Balcony solar in Hartford
800 W of panels on a south-facing balcony railing in Hartford produce about 730 kWh a year and save about $108.
Output by orientation and mounting
Yearly output with 800 W of panels and the inverter limited to 800 W.
| Panels face | On the railing (vertical) | Tilted at 30° |
|---|---|---|
| East | 520 kWh | 860 kWh |
| South-east | 690 kWh | 1,010 kWh |
| South | 730 kWh | 1,070 kWh |
| South-west | 680 kWh | 1,000 kWh |
| West | 510 kWh | 850 kWh |
Output by month
Show as a table
| Month | Railing (vertical) | Tilted at 30° |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 79 kWh | 71 kWh |
| Feb | 69 kWh | 73 kWh |
| Mar | 70 kWh | 93 kWh |
| Apr | 61 kWh | 110 kWh |
| May | 47 kWh | 100 kWh |
| Jun | 42 kWh | 110 kWh |
| Jul | 46 kWh | 110 kWh |
| Aug | 56 kWh | 110 kWh |
| Sep | 63 kWh | 93 kWh |
| Oct | 68 kWh | 78 kWh |
| Nov | 76 kWh | 72 kWh |
| Dec | 56 kWh | 50 kWh |
Savings and payback
At $0.277 per kWh you save about $108 in the first year. A kit costing $1,300 pays back in about 12.1 years.
- Electricity price: $0.277 per kWh (U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2025-09..2026-08). Source
- Assumes a constant base load of 150 W, so 53% of the output is used at home.
- Power sent to the grid is not paid for.
Rules
Connecticut
In effect since October 1, 2026
Up to 1,200 W of inverter output per meter.
- Certified by UL or an equivalent nationally recognized testing laboratory to UL 1741; meets the State Building Code, the National Electrical Code and IEEE 1547, and cannot energize the building's wiring during a power outage.
- No notification to the utility is needed.
Last verified: October 31, 2026
Nearby cities
- Waterbury 740 kWh a year · 24 mi
- New Haven 720 kWh a year · 34 mi
- Bridgeport 740 kWh a year · 48 mi
- Norwalk 740 kWh a year · 58 mi
- North Stamford 740 kWh a year · 62 mi
Data sources
- Solar data: PVGIS-NSRDB, PVGIS 5.2, 2011–2015.
- Electricity price: U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2025-09..2026-08.
- Last verified: October 31, 2026
- How we calculate