Plug in solar rules in Austria

Checked on 8 November 2026 · Confidence: medium

Inverter limit	800 W
Panels	Not fixed nationally; some grid operators expect at most 800 Wp for the simple route
Registration	Notify your grid operator at least two weeks before you start
Batteries	Notify as part of the system; details differ by grid operator
Tenants and owners	Tenants: clear it with the owner first. Owner occupied flats: since 1 September 2024 consent counts as given if the other owners are informed and do not object within two months

Systems with a total output of at most 800 W per grid user count as very small generating plants (Kleinsterzeugungsanlagen, section 6 (1) no. 78 of the new Electricity Industry Act ElWG, as cited by E-Control). No permit is needed, but the grid operator must be told at least two weeks in advance, usually through its online portal. Above 800 W a grid access contract is needed.

An automatic disconnection device is required under TOR Erzeuger Type A; E-Control advises asking for a certificate of conformity from a certified test body. Never use extension leads or power strips; a fixed socket only if the maker approves it. Zero VAT on PV modules, balcony systems included, ended on 31 March 2025 (until 31 December 2025 only for contracts before 7 March 2025).

What a balcony system produces here

Yield per year in kWh
City	Panels	South, 35°	South, vertical	West, vertical	Own use and savings (south, vertical)
Vienna	800 Wp	906 kWh	640 kWh	445 kWh	408 kWh, €122.49

PVGIS 5.3 data, European Commission Joint Research Centre, calculated on 8 November 2026 with the same model as our calculator. No shade, inverter limit applied. Own use for a household of 2500 kWh a year with nobody home during the day, savings at a typical local electricity price. The Commission is not responsible for our use of the data.

Yield calculator

Guides for this country

Balcony solar in Austria: 800 W, registration, VAT and subsidiesUp to 800 W without a permit, notice to the grid operator two weeks ahead, what the inverter needs, the end of zero VAT and where subsidies stand.

Not yet confirmed

Date of entry into force of the new ElWG and whether any state currently funds plug in systems.

Sources

E-Control: Mini PV Anlagen, FAQ official
oesterreich.gv.at: Selbsterzeugung von Strom (updated 1 October 2026) official
BMF: Steuersatz für Photovoltaikmodule (updated 1 January 2026) official

This is a summary for orientation, not legal advice. Rules change; check with your grid operator before you install.

Yield calculator