News item | 26-10-2023 | 15:03
The government, provinces (IPO), municipalities (VNG) and water boards (UvW) have made agreements about the multifunctional use of locations for the generation of solar energy. First it is examined whether installation on roofs and facades is possible, then other locations are considered, such as parking lots, landfills and along roads. Given the large demand on scarce space in the Netherlands, solar meadows and solar parks on agricultural and natural land are, with a few exceptions, no longer permitted. Where this has not yet happened, the ‘preferred order of sunshine’ is legally recorded by the provinces in the provincial regulations. At the same time, the agreements in the RES (Regional Energy Strategy) remain in place, and the government and other governments endorse the importance of achieving the objectives.
Minister De Jonge (Interior, Housing and Spatial Planning) wrote this today, partly on behalf of Minister Jetten (Climate and Energy), in a letter to the House of Representatives.
Multifunctional use
The Netherlands faces urgent challenges in the areas of agriculture, housing, infrastructure, nature and the economy, all of which require more space. Space is also needed for the objectives of generating sustainable energy. But the amount of space is scarce. In the contour memorandum on spatial planning (link: Contour memorandum on spatial planning | Report | Rijksoverheid.nl) it has been agreed that multifunctional use of space is the norm. This also applies to the use of solar PV.
Preferred order sun
The assignments require clear choices without detracting from the RES agreements. That is why governments guide the generation of solar energy through four steps.
• Step 1: Solar panels on roofs and facades
• Step 2: Unused sites in built-up areas
• Step 3: Unused sites in rural areas
• Step 4: Agricultural and natural areas
The basic principle is that solar panels should be placed on roofs and facades as much as possible or used in combination with other functions. The government and other governments encourage the installation of solar panels on the roofs of buildings, but also on greenhouses, industrial estates, landfills and above parking spaces.
An important condition is that multifunctional combinations fit well into the landscape and fit into the electricity grid. This means that the objectives for the RES task remain unchanged. Use of agricultural and natural land for solar energy is no longer permitted, with a few exceptions.
Legally anchored
It has been agreed that provinces that have not yet (fully) included the solar preference order in their provincial regulations will do so. The preferred order of sun is therefore also legally anchored. This means that no permits will be granted for new solar parks on agricultural and natural land, with a few exceptions. The province can make an exception for land that would already be assigned a different destination, for combinations of solar panels with certain forms of agricultural business operations or local energy generation. Projects whose participation processes are already at an advanced stage and which are not (completely) designed in accordance with the stricter order of preference for solar, can go ahead.
Compliance with the agreements and feasibility will be monitored from the National Regional Energy Strategy Program (NP RES). The RES agreements must be achievable.