Balcony solar in New Haven
800 W of panels on a south-facing balcony railing in New Haven produce about 720 kWh a year and save about $107.
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 | 510 kWh | 870 kWh |
| South-east | 670 kWh | 1,010 kWh |
| South | 720 kWh | 1,070 kWh |
| South-west | 670 kWh | 1,010 kWh |
| West | 510 kWh | 860 kWh |
Output by month
Show as a table
| Month | Railing (vertical) | Tilted at 30° |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 66 kWh | 62 kWh |
| Feb | 67 kWh | 72 kWh |
| Mar | 71 kWh | 95 kWh |
| Apr | 62 kWh | 110 kWh |
| May | 48 kWh | 110 kWh |
| Jun | 42 kWh | 110 kWh |
| Jul | 47 kWh | 110 kWh |
| Aug | 57 kWh | 110 kWh |
| Sep | 62 kWh | 92 kWh |
| Oct | 69 kWh | 79 kWh |
| Nov | 71 kWh | 68 kWh |
| Dec | 55 kWh | 50 kWh |
Savings and payback
At $0.277 per kWh you save about $107 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 54% 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
- Bridgeport 740 kWh a year · 16 mi
- Waterbury 740 kWh a year · 18 mi
- Norwalk 740 kWh a year · 28 mi
- Hartford 730 kWh a year · 34 mi
- North Stamford 740 kWh a year · 34 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