The Dutch government can maintain the returns on solar panels by encouraging people to continue their sustainability efforts alongside installing solar panels. For example, by adding a heat pump or an electric vehicle. This way, households can use a larger portion of their self-generated electricity. This is one of the findings from the study “Fact-Based Adjustment of the Net Metering Scheme for Solar Energy,” conducted by CE Delft and TNO on behalf of Energie-Nederland, NVDE, Holland Solar, and HIER. The report will be presented to members of the House of Representatives before Prinsjesdag. Study “The study shows that increasing the percentage of ‘self-consumption’ is beneficial for the financial returns of solar panels. If self-consumption can be substantially increased, it reaches a level comparable to net metering,” says Cora van Nieuwenhuizen from Energie-Nederland. Encouragement Energie-Nederland, NVDE, Holland Solar, and HIER believe that the net metering scheme no longer fits the current phase of the energy transition. However, abolishing the scheme must not result in a decline in the number of solar panels in the Netherlands. Therefore, encouraging additional sustainability measures that enhance the self-consumption of self-generated solar power is the best way to ensure that the number of solar panels continues to grow in the Netherlands.

• Read the letter of presentation to the House of Representatives here, with the most important findings of the study.

• Read the study ‘Fact basis for adjustment of solar energy netting scheme’ by CE Delft and TNO here.