Hello everyone,
I have now gathered several quotes for a photovoltaic system and have settled on a regional provider. They gave me the best overall impression and offered the fairest price with the best components. The 8 kW system with a 10 kW battery storage costs 17,500 euros. At first, that was more expensive than I expected when I started looking at this somewhat naively. By now, I have seen everything from 5 kW peak systems with 4 kW storage in a similar price range up to 10 kW with 10 kW storage for around 25,000 euros, a mix of regional and nationwide providers. So I think the price is reasonable. The 8 kW system is planned on the south side, and now there is an option to also install panels on a dormer facing north. That would bring the total to just over 11 kW for 21,000 euros. Do you think that is worth it? I am a bit hesitant to spend the additional 4,500 euros for electricity demand that I currently do not have (my current electricity consumption is about 2,500 kWh/year), and I also already have a small balcony system. I might replace my heating with a heat pump in the future, but that is not certain yet, and maybe someday an electric car will come, but that is not planned in the next few years. So my question is: would you recommend the smaller system or should I go for the larger one (especially since I have a few other projects where I could use the money)?
What is your opinion about the structural inspection? The quotes say there will be a visual inspection. I assume that will not hold up as a proper structural engineering report. On the other hand, my roof on the south side has almost a 40-degree pitch and was built in the mid-1990s, so hopefully it is strong enough. I don’t know anyone in my circle who has asked a structural engineer for this, but you never know. What do you think? On the north side, I actually feel it might be more critical—firstly, because snow tends to stay longer there (if it ever falls), and secondly because the dormer only has about a 15-degree pitch.
I look forward to your opinions. By the way, I live near the Swiss border, so prices are correspondingly higher here.
I have now gathered several quotes for a photovoltaic system and have settled on a regional provider. They gave me the best overall impression and offered the fairest price with the best components. The 8 kW system with a 10 kW battery storage costs 17,500 euros. At first, that was more expensive than I expected when I started looking at this somewhat naively. By now, I have seen everything from 5 kW peak systems with 4 kW storage in a similar price range up to 10 kW with 10 kW storage for around 25,000 euros, a mix of regional and nationwide providers. So I think the price is reasonable. The 8 kW system is planned on the south side, and now there is an option to also install panels on a dormer facing north. That would bring the total to just over 11 kW for 21,000 euros. Do you think that is worth it? I am a bit hesitant to spend the additional 4,500 euros for electricity demand that I currently do not have (my current electricity consumption is about 2,500 kWh/year), and I also already have a small balcony system. I might replace my heating with a heat pump in the future, but that is not certain yet, and maybe someday an electric car will come, but that is not planned in the next few years. So my question is: would you recommend the smaller system or should I go for the larger one (especially since I have a few other projects where I could use the money)?
What is your opinion about the structural inspection? The quotes say there will be a visual inspection. I assume that will not hold up as a proper structural engineering report. On the other hand, my roof on the south side has almost a 40-degree pitch and was built in the mid-1990s, so hopefully it is strong enough. I don’t know anyone in my circle who has asked a structural engineer for this, but you never know. What do you think? On the north side, I actually feel it might be more critical—firstly, because snow tends to stay longer there (if it ever falls), and secondly because the dormer only has about a 15-degree pitch.
I look forward to your opinions. By the way, I live near the Swiss border, so prices are correspondingly higher here.
Of course, I could use the money.... So, a heat pump will very likely be installed soon, as my heating system needs to be replaced. An electric car will probably be added in the future. I expect it will mainly be charged during the day since my wife works part-time and I commute by train. Our children are already older and will probably live at home for another 5 to 6 years. Apart from the heat pump and electric car, we will likely use less electricity overall.
M
MachsSelbst8 Apr 2026 17:06Just start small with a 4 or 6 kWh battery storage unit, especially if you don’t have a heat pump or an electric car yet.
If the car is charged during the day anyway, the storage becomes even less practical. And installing an expensive north-facing array just for the heat pump doesn’t make much sense either.
As mentioned, there are modular storage systems. For example, Anker Solix can be expanded in 2.68 kWh (3 kWh) increments. You can start with 2 modules and later increase to 3 or 4 if you find that the capacity isn’t sufficient.
If the car is charged during the day anyway, the storage becomes even less practical. And installing an expensive north-facing array just for the heat pump doesn’t make much sense either.
As mentioned, there are modular storage systems. For example, Anker Solix can be expanded in 2.68 kWh (3 kWh) increments. You can start with 2 modules and later increase to 3 or 4 if you find that the capacity isn’t sufficient.
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