Climate Change > Dutch solar panel owners getting shafted

 

Should there be an investigation into the rise in feed-in charges?  Do stakeholders have a lawsuit here? This is not encouraging people to install solar panels. The government needs to address this problem.

Households with solar panels face

significant revenue loss

Households in the Netherlands with solar panels are seeing their annual returns shrink by 300 euros to nearly 500 euros due to rising feed-in charges and lower solar yields in 2024.

Feed-in charges, which energy companies charge for handling surplus electricity, have increased sharply, reaching as high as 0.12 euros to 0.14 euros per kilowatt-hour (kWh), according to Martien Visser, an energy transition lecturer at the Hanzehogeschool Groningen. For a household with an 8-panel system generating 3,000 kWh annually, these fees can significantly impact income, Visser explained.

Geert Wirken of Keuze.nl, a price comparison platform, said that households with eight solar panels lost approximately 300 euros in income last year, while those with twelve panels lost about 475 euros. "This is a tough pill to swallow for owners and renters of solar panels," Wirken said. "No one could have foreseen this when purchasing the panels."

Less sunlight

Data from Energieopwek.nl, which tracks renewable energy production, shows that solar panel yields in 2024 were 6 percent lower than in 2023 due to reduced sunlight. Nonetheless, "the drop in solar output is manageable," Visser said. "However, the impact of rising feed-in charges has been much more significant."

The direct consumption of solar energy by households typically averages around 30 percent of the electricity generated. The remaining electricity is fed back into the grid, where feed-in charges apply. After factoring in these fees, households with eight panels saw an average reduction of 300 euros in annual returns.

For households with twelve panels, the reduction was even steeper. In 2024, these systems produced about 180 kWh less compared to 2023, equivalent to a 50 euros loss at current electricity prices.

Energy companies began implementing feed-in charges last year, citing increased investments needed to manage the growing supply of solar electricity during peak times and to prevent grid overload.

The financial strain is particularly severe for those who financed their solar panels through loans or for renters. "If you’ve borrowed money to buy solar panels or rent a home with them installed, these additional costs can leave you in a tough spot," Wirken said. "There’s little you can do to influence these fees." 

While feed-in charges have stabilized somewhat in recent months, they are expected to increase further. Adding to the pressure, the Dutch government plans to end the popular net metering scheme in 2027. This program currently allows households to offset their solar energy production

against their annual energy bill. 

According to Visser, the end of the scheme will reduce annual earnings by around 250 euros for households with an eight-panel system generating 3,000 kWh. While there are suggestions to increase direct consumption of solar energy, Visser noted, "In practice, that’s nearly impossible."

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