Balcony Solar Orientation: Why East-West Often Beats South
4 min read
South is the best balcony solar orientation, you read that everywhere. For your power bill it often isn't true. Optimise your balcony solar orientation for maximum yield alone, and on a system capped at 800 W you hand money back to the midday sun.
As of: 20.08.2026
Optimal Balcony Solar Orientation: Why South Loses at the 800 W Cap
Since Solarpaket I in May 2024 you may connect up to 2,000 Wp of module power, but the inverter may still feed in only 800 W AC, as sunastro.info explains. A well-populated south array generates well above 800 W at noon, and anything over that cap can't pass through the inverter. It's simply lost.
pluginenergy.de puts it well: south delivers a single "maximum peak," while east-west stretches generation into a "broad back" that "fits the 800 W brake perfectly" and stays under the cap more often.
The Comparison in Euros
More yield does not mean more savings. A worked example from photovoltaik.info models an 800 W system like this: south generates around 750 kWh a year, of which only about 260 kWh is self-consumed, roughly €91 in savings. East-West reaches only about 650 kWh, but around 300 kWh of that is self-consumed, roughly €105. Less electricity, more money kept.
This is a modeled example, not a field test. Local weather, shading and your own load curve move both figures. The rough magnitude holds for an ordinary 800 W kit like the Solakon 1000W Balkonkraftwerk - 800W komplett Steckdose, 500W bifaziale Solarmodule.
Solakon 1000W Balkonkraftwerk - 800W komplett Steckdose, 500W bifaziale Solarmodule
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When South Still Wins
Two cases flip the result. The first: your battery, which catches the midday peak instead of losing it. In a worked example from drbo-greenenergy.de, a battery charges the otherwise-clipped 700 W at midday and feeds it back that evening, handing south its yield advantage back, as our balcony solar battery payback breakdown shows.
The second: you simply want maximum kilowatt-hours, not self-consumption. Then south stays ahead: the highest yield comes, according to priwatt, from a south-facing system.
Whichever direction you pick, you set the tilt angle with an adjustable mount, such as the GLIESE Solarmodul Halterung 114cm 0-90 Grad Balkonkraftwerk 2er-Set with a 0-90° range. That lets you match your balcony solar orientation and tilt angle to your balcony instead of settling for a fixed rail.
GLIESE Solarmodul Halterung 114cm 0-90 Grad Balkonkraftwerk 2er-Set
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is south or east-west better for a balcony solar system?
For raw yield, south. For savings, often east-west. A south system capped at 800 W loses its midday peak to clipping, while east-west spreads output across the day and lands more of it directly in your home. Add a battery and the advantage swings back to south.
How much yield does an east-west orientation cost?
East-West typically reaches around 80 to 90 percent of a comparable south system's annual yield. That is a range commonly cited across several sources, not a single measurement. The lower total is often more than offset by higher self-consumption.
What tilt angle suits east-west?
A shallower angle spreads output more evenly across the day than a steep south setup. An adjustable mount with a wide range lets you match angle and direction to your balcony and the season. The optimal value depends on your location.
Do I need two inverters for east-west?
No. Most east-west systems run on a single 800 W inverter with two separate MPPT inputs, one for the east side and one for the west. What matters is that both sides are regulated independently, so the panels don't drag each other down.
