Solar energy receives feed-in subsidy

From 2020 there will be a new subsidy scheme for solar panels. The current netting scheme will be replaced by a feed-in subsidy. Eric Wiebes, Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate, announced this. So far, only the broad outlines are known. Wiebes hopes to fill in the details this summer.

The current netting arrangement will be, according to Wiebes, too generous. The payback period of solar panels decreases in the long term: from 7 to 4 years. That is why there will be a feed-in subsidy after 2020, which will again bring the payback time to 7 years.

The amount of the feed-in subsidy is determined annually. Your energy supplier pays you the basic energy price. A varying subsidy gives the government flexibility to moderate the amount when the price of solar panels decreases. The indirect link with energy tax and VAT is being abandoned. The subsidy amount that you will receive from 2020 will therefore decrease in any case.

6 important points to know:
The new scheme will start in 2020 and only applies to new applications, as long as the payback period for solar panels is well above 7 years.

• There will be a transitional arrangement for current owners of solar panels who make use of the netting scheme. They also have to deal with the feed-in subsidy.
• You only receive a feed-in subsidy for electricity that is supplied to the grid. You do not pay energy tax on electricity that you store or consume directly. In practice, this can turn out to be financially more advantageous compared to the feed-in subsidy.
• The Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO.nl) will have 1 central counter for applying for the subsidy. The payment is arranged via the energy bill of your energy supplier.
• Many owners still use an old meter with a return wheel. Wiebes suggests in a letter to parliament that a smart energy meter is required for the feed-in subsidy.
• The letter does not explicitly state that the feed-in subsidy will continue to apply to a small user connection (3x80A). This also includes many agricultural companies.

Scheme for offices
In addition to solar energy, the feed-in subsidy will soon also apply to other renewable energy sources, such as wind energy. Wiebes is still investigating whether offices and other companies can also be included in the scheme. It is also being examined whether the Postcode rose scheme for supporting energy cooperatives can be replaced by a feed-in subsidy.

Part of this article originally appeared on Business Insider. Also read:
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Niels van der Boom

Niels van der Boom is a senior market specialist for arable crops at DCA Market Intelligence. He mainly makes analyses and market updates about the potato market. In columns he shares his sharp view on the arable sector and technology.

n.vanderboom@boerenbusiness. Nl

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