From Balcony Power to a Connected Energy System

In 2020, Wolfram Fiedler embarked on a personal energy journey: two small solar panels on his garage began supplying his first kilowatt hours – simply plugged into a socket. The ‘aha’ moment came quickly: ‘It was fascinating to see how quickly the storage unit filled up when the sun was shining,’ Fiedler recalls. His positive experience with the EcoFlow balcony power plant sparked a desire for more.

However, due to the increasing demand for electricity, particularly for charging his electric car, the balcony power plant reached its limits. Installing additional solar panels on the garden shed would have required a permit. In search of a more comprehensive solution, Fiedler turned to the local solar energy company Pure Energien in Ingolstadt. Together, they came up with the idea of replacing the existing system with a full-scale photovoltaic system including storage and EV charging, built around the modular EcoFlow PowerOcean Plus system.

A 15 kWp photovoltaic system with storage was installed on three sides of the roof: south, east, and north. This is supplemented by a 10 kWh EcoFlow storage unit, which reliably supplies the household. An integrated EcoFlow wallbox also enables solar charging of the electric car. “The combination of a PV system, storage, and charging infrastructure from a single provider ensures perfect system integration, which is controlled via a central app,” says Fiedler.

The existing electrical installation in the house presented challenges for the Pure Energien team. The old meter cabinet in the attic and the power supply in the basement required innovative solutions. With new cabling and modernised switchgear, the system was successfully integrated. The result is a modern energy infrastructure that fills the storage unit completely by 9 a.m., even on cloudy days.

The current solution meets most of a household's electricity needs and has the potential to meet more. Wolfram Fiedler is considering using surplus energy for hot water or heating using split air conditioning units. Thanks to the flexible system architecture of EcoFlow, such additions can be easily integrated at any time.

Wolfram Fiedler's journey towards self-sufficiency began with a simple balcony power plant and has evolved into a comprehensive energy system. The combination of the EcoFlow PowerOcean Plus system, photovoltaics and a wallbox provides a flexible, future-proof solution. For me, the energy transition means taking action. Start small, try things out, and then keep expanding step by step,' says Fiedler. EcoFlow provides the flexibility to do exactly that — from your first kilowatt-hour to achieving full energy independence.