Answer: Dutch solar projects need separate checks for site yield, grid access and financial support. Saldering ends on 1 January 2027, so future export income must be modeled separately from electricity used on site. The 2026 SDE++ application round opens on 27 October. Use location-specific weather data, the actual supplier contract and verified project eligibility before quoting savings.
Policy and source review: 30 September 2026. This guide explains project checks; it is not a subsidy award, tax opinion or network authorization.
The Dutch solar market: distinguish capacity from production
CBS’s national solar table reports approximately 29.43 GWp of panel capacity and 25.88 TWh of electricity production for 2025. Those figures are revised provisional statistics, not a September 2026 inventory. The same table reports about 26.04 GW of inverter capacity: panel peak capacity and inverter capacity are different quantities.
A market forecast is not installed capacity. For proposals, record the statistical year, revision status and whether capacity means DC module kWp or inverter kW. National growth also cannot establish that a particular site can obtain an export connection.
Netherlands solar irradiance: use the right units
The original version of this guide overstated annual horizontal irradiation. KNMI’s 1991–2020 climate normals, in the global-irradiation table, give these annual station values:
| Station | Published annual irradiation, kJ/cm² | Converted annual irradiation, kWh/m² |
|---|---|---|
| De Bilt | 364.8 | About 1,013 |
| Vlissingen | 397.6 | About 1,104 |
| Eelde | 361.0 | About 1,003 |
The conversion is kJ/cm² × 10 ÷ 3.6 = kWh/m². One kJ/cm² equals 10 MJ/m², and one kWh equals 3.6 MJ. These station normals illustrate geographic variation; they are not guaranteed province-wide values or actual weather in a particular year.
Horizontal irradiation is incident sunlight. It is not PV electricity output in kWh/kWp. A roof estimate additionally needs the weather dataset and period, tilt, azimuth, local obstruction and shading model, equipment, temperature assumptions, conversion losses and output boundary. Specify whether reported energy is inverter AC output, export at the meter or energy available to the customer.
Keep those inputs in an energy-production assumption register. Do not multiply a national irradiation number directly by installed kWp and describe the result as a validated yield estimate.
Saldering through 2026 and export compensation from 2027
Under saldering, eligible small users offset electricity delivered to the grid against electricity supplied to the same connection. ACM explains the import limit and surplus treatment. Total household consumption is not the same as grid imports: electricity consumed directly behind the meter has already avoided an import and must not be counted again as an export credit.
The Dutch government confirms that the statutory scheme ends on 1 January 2027. From then on, exported electricity receives compensation separately. Until 2030, the stated minimum compensation is 50% of the bare electricity supply tariff, excluding taxes. That is not 50% of the complete retail bill, nor a guarantee of net proceeds after permitted export charges.
For the customer’s supplier contract, document:
- Imported electricity price and which variable components self-consumption avoids.
- Export compensation, settlement period and any variable-price treatment.
- Separate export charges and fixed fees, including how they are assessed.
- Contract duration, change provisions and the terms applying after the statutory transition.
A late-2026 installation cannot secure a full calendar year of saldering, and the statutory end date should not be postponed in a lifetime savings model. Separate 2026 billing treatment from subsequent years rather than extending today’s bill calculation indefinitely.
SDE++: the actual 2026 window and project thresholds
As reviewed on 30 September, RVO’s application page lists the next round from 27 October 2026, 09:00, to 26 November 2026, 17:00. The €8 billion round budget covers SDE++ technologies collectively; it is not a solar-only award pool. Applications use phases and subsidy-intensity rules, so preparation is more than submitting as early as possible.
RVO’s renewable-electricity requirements state PV capacity of at least 15 kWp and a large-consumer grid connection greater than 3×80 A. The equality signs matter. Review the current installation category, equipment requirements, project documents, permissions and applicable environmental conditions as well.
An application, a qualifying capacity and a budget announcement do not establish an award. Model any support from the relevant decision and conditions, distinguishing eligible production and applicable corrections. Do not insert a generic subsidy per kWh, guaranteed income floor or future replacement scheme into every Dutch project.
VAT and business tax checks
Belastingdienst’s zero-VAT guidance concerns qualifying solar panels on or near a dwelling. It should not be generalized to every commercial installation, separate rental arrangement or associated purchase.
For a business investment, ask the tax adviser to check the applicable year’s EIA Energy List, qualifying asset details, notification requirements, KIA treatment and any restrictions on combining support. A deduction from taxable profit is not the same as a cash grant. Do not subtract a flat percentage from the invoice before eligibility and the customer’s tax position have been established.
Permits, registration and grid access are separate checks
IPLO lists conditions for permit-free rooftop placement. Pitched-roof and flat-roof placement rules differ, and protected locations require additional checks. Use the project address and proposed layout in the official permit-check workflow; avoid a blanket statement that all rooftops are exempt or that every façade has the same outcome.
ACM also directs owners to register generation through energieleveren.nl. Registration is not evidence that every proposed export capacity is available. Obtain the relevant network operator’s project-specific requirements and clarify the distinction between a physical connection, contracted transport capacity and permitted export operation. Do not promise a nationwide connection timeline or immunity from constraints based solely on a residential connection size.
A transparent post-saldering savings example
The following figures are hypothetical worksheet inputs, not Dutch tariff quotes or typical payback claims. Assume annual PV generation of 5,000 kWh, direct self-consumption of 1,500 kWh and exports of 3,500 kWh. Assume avoided variable import cost of €0.30/kWh, gross export compensation of €0.10/kWh and export charges of €0.04/kWh. A hypothetical bare supply tariff of €0.20/kWh would make the stated gross export assumption consistent with the 50% minimum described above.
| Item | Calculation | Annual amount |
|---|---|---|
| Avoided imports | 1,500 × €0.30 | €450 |
| Gross export compensation | 3,500 × €0.10 | €350 |
| Export charges | 3,500 × €0.04 | −€140 |
| Combined variable benefit | €450 + €350 − €140 | €660 |
| Assumed operating cost | Separate worksheet input | −€100 |
| Simplified net benefit | €660 − €100 | €560 |
At an assumed €8,250 initial cost, simple payback is €8,250 ÷ €560, or about 14.7 years. This excludes financing, degradation, replacement costs, time-varying tariffs and changes in regulation. It is not a recommendation or a lifetime return calculation.
Use a net-metering savings worksheet to separate energy flows and settlement assumptions. For a battery, compare the incremental installed cost with additional avoided imports and changed export proceeds, accounting for charging losses, usable capacity, operating constraints and replacement. Do not assume that storage delivers a fixed self-consumption rate or always pays for itself.
What installers should retain with the proposal
Keep the dated supplier terms, interval demand source, weather and model versions, permit outcome, network correspondence, incentive eligibility evidence and cash-flow assumptions together. Show the customer which inputs are verified, which are estimates and which still require a decision. A revised roof layout, contract or export limit should trigger a documented update rather than silently reusing the original savings figure.
Frequently asked questions
How much solar irradiance does the Netherlands receive?
KNMI’s 1991–2020 station normals imply about 1,013 kWh/m² annually at De Bilt, 1,104 at Vlissingen and 1,003 at Eelde for global irradiation on a horizontal surface. These are climate normals, not a specific roof’s electricity yield or a forecast for 2026.
When does Dutch saldering end?
The statutory salderingsregeling ends on 1 January 2027. Installing during 2026 does not extend the scheme into 2027 or guarantee a full final year of net metering.
When is the 2026 SDE++ application window?
RVO lists 27 October 2026 at 09:00 through 26 November 2026 at 17:00 for the 2026 round. Check the live application page and the relevant phase before submission.
Does a 15 kWp solar system qualify for SDE++?
The stated PV threshold is 15 kWp or more, with a grid connection greater than 3×80 A. Meeting those thresholds alone does not establish eligibility or guarantee an award; the current category and application requirements also apply.
Are Dutch rooftop solar panels always permit-free?
No. Permit-free placement depends on the installation and location conditions. Roof geometry, protected status and local rules need a project-specific check; electrical registration and network permission are separate matters.
Is there a standard solar payback period for the Netherlands?
No. Use the actual installed price, interval demand, modeled generation, supplier terms, export charges and operating costs. A battery needs its own incremental cash-flow assessment; it does not automatically restore a particular payback period.
Where this fits
This article is part of SurgePV's Solar Incentives & Policy hub, which works through the topic from first principles to the decisions a project team actually has to make.
