Follow the steps of building a household-sized solar system as explained below:
The basis for designing your solar system is to know how much electricity you use in a year. This can be read off your annual electricity bill, or by adding up your monthly bills.
If you already know that your electricity demand will increase significantly in the near future, e.g. if you are thinking of installing air conditioning, an electric water heater or an electric heating system, you should calculate with the increased consumption – for this you may need the help of an energy expert. For other electrical appliances, such as fridges, freezers etc. it is relatively easy to calculate the increased consumption based on the technical specifications of the product.
Divide your annual consumption expressed in kWh by a factor of 1100 or 1200 for a south-facing roof to get the required system size. For an east or west facing roof, the divisor is between 1000 and 1100. For example: in case of an annual electricity consumption of 5000 kWh, the necessary PV system is 4,2-4,5 kWp for a south-facing roof, and 4,5-4,8 kWp for an east or west facing roof.
If you already know that your electricity demand will increase significantly in the near future, e.g. if you are thinking of installing air conditioning, an electric water heater or an electric heating system, you should calculate with the increased consumption – for this you may need the help of an energy expert. For other electrical appliances, such as fridges, freezers etc. it is relatively easy to calculate the increased consumption based on the technical specifications of the product.
Divide your annual consumption expressed in kWh by a factor of 1100 or 1200 for a south-facing roof to get the required system size. For an east or west facing roof, the divisor is between 1000 and 1100. For example: in case of an annual electricity consumption of 5000 kWh, the necessary PV system is 4,2-4,5 kWp for a south-facing roof, and 4,5-4,8 kWp for an east or west facing roof.
Once you have determined the size of the solar system you need, check whether you have the roof space to accommodate it. For homes in Budapest, the easiest way to find out how much of the total roof surface area is sunny is to check the Budapest Solar Map!
Once you’re serious about installing PVs, select a few solar companies for an offer and on-site survey. For example, you can choose from the member companies available on the website of the Hungarian Solar Association. It’s advisable to select a company close to the site for easier future maintenance.
The majority of solar companies offer a turnkey service, from site survey to the permitting process, however it is worth clarifying this, and you may also want to agree on other arrangements.
The majority of solar companies offer a turnkey service, from site survey to the permitting process, however it is worth clarifying this, and you may also want to agree on other arrangements.
During the on-site survey, a representative of the solar company will assess the conditions of your roof. It is not advisable to sign a contract without an on-site survey and it is worth clarifying any additional costs before signing the contract.
It is also advisable to have the metering point surveyed by an electrician registered with the local electricity company to check whether it needs standardisation and whether the phases and fuses are sufficient to connect the desired solar system. The cost of the visit varies among electricians.
Upon compliance, the registered electrician will issue a statement. However, if the available capacity is not sufficient or the metering point is not standardised, the registered installer should be instructed to carry out the work and act on your behalf with the supplier: request a seal removal permit and standardise the metering point and/or increase the capacity or phase number.
Normally this takes about 1 month, in case of for ground electrical wires half a year and it is not possible to start excavation work in the winter. The cost of this depends on the contractor and the exact tasks – for larger-scale interventions it can cost up to HUF 200,000-300,000.
It is also advisable to have the metering point surveyed by an electrician registered with the local electricity company to check whether it needs standardisation and whether the phases and fuses are sufficient to connect the desired solar system. The cost of the visit varies among electricians.
Upon compliance, the registered electrician will issue a statement. However, if the available capacity is not sufficient or the metering point is not standardised, the registered installer should be instructed to carry out the work and act on your behalf with the supplier: request a seal removal permit and standardise the metering point and/or increase the capacity or phase number.
Normally this takes about 1 month, in case of for ground electrical wires half a year and it is not possible to start excavation work in the winter. The cost of this depends on the contractor and the exact tasks – for larger-scale interventions it can cost up to HUF 200,000-300,000.
The authorisation process consists of three parts: application, connection approval and readiness report.
The first part is the preparation and submission of the application to the electricity supplier. To complete the application form, you will need the following information and documents:
– Personal data (name, address, contact details, etc.)
– Address of use
– Electricity supply contracts, if available (grid usage, grid connection)
– Last electricity bill or annual bill, all pages
– Copy of map not more than 30 days old (no need to be certified, can be downloaded from the Client Gate)
– Copy of the title deed (no need to be certified, can be downloaded from the Client Gate at a cost of a few thousand HUF)
The procedure time is max. 30 days.
You can apply at the DSO also yourself, but most solar companies will do it for you. The DSO does not charge any fee for the application.
The first part is the preparation and submission of the application to the electricity supplier. To complete the application form, you will need the following information and documents:
– Personal data (name, address, contact details, etc.)
– Address of use
– Electricity supply contracts, if available (grid usage, grid connection)
– Last electricity bill or annual bill, all pages
– Copy of map not more than 30 days old (no need to be certified, can be downloaded from the Client Gate)
– Copy of the title deed (no need to be certified, can be downloaded from the Client Gate at a cost of a few thousand HUF)
The procedure time is max. 30 days.
You can apply at the DSO also yourself, but most solar companies will do it for you. The DSO does not charge any fee for the application.
Following the application, the DSO issues a technical economic information sheet (TIS) stating the fact of conditional connectivity. There are cases where the inverter of the required capacity cannot be connected because the grid cannot accommodate it. In this case, your solar system must be adapted to the technical parameters specified in the TIS.
In the case of a positive TIS, an authorized designer shall prepare the connection plan of the PV system with the single-line connection drawing and submit it to the DSO. The processing time is max. 30 days. The DSO issues the connection permit, after which the installation of the solar system can start.
You need a qualified and authorized designer to draw up the connection plan and wiring diagram. Most solar panel companies will either do this for you with their own designer or with the help of a subcontractor. Obviously, the designer’s work has to be paid for, usually between 30-60 thousand HUF net, depending on the designer, but there are no other administrative costs.
In the case of a positive TIS, an authorized designer shall prepare the connection plan of the PV system with the single-line connection drawing and submit it to the DSO. The processing time is max. 30 days. The DSO issues the connection permit, after which the installation of the solar system can start.
You need a qualified and authorized designer to draw up the connection plan and wiring diagram. Most solar panel companies will either do this for you with their own designer or with the help of a subcontractor. Obviously, the designer’s work has to be paid for, usually between 30-60 thousand HUF net, depending on the designer, but there are no other administrative costs.
After completion of the installation and issuing the contact protection report, the designer prepares a report of completion and reports the system ready, together with the necessary documents and photos.
After the test of the completed solar system the system cannot be operated yet, it is necessary to wait for the electricity meter to be changed.
The DSO will send you the new grid usage contract, which must be signed and returned to the DSO. The supplier will then contact you within 30 days to agree on the date of the electricity meter change. On the agreed date, the DSO’s contracted partner will verify at the installation site that the system included in the connection plan has been implemented. If so, the meter will be changed.
Your solar system can then start operating!
After the test of the completed solar system the system cannot be operated yet, it is necessary to wait for the electricity meter to be changed.
The DSO will send you the new grid usage contract, which must be signed and returned to the DSO. The supplier will then contact you within 30 days to agree on the date of the electricity meter change. On the agreed date, the DSO’s contracted partner will verify at the installation site that the system included in the connection plan has been implemented. If so, the meter will be changed.
Your solar system can then start operating!