New project on balcony PV systems launched

Plug-and-play photovoltaic systems are quickly installed and feed the generated electricity directly into the power socket. As these are not professionally installed systems but consumer products, their legal handling is a challenge. With regard to safety and personal protection, there are no binding technical specifications for such products. Moreover, the market processes from registration to payment for the energy produced are not yet standardised. Also, the potential of such balcony systems in Switzerland is not yet known. Finally, the question of whether a higher output than the current 600W per power supply circuit would be legitimate in future has so far remained unanswered. A new project led by the Laboratory for Photovoltaic Systems at Bern University of Applied Sciences BFH addresses these issues and will make proposals for filling the regulatory gaps. In addition, the project consortium will make a first statement on the potential of such systems in Switzerland.

Project officially launched at the end of November

The Plug & Play Photovoltaic Systems project was officially launched in Burgdorf on 27.11.2023. The project is funded by the Swiss Federal Office of Energy. It will be run until autumn 2025 by a consortium consisting of BFH, Electrosuisse, Meteotest and the Swiss Electrical Inspection Association (VSEK). The advisory group includes BKW, Energiegenossenschaft Schweiz, the Federal Inspectorate for Heavy Current Installations ESTI, Hassler Energia, Solarblitz and the Association of Swiss Electricity Companies VSE-AES.