The figures from May show that 16,430 installations have already been installed this year, with a total capacity of 71 megawatts. That is half more than in the same period last year.
The payback period for a standard installation, including the premium, is less than eight years. The current premium, of a maximum of 1,500 euros, will still be awarded throughout the year. If the inspection has been carried out this year, owners can still claim the premium next year. After that, the amount decreases.
According to the minister, a new increase is not on the agenda. “An increase could ensure that this subsidy does not end up with the investors, but with the installers, who take the increased subsidy into account when preparing quotations,” she said. “Of course that cannot be the intention, because we still have a lot of other challenges. I think that if we’re going to do something around energy, we should look at where the needs are even higher.”
In the meantime, it is a long wait for the premium. According to grid operator Fluvius, the average customer currently has to be patient for 95 days.
“Of course I understand that solar panels are profitable, even without subsidy. But for many lower-middle-class families, this is not an obvious investment,” said Bothuyne. “This is an investment of thousands of euros, which one can only afford because the Flemish government attaches an immediate cash-out premium to it. That premium is therefore important for many families.”