Solar Energy in the Netherlands: Saldering and SDE++

Three questions shape a Dutch solar project: how much sun the site gets, when netting stops, and whether the project can win SDE++ money. This guide covers each one with figures from KNMI, ACM, Rijksoverheid and RVO.

Last updated: November 2026.

Sources read on 28 October 2026. This guide helps you plan a project. It does not decide a subsidy award, a tax question or a grid connection.

Netherlands Solar Irradiance: Use the Right Units

Irradiation is the sunlight that lands on a surface. KNMI’s 1991–2020 climate normals give these yearly values for global irradiation, the sunlight on a flat, horizontal surface:

The conversion is kJ/cm² × 10 ÷ 3.6 = kWh/m². One kJ/cm² equals 10 MJ/m², and one kWh equals 3.6 MJ. For example, 364.8 × 10 ÷ 3.6 = 1,013.3. Three stations show how much the sun varies by place. They are not values for a whole province, and they are not the weather in one year.

Sunlight is not electricity. PV output is measured in kWh per kWp, which is a different number. A roof estimate needs more inputs:

• the weather data set and the years it covers
• tilt and compass direction (azimuth)
• shade from nearby objects
• the equipment and its losses
• where you measure the output (inverter, meter or customer)

Keep these inputs in an energy-production assumption register. Do not multiply a national irradiation number by installed kWp and call the result a yield estimate. To model a real roof, use shadow analysis and a financial modeling tool.

What Changes on 1 January 2027

Saldering means your supplier nets the power you send back against the power you use. This table shows the change for households and small businesses.

Sources: ACM, salderen en terugleveren and Rijksoverheid, salderingsregeling.

Saldering Through 2026 and Export Pay From 2027

Under saldering, small users offset the power they send to the grid against the power they use. ACM explains the limit: you cannot net more than your supplier delivers. Power you use directly behind the meter never enters the grid. Do not count it again as an export credit.

The Dutch government confirms that the statutory scheme ends on 1 January 2027. Until 2030, the minimum pay is 50% of the bare electricity supply tariff. That tariff excludes taxes. It is not 50% of the full retail bill. It is also not what you keep after export charges.

ACM says your supplier cannot move this date. Your contract may still give you netting after the date. Your supplier must split your use and exports into the period up to 31 December 2026 and the period from 1 January 2027.

For each customer’s supplier contract, write down:

• the price of imported power, and which parts of the price self-consumption avoids
• the export pay and how it is settled, including variable or dynamic prices
• export charges and fixed fees, and how they are worked out
• how long the contract runs and what happens to the terms after the change

Do not build a lifetime savings model that assumes saldering continues. Treat 2026 billing and later years separately.

SDE++: The 2026 Round and Project Rules

SDE++ is a Dutch subsidy for large renewable projects. RVO, the Netherlands Enterprise Agency, lists the 2026 round from 27 October 2026, 09:00, to 26 November 2026, 17:00. RVO’s page says it checked the content on 27 October 2026. The total budget is €8,000,000,000. It covers all SDE++ technologies, not only solar.

The round has 5 phases. A phase is set by how much subsidy you ask for per tonne of CO₂ avoided.

You can apply in an earlier phase than the one you qualify for. Source: RVO, SDE++ aanvragen.

RVO’s 2026 table of solar PV categories shows the maximum phase amount in €/kWh and the phase where you reach it. The table also gives the subsidised full-load hours. Here are the building-attached rows (roof or facade):

Source: RVO, Overzichtstabel Zon-PV SDE++ 2026. RVO’s table has more rows for ground-mounted, water and other categories.

RVO’s rules for renewable electricity set these entry conditions for solar PV:

• Size: panels of at least 15 kWp in total.
• Grid connection: a large-consumer connection of more than 3×80 A.
• Feed-in contract: the feed-in capacity you contract may be at most 50% of the peak panel power. This does not apply to tracking or vertical systems on land.
• Panel carbon footprint: at most 550 kg CO₂ per kWp in production, shown later when you buy the panels.
• Permit: you need your permit when you apply, and you send a copy.
• No early orders: you must not have signed a contract for the installation yet.
• No stacking: you cannot also claim ISDE, EIA or SCE for the same installation.

These are entry conditions. The award depends on the round’s budget and ranking. RVO’s own worked example for a 2 MWp building-attached system with 65% grid supply shows how the money is worked out:

• Maximum amount in phase 1: €0.0824/kWh
• Correction amount: €0.0726 + €0.0020 (guarantee of origin value) = €0.0746/kWh
• Subsidy: €0.0824 − €0.0746 = €0.0078/kWh, or €7.80/MWh
• Output counted: 2 MWp × 840 hours × 65% = 1,092 MWh
• Subsidy: 1,092 × €7.80 = €8,517.60

Power you use yourself earns no subsidy in this example. Do not add a flat subsidy per kWh to every Dutch project. If you have a small connection, RVO says you may be able to use the SCE scheme instead.

VAT and Business Tax Checks

Belastingdienst’s zero-VAT guidance covers qualifying solar panels on or near a home. Do not stretch it to every commercial job, rental setup or linked purchase.

For a business, ask the tax adviser to check:

• the EIA Energy List for the year
• the details of the qualifying asset
• notification rules and KIA treatment
• limits on combining support

A tax deduction is not a cash grant. Do not take a flat percentage off the invoice until the customer’s tax position is clear.

Permits, Registration and Grid Access Are Separate Checks

IPLO lists the conditions for permit-free rooftop placement. Rules differ for pitched and flat roofs, and protected locations need extra checks. Run the project address and layout through the official permit check. Do not say that all roofs or facades are exempt.

ACM also tells owners to register their generation at energieleveren.nl. Registration does not show that your export capacity is free. Ask the network operator for the project’s own requirements. A physical connection, contracted transport capacity and permission to export are three different things. Do not promise a connection date or say a home connection avoids grid limits.

The Dutch Solar Market: Capacity Is Not Production

CBS’s national solar table shows about 29.43 GWp of panel capacity and 25.88 TWh of electricity production for 2025. These are revised provisional figures. The same table shows about 26.04 GW of inverter capacity. Panel peak capacity and inverter capacity are different measures.

A market forecast is not installed capacity. In a proposal, write the statistical year, whether the figure is final, and whether capacity means DC panel kWp or inverter kW. National growth does not prove that your site can get an export connection.

A Worked Example: Savings After Saldering

The figures below are hypothetical worksheet inputs. They are not Dutch tariff quotes and not typical payback claims. Assume:

• yearly PV output of 5,000 kWh
• direct self-consumption of 1,500 kWh
• exports of 3,500 kWh
• avoided import cost of €0.30/kWh
• gross export pay of €0.10/kWh
• export charges of €0.04/kWh

A bare supply tariff of €0.20/kWh would make €0.10/kWh match the 50% minimum.

At an assumed €8,250 initial cost, simple payback is €8,250 ÷ €560, or about 14.7 years. This leaves out financing, panel ageing, replacement costs, changing tariffs and rule changes. It is not advice and not a lifetime return.

Use a net-metering savings worksheet to separate energy flows and settlement terms.

Adding a Battery: A Break-Even Check

A battery moves power from export to self-use. These inputs are also hypothetical. Assume the battery delivers 1,000 kWh a year to the home, with 90% round-trip efficiency. It then needs 1,000 ÷ 0.9 = 1,111 kWh of surplus power to charge.

• Value of the power it delivers: 1,000 × €0.30 = €300
• Net export income lost: 1,111 × (€0.10 − €0.04) = 1,111 × €0.06 = €66.67
• Yearly gain: €300 − €66.67 = €233.33

For a simple 15-year payback, the installed battery would need to cost no more than €233.33 × 15 = €3,500. This leaves out battery replacement, limits on usable capacity and tariff changes. Use your own battery quote and the customer’s real demand data in place of these numbers.

What Installers Should Keep With the Proposal

Keep these together:

• the dated supplier terms
• the source of the interval demand data
• weather data and model versions
• the permit result
• letters from the network operator
• proof of incentive eligibility
• the cash-flow assumptions

Show the customer which inputs are checked, which are estimates and which still need a decision. If the roof layout, contract or export limit changes, update the proposal. Do not reuse the old savings figure.

To check a Dutch roof against your own tariff and layout, book a SurgePV demo or read how solar proposals present the numbers.

For neighbouring markets, read our guide to solar energy in Belgium. For EU support schemes, see the EU solar subsidies tracker.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much solar irradiance does the Netherlands receive?

KNMI’s 1991–2020 station normals give about 1,013 kWh/m² a year at De Bilt, 1,104 at Vlissingen and 1,003 at Eelde for sunlight on a flat, horizontal surface. These are long-term climate averages. They are not the electricity a roof will make, and they are not a forecast for 2026.

Is there net metering in the Netherlands?

Yes, until 31 December 2026. The Dutch name is saldering. Your supplier nets the power you send back against the power you use. The statutory scheme ends on 1 January 2027. Installing in 2026 does not extend it.

When does Dutch saldering end?

The statutory salderingsregeling ends on 1 January 2027. Installing during 2026 does not extend the scheme into 2027. From 2027 you pay energy tax and VAT on all power you take from your supplier. Your supplier pays you for the power you send back, at least 50% of the bare electricity tariff until 2030.

When is the 2026 SDE++ application window?

RVO lists 27 October 2026 at 09:00 through 26 November 2026 at 17:00. The round has 5 phases. Phase 1 runs 27 October 09:00 to 2 November 17:00. Phase 5 runs 23 November 17:00 to 26 November 17:00.

Does a 15 kWp solar system qualify for SDE++?

It can. RVO sets a minimum of 15 kWp of panels and a large-consumer grid connection above 3×80 A. Your project must also meet the category rules. You need your permits before you apply. You also must not have signed a supply or installation contract yet.

Are Dutch rooftop solar panels always permit-free?

No. Permit-free placement depends on the roof and the location. Roof shape, protected status and local rules need a check for each project. Electrical registration and network permission are separate steps.

Is there a standard solar payback period for the Netherlands?

No. The Dutch government says payback depends on panel prices, power prices and how much of your own power you use. Use the real installed price, your demand data, the supplier contract, export charges and running costs. A battery needs its own cash-flow check.