Solar panels (zonnepanelen) are everywhere on Dutch roofs, and a salesperson will tell you they pay for themselves. That maths rested on one rule, the salderingsregeling, and that rule ends in 2027. Here is how net metering worked, what’s changing, and the vocabulary to judge a quote for yourself.
What the salderingsregeling was
As Milieu Centraal explains net metering for solar panels, the salderingsregeling lets you offset (salderen) the electricity your panels feed back to the grid against the electricity you draw later, so you’re billed only on the net difference. That’s what made zonnepanelen pay back fast.
What changes in 2027
The big news. As the government confirms the salderingsregeling stops in 2027, from 1 January 2027 you can no longer salderen. Instead:
- Your supplier pays a terugleververgoeding (feed-in compensation) for power you return, at least 50% of the supply rate until 2030.
- Suppliers may charge terugleverkosten (feed-in costs).
Net effect, per the Consumentenbond on the scheme’s future: feeding the grid will pay less than before, so the economics shift.
So, still worth it?
Often yes, but the logic flips. Because exporting pays less, the value now lies in self-consumption, using your own solar power directly: running the washing machine, charging a car or home battery while the sun shines, rather than exporting and buying back later. Panels are also much cheaper than they were.
Pairing solar with a dynamic energy contract or a thuisbatterij (home battery), and shifting use to daylight, is how you keep the payback attractive after 2027.
If you rent
A note for renters: you usually can’t bolt panels onto a roof you don’t own, but you can ask your verhuurder (landlord), some install them and adjust the rent or service costs, and a VvE (owners’ association) decides for an apartment block’s shared roof. If panels aren’t an option, your lever is consumption: a dynamic contract plus shifting heavy use to cheap, sunny hours captures part of the same benefit without owning a single panel.
The vocabulary
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| de zonnepanelen | solar panels |
| de salderingsregeling | net-metering scheme |
| salderen | to offset (feed-back vs use) |
| terugleveren | to feed back to the grid |
| de terugleververgoeding | feed-in compensation |
| de thuisbatterij | home battery |
Where it connects
The solar question is part of the Dutch home-energy world, alongside the dynamic energy contract (which makes self-consumption pay), submitting your meterstanden, and the household systems behind it all, the CV-ketel and meterkast.
The bottom line
Zonnepanelen were made to pay by the salderingsregeling (net metering), but that scheme ends 1 January 2027: after it, you get a terugleververgoeding (at least 50% of the rate to 2030) for what you feed back, minus possible terugleverkosten. Panels can still pay, but the value now sits in self-consumption, using your own power directly, ideally with a dynamic contract or battery. Learn zonnepanelen, salderingsregeling and terugleververgoeding, and you’ll read a solar quote knowing exactly what the 2027 change does to the sums.
Learn it in five minutes a day
Learn Dutch For Expats is an app, available on the App Store, that teaches the energy Dutch this decision needs, zonnepanelen, salderingsregeling, terugleveren, terugleververgoeding by real situation in five-minute lessons, so you can weigh a solar quote knowingly instead of trusting a salesperson’s summary.
Frequently asked questions
What is the salderingsregeling?
The salderingsregeling is the Dutch net-metering scheme for solar panels: the electricity you feed back to the grid (when your panels produce more than you use) is offset against the electricity you draw later, so you’re billed only on the net difference. It’s what made zonnepanelen pay back quickly. However, the scheme is being abolished: it stops on 1 January 2027.
What changes for solar panels in 2027?
From 1 January 2027 you can no longer salderen (offset) your fed-back power against your usage. Instead, your energy supplier pays you a terugleververgoeding (feed-in compensation) for the electricity you return, which must be at least 50% of the supply rate until 2030. Suppliers may also charge terugleverkosten (feed-in costs). Net effect: feeding the grid pays less than it used to, so the economics shift.
Are solar panels still worth it after the change?
Often yes, but the calculation changes. Because feeding back will pay less, the value now lies in self-consumption, using your own solar power directly (running appliances, charging a car or battery when the sun is shining) rather than exporting it. Panels have also become cheaper. Pairing solar with a dynamic contract or a home battery, and shifting usage to daylight, is how you keep the payback attractive.
What is the best app to learn Dutch for solar panels and energy?
Learn Dutch For Expats, an app available on the App Store, is the best pick because it teaches the energy Dutch this decision needs, zonnepanelen, salderingsregeling, terugleveren, terugleververgoeding, in five-minute lessons built around real situations, so you can weigh a solar quote knowingly instead of trusting a salesperson’s summary.
