In the past, people who had their affairs in order could lean on three pillars: house, tree, animal. But nowadays a fourth pillar should not be missing in that image: the panel. To save the world, or simply to save on your own energy bill. The Netherlands now has the most solar panels per capita in Europe, the roofs are full of them. But not everyone sees their solar panel wish come true.
Tenants who do not own their roof, for example, and whose landlord does not want to make it more sustainable. Or homeowners whose roofs are too much shaded by surrounding trees or high-rise buildings. It is also possible that the roof is simply too small for solar panels, or too small to provide the entire household or building with power. The government has reserved a large pot of money for these people, the Subsidy Scheme for Cooperative Energy Generation (SCE), to jointly invest in a solar roof elsewhere. For example on the roof of a farm or on an available piece of land. Four questions about this scheme, and how you can use it.
How does the subsidy work?
The SCE is a so-called operating subsidy. This is a subsidy that is calculated on the basis of the amount of green energy generated. It therefore works differently than a subsidy for solar panels on your own roof. For example, the money is not intended for the purchase of panels and the electricity generated does not go through a direct connection from the source to the homes of the participants, but ends up on the power grid. That is a large pool where sustainable and non-sustainable electricity come together.
Over a period of fifteen years, participants will receive an amount for every kilowatt hour produced by the solar project. If the revenue is less than the cost price, the subsidy compensates for the difference. The amount of the subsidy is the difference between the market price and a base amount, which is determined every year. When the market price is high, as is the case now, the subsidy decreases, because then less compensation has to be paid.
Participants can decide for themselves how much money they invest in the purchase of solar panels for a project. In this way, people with a smaller grant can also participate. Due to the scale, the installation costs per solar panel remain relatively low – in any case a lot lower than when installing on your own roof.
How can you claim the subsidy?
If you want to make use of the subsidy, you must first become a member of a local energy cooperative, or set up one yourself. A cooperative is a joint initiative of people (or companies) to invest in a sustainable project. An Owners Association (VvE) can also participate. Initiators set up the project themselves: they look for a location, conduct a feasibility study and apply for a permit.
The SCE is not only rigged for the citizen who cannot install solar panels, it is also a way to finance large joint solar projects (as well as wind and hydro projects). Last year, more than 650 cooperative projects received a subsidy from the scheme. A new pot of 150 million euros in subsidy has been available since 1 March. Applications can be made until December 1 of this year.
What are the conditions?
A solar project must meet a number of requirements. It should have a peak power of between 15 and 500 kilowatts, which equates to about 40 to 1350 solar panels. The participants of a cooperative must also live within a defined area, the so-called ‘postcode rose’. The solar panel project is right on target and the adjacent postcode areas form the leaves, as it were. This requirement has nothing to do with the power grid, but in this way the government tries to guarantee ‘the locality of the project’.
And please note: there may be costs associated with a project, for administration, maintenance or insurance. Ask the project board in advance how high these costs are.
What if there is not enough enthusiasm in the area?
A project therefore requires enough participants from the same area. Can’t get them together? Then there are other options for investing in solar energy. There are companies that issue bonds for the construction of solar parks (or other sustainable projects). This is a form of crowdfunding: the investment is returned at the end of a predetermined term. In the meantime, the bondholder receives income from the power generation, or else a fixed interest rate on the investment.
It is also possible to purchase power from someone who does have solar panels on the roof, and who is connected to the same energy supplier. It functions as a kind of marketplace where customers can sell green energy to each other. Within this so-called marketplace, companies are also active that link suppliers and buyers. Sometimes it is more profitable for someone with a surplus of renewable energy to sell it through the marketplace than to return it to the supplier.
frontrunner
The Netherlands is a frontrunner in Europe when it comes to using solar energy. Our country has installed the most solar panels per capita, according to research by the umbrella organization SolarPower Europe. The organization predicts that the number of panels will more than double between this year and the end of 2025. By that time, the installed capacity in the Netherlands will have increased to about 30 gigawatt peak, sufficient power for more than 1.3 million households.