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Amperecalc

Solar & storage

What will a balcony solar system do for you?

A plug-in solar device only saves the money it actually displaces inside your home. This calculator therefore simulates not just generation, but how much of it really lands given the way you use electricity.

How we calculate

Calculation model

  1. 01

    Your postcode maps to an irradiation region with a measured annual global irradiation sum.

  2. 02

    Orientation and tilt are transposed onto the module plane with an anisotropic sky model.

  3. 03

    System losses (temperature, wiring, soiling, inverter) are accounted for individually; the 800 W limit is calculated separately as a clipping loss.

  4. 04

    Generation and your load profile are overlaid hour by hour — only the intersection counts as self-consumption.

Good to know

  • Since the first solar package, 800 W of inverter output and up to 2,000 Wp of module power are permitted.
  • Registration is a simplified entry in the market master data register; separate registration with the grid operator is no longer required.
  • Surplus from plug-in devices is normally not remunerated — it flows into the grid free of charge.

Law & subsidies

What applies in Austria

Regulation determines the limits and tariffs this calculator works with.

800 watts, but the grid operator must still be told

Plug-in photovoltaic systems up to 800 W of inverter output need no permit, but must be notified to the grid operator before commissioning.

Inverter
max. 800 W AC
Permit
not required
Grid operator notice
required
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This is the key difference from Germany, where grid operator registration was abolished outright. In Austria it remains. The notification runs through the operator's online portal and is free of charge.

The system must meet the requirements of TOR Generators Type A; commercially available devices with ÖVE/CE conformity satisfy this. A properly installed socket is required for connection.

No guaranteed feed-in tariff — the price is negotiated

Austria has no equivalent of the German statutory tariff. What you receive for surplus is set by your electricity supplier.

Typical range
3–11 ct/kWh
Guarantee
none in law

This is the largest economic difference from Germany. The calculator works with an average — get a concrete offer before relying on it.

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Remuneration usually tracks the exchange price, sometimes at a discount, sometimes fixed for one or two years. It can change substantially when the contract ends — in either direction.

For the economics this means self-consumption counts for even more than in Germany. Sizing an array close to your own demand is more defensible here than there.

OeMAG's market premium offers a subsidised route for larger systems, but it is tied to tenders and rarely relevant for households.

This compilation is orientation, not legal advice. Rules in this field change several times a year — check the linked primary source before you invest, or ask a certified specialist.
See all regulatory topics

Frequent questions

Answered briefly.

Is a second module worth it if the inverter caps at 800 W?

Usually yes. Rated power is only reached in a handful of hours per year. Oversizing to roughly 1,000–1,200 Wp costs a few percent in clipping but lifts the yield noticeably on overcast days and in the morning and evening.

South or east/west — which is better?

For raw annual yield, south wins. For savings, east or west often wins, because generation is spread more evenly across the day and matches morning and evening consumption better. The calculator shows both figures separately.

Why is my yield lower on a vertical railing?

At 90° tilt the summer sun strikes the module at a very shallow angle. Across the year that costs roughly 25 to 30 percent against an optimally angled mount. In winter, vertical mounting is actually at an advantage.

Payback calculator

Net present value, internal rate of return and break-even for any energy investment.

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Consumption broken down appliance by appliance — with savings in euros.

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Yield, self-sufficiency and return of a rooftop array over 25 years.

All results are model calculations based on your inputs and statistical reference data. They do not replace individual professional planning.

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