The capacity of solar panels on the roofs of homes in the Netherlands will grow by more than 30 percent in 2022. This was reported by sector organization Netbeheer Nederland on Friday based on figures from most network operators in the Netherlands. The companies that deal with the electricity grid speak of a “historic growth”.
Grid manager Stedin, for example, saw the capacity of solar panels on houses in the province of Utrecht rise by 41 percent and in Zeeland by 24 percent. Liander, which is active in five provinces, recorded an increase of 17 percent. Two small network operators are not included in the figures, but according to a spokesperson for Netbeheer Nederland, this makes little difference on a national scale.
At the same time, the network operators express their concerns about the capacity of the power network. When the sun shines and households use little power at that time, the solar panels supply electricity back to the power grid, where many cables are already at their limit. Netbeheer Nederland therefore calls on consumers: “Turn on the washing machine when the sun is shining.”
Eliminate current
This month, the House of Representatives debated the abolition of the net metering scheme, which allows households to offset the yield of their solar panels against the electricity they consume. At the moment there seems to be insufficient support for abolition.
Without the net metering scheme, there would now be fewer solar panels on the roofs, thinks the spokesperson for Netbeheer Nederland. “But with the falling prices of solar panels and rising energy prices, it is also financially attractive to purchase panels without netting.”
A version of this article also appeared in the January 28, 2023 newspaper