A balcony power plant in Germany may have a module output of up to 2000 watts, though the inverter limits the output to 800 watts. That’s the theory – and what Germany’s Renewable Energy Act allows. In practice, owners want to know how much electricity is actually produced, how much flows into the household grid, and how much is fed into the public grid. After all, a PV investment pays off best when self-consumption is maximized.
Thinking of checking your basement electricity meter? Unfortunately, that only shows total consumption and doesn’t help determine the power factor or your solar self-consumption. Smart devices make it much easier and more accurate. With various options to create your own Shelly balcony power plant, you can get the most out of your module output. Let’s take a look.
Want a simple setup? The smart Shelly Plug S Gen3 plug-in meter is for you. Connect it between the balcony power plant’s connection cable and your household socket – and you’re good to go. For outdoor use, try the Outdoor Plug S Gen3. Via the Shelly app, you can view when and how many kilowatt hours are being produced and used. Daily, monthly, and yearly overviews help determine your power factor.
Looking for an integrated solution? The discreet Shelly PM Mini Gen3 shows exactly how many kilowatt hours your PV system feeds into the household grid. The ultra-compact Wi-Fi power meter fits behind a wall socket and is ideal for tight spaces. Installed (by a professional) in the inverter circuit, it sends all data to the Shelly Smart Control app for precise analysis.
A third option is the Shelly 1PM Gen3 / Gen4, which can also be installed in or behind a socket. It tracks every kilowatt hour flowing through the inverter and delivers reliable data to the Shelly Smart Control app. This makes your PV energy use even more efficient.
Want more than Wi-Fi or Bluetooth? The new Shelly EM Mini Gen4 offers Zigbee and Matter compatibility, in addition to all the core features of the PM Mini Gen3. Perfect for advanced smart home setups.
Want a simple setup? The smart Shelly Plug S Gen3 plug-in meter is for you. Connect it between the balcony power plant’s connection cable and your household socket – and you’re good to go. For outdoor use, try the Outdoor Plug S Gen3. Via the Shelly app, you can view when and how many kilowatt hours are being produced and used. Daily, monthly, and yearly overviews help determine your power factor.
Looking for an integrated solution? The discreet Shelly PM Mini Gen3 shows exactly how many kilowatt hours your PV system feeds into the household grid. The ultra-compact Wi-Fi power meter fits behind a wall socket and is ideal for tight spaces. Installed (by a professional) in the inverter circuit, it sends all data to the Shelly Smart Control app for precise analysis.
A third option is the Shelly 1PM Gen3 / Gen4, which can also be installed in or behind a socket. It tracks every kilowatt hour flowing through the inverter and delivers reliable data to the Shelly Smart Control app. This makes your PV energy use even more efficient.
Want more than Wi-Fi or Bluetooth? The new Shelly EM Mini Gen4 offers Zigbee and Matter compatibility, in addition to all the core features of the PM Mini Gen3. Perfect for advanced smart home setups.
No matter which Shelly device you choose, integrating it into the Shelly Smart Control app is easy. Power up the device, open the app, and tap “Add Device”. The app finds it automatically. Connect to your Wi-Fi, enter your password, name the device (such as “PV Output”), and you’re done. You’ll see current output, daily yield, and total production – and can automate energy usage smartly.
There are many reasons to measure your solar power output. It shows exactly how much energy you gain from your investment and when you reach break-even. It also lets you automate household appliances to run when PV energy is available, reducing your need for costly grid electricity.
The key reason: maximizing self-consumption. The more solar energy you use directly, the faster your system pays for itself. Every kilowatt hour you don’t buy saves you money. Also, upgrading your system to feed energy into the grid rarely pays off, since the feed-in compensation is often zero. Better to use the power yourself!
This is the core question – and smart energy meters help answer it. Let’s do the maths.
Our example system has two 380-watt PV panels, generating approximately 600 kilowatt hours per year (per Shelly app).
If 50% is used directly in the household grid, you save 39.8 cents per kilowatt hour (as of early 2025) – around €119.40/year.
With a purchase cost of €400, your payback period is under four years. After that, the PV energy is free – saving you around €120 every year.
Shelly Plug S Gen3, Outdoor Plug S Gen3, PM Mini Gen3 or EM Mini Gen4 are ideal for measuring output.
Yes, the Shelly 3EM, for example, can measure three-phase feed-in, consumption, and production.
Technically, yes, but surplus energy will almost always feed into the grid – especially without a battery.
Depending on usage and system size, realistic self-consumption without storage is 30–60%.
Shelly offers worldwide shipping, making our products accessible globally.
Get 3 years warranty on Shelly Plus, Wave, Gen3 and Gen4 devices; 5 years on Shelly Pro and Wave Pro devices and
2 years on all the rest.
Shelly Europe holds ISO 14001:2015, ISO 27001:2022, and ISO 9001:2015 certificates.
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Access expert tips and detailed guides in our Shelly Knowledge Base—your ultimate resource for maximizing your smart home setup.
