How much could solar on your balcony save you?

Enter your NYC address. We model your building, simulate a year of sun, and show what an 800W panel could produce in kWh, dollars, and CO₂.

Click on your balcony to begin
Orbit the view to find your building (highlighted in blue)
Modelling sunlight across your balcony Simulating 8,760 hours of sun exposure...
YOUR ESTIMATE
You could save
—
per year
Producing
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annually
CO2 avoided annually—
Bill offset—
Payback period—
See Full Breakdown
—
kWh/year
from an 800W balcony system
—lbs CO2 avoided
—trees equivalent
—miles not driven
—phone charges
Your Savings
Monthly savings
—
Annual savings
—
System pays for itself in
—
Then free electricity for the remaining panel lifespan (25+ years)
25-year total value
—
PaybackFree electricity
16 yrs
9+ yrs free
Monthly Production
Avg NYC apartment uses ~350 kWh/mo
—
Covers 7% of typical apartment electricity usage
Customize this estimate +
Adjust the assumptions and recompute. Defaults reflect a typical 800W mid-tier kit on Con Edison SC-1.
About

What is balcony solar?

A small solar panel that clamps to a balcony railing and plugs into a regular outlet. The electricity it produces flows back into the apartment’s circuit, offsetting whatever’s drawing power at that moment.

Solar panel on an apartment balcony
1

A panel on your railing

One or two solar panels, 400 to 800 watts total, that mount on the outside of a balcony railing or sit on a stand. No roof needed.

2

Plugs into any outlet

A small micro-inverter converts the DC output to standard 120V AC and feeds it into the apartment’s wiring through a normal outlet. No electrician required.

3

Offsets your bill in real time

Every watt the panel produces is one less watt the grid has to supply. Whatever’s on at the moment (fridge, AC, laptop) uses the panel’s electricity first.

FAQ

Common questions

Is plug-in solar legal in NYC?+

Not yet. New York requires utility approval for any device that pushes power back into a household circuit, which plug-in kits do. The SUNNY Act (S8512/A9111) would change that. It passed the State Senate 62–0 in 2026 and is awaiting Assembly action. Once it’s law, you won’t need Con Edison’s permission. Renters and co-op residents may still need a landlord or board sign-off, though. The bill covers the utility side, not the lease side.

Does it work for any apartment?+

Any NYC address with sun on at least one side. A high-floor south-facing balcony can produce 3× what a low-floor north-facing one does. The 3D simulation accounts for neighbor buildings within 200m, so wide-avenue and midblock exposures come out differently.

How does it actually plug in?+

The panel connects to a small micro-inverter with a cord ending in a standard 120V plug, the same as anything else you plug into a household outlet. NYC balconies almost never have an outdoor outlet, so in practice the cord runs from the panel through a window or sliding door to an indoor outlet, often the same circuit you’d use for a window AC. Secure the cord to the railing so it doesn’t catch on anyone, and don’t daisy-chain it through an extension cord. Kit manufacturers sell longer panel cables for runs over ~10 feet.

How accurate is this estimate?+

Within about 15% of real-world production for a typical NYC apartment. We model the major shadows on your block but can’t see micro-shading (a neighbor’s AC unit, a corner tree) or know your exact panel orientation.

How is this calculated?+

PVWatts hourly simulation, NYC building data, and a 3D shadow model of your block. Built on NREL, NYC PLUTO, Con Edison SC-1 rates, and EPA eGRID. Read the full methodology →

What does a kit cost?+

A few hundred dollars for a small panel, up to a couple thousand for a larger kit with battery storage. Most NYC-sized setups land between $1,200 and $1,800.

What rate is used to compute savings?+

Con Edison’s residential rate, roughly 34¢/kWh in 2026, about 56% above the U.S. average. The Customize panel lets you adjust your monthly bill and the long-term rate escalation assumption.