: tenants have a right to consent under section 554 Civil Code, owners to a resolution under section 20 WEG. What tenants should write in their request is shown in the guide balcony solar for tenants.
Example: a retired couple in Gostenhof
Two retired people, 2,500 kWh a year, an east-facing balcony on the second floor. The 900 Wp device costs €450 and produces 496 kWh, of which the household uses 324 kWh itself. The electricity bill falls by €117 a year, and the device is paid off after 3.8 years. If you are at home during the day you can use the power deliberately, for instance with morning wash cycles, and get closer to the figure the calculator above shows.