Specialist in construction and renovation projects

From July 2025

From July 2025, large consumers who consume 1 gigawatt hour (1 GWh or 1000 MWh) or more of electricity per year will be required to install solar panels. This is on condition that consumption at a single business site amounts to 1 GWh or more. This obligation is based on the total amount of electricity purchased from the grid in a calendar year. The operator of the grid to which the purchase point is connected determines whether a specific purchase point is subject to this obligation.

What does the PV obligation entail?

Due to the new regulations, 1,300 government buildings and 2,500 companies will have to take steps towards solar energy. Does your company belong to this group of large consumers and do you already have solar panels? Then check the capacity of the installation. You may need to add a few more panels to comply with the decree. You have until 30 June 2025 to do so.

The transition will be organised as follows:

From 30 July 2025, the installation must provide at least 12.5 Wp per square metre of roof surface area (approximately 10% of the total horizontal roof surface area).

From 1 January 2030, the installation must provide at least 18.75 Wp per square metre of roof surface area.

From 1 January 2035, the installation must provide at least 25 Wp per square metre of roof surface area.

Under certain conditions, the owner may also choose to install the solar panels on another property, to install a wind turbine, a biomass or biogas combined heat and power (CHP) plant, or to participate in a new green energy plant.

 

Capping of the obligation:

 The basic obligation and the associated tightening path determine the minimum peak capacity of photovoltaic solar panels to be installed per consumption point. This minimum peak capacity is calculated on the basis of the number of watt peak per square metre of horizontal roof surface area of the buildings connected to that consumption point.

Installing less peak capacity of solar panels than required by this obligation is only permitted on the basis of the following two capping rules.

Capping based on electricity consumption: The minimum peak power of solar panels to be installed under this PV obligation may be limited to 35% of the electricity consumption at the consumption point, measured in the calendar year in which the electricity consumption first gives rise to the obligation. The conversion of electricity consumption to peak capacity is based on 900 full-load hours. The kilowatt peak resulting from this calculation is rounded up to a whole number
. Capping based on a grid study: The minimum peak capacity of solar panels to be installed under the PV obligation may be limited based on the maximum injection capacity that can still be connected at the consumption point.
 

What are the penalties?

Anyone who fails to comply with the obligation on time will be subject to a non-exempting fine.
The enforcement framework is further elaborated in the Energy Decree.