Solar incentives in the Netherlands in 2026 (net metering ends 2027)

Q: When does net metering end in the Netherlands?

The salderingsregeling ends on 1 January 2027. The Tweede Kamer approved the abolition in November 2024 and the Senate confirmed it. There is no partial phase-down before that date: it stops on a single day. Panels installed before then still benefit from net metering until it cuts off.

Q: What replaces net metering after 2027?

Only the terugleververgoeding remains (a feed-in fee that suppliers set themselves). It currently runs around €0.05/kWh net for most households. Once the netting subsidy is gone, it is expected to fall below €0.01/kWh. Panels still save you money through avoided imports at €0.27, but the case for exporting large surpluses collapses.

The Netherlands has one active solar incentive in 2026: the salderingsregeling, a net-metering rule that lets you cancel exported kilowatt-hours against future imports at the full retail rate of roughly €0.27/kWh (Vrijopnaam 2026). That rule ends on 1 January 2027 (a single hard cut-off confirmed by the Senate), after which exported electricity falls to near zero value. Every system you buy in 2026 lives most of its life in the world that comes after net metering.

What the salderingsregeling does, and when it stops

Through 31 December 2026, the netting rule is still in force. You export a kilowatt-hour, your meter runs backwards, and at year-end your supplier settles the difference at the full retail rate. That makes an exported unit worth the same €0.27 you would have paid to import it.

The Tweede Kamer voted to abolish the scheme in November 2024 (pv magazine, Nov 2024), and the Senate confirmed it (Business.gov.nl 2025). The abolition date is 1 January 2027: not a gradual taper, not a phase-down over several years. One date.

After that date, only the terugleververgoeding remains. Suppliers set this feed-in fee themselves. It currently runs €0.01–€0.165/kWh gross; after feed-in surcharges that some suppliers add, most households keep around €0.05/kWh net (energievergelijk.nl 2026). Once the netting subsidy disappears, that rate is expected to fall below €0.01/kWh net from 2027 (keuze.nl 2026).

The arithmetic is straightforward. An exported unit drops from €0.27 (netted at retail) to less than €0.01 (bare feed-in). A unit you consume yourself still saves the full €0.27. That gap reshapes every Dutch solar calculation from 2027 onwards.

The incentives that exist in 2026

The Netherlands does not offer cash grants or tax credits for residential solar. The policy toolkit is narrower than in Germany or Italy, but the pieces that exist are meaningful.

Incentive	What it is	Status in 2026
Salderingsregeling	Net metering at full retail rate (€0.27/kWh)	Active until 31 Dec 2026
0% VAT on panels + install	Automatic since 2023; installer quotes net of VAT (SunCharged FAQ)	Active, open-ended
ISDE scheme	Covers heat pumps and insulation	Does NOT cover PV or batteries (dle.energy 2026)
National battery subsidy	None	None in 2026

The 0% VAT rate has applied automatically since 2023. You do not file a claim or apply; the installer prices work net of VAT already. For a 4 kWp system running roughly €3,500–€6,200 installed (around €1,350 per kWp on average (Bobex 2026; Consumentenbond 2026)), the VAT relief is already inside that price.

The dominant incentive in 2026 is not a cheque. It is the netting rule itself, worth far more than any rebate while it lasts. And it lasts until 1 January 2027.

Why 2026 buyers face a 2027 problem immediately

A system installed in 2026 will typically run for 25 years or more. Even if you install in January 2026, the vast majority of that system's operational life falls in the post-saldering era. Quoting payback at today's full net-metering value would overstate the return by a wide margin.

The core shift is this: once exported power pays less than a cent, the question stops being "how much do I generate?" and becomes "how much do I use on site, at the moment I generate it?"

Self-consumption without a battery

A typical Dutch home without storage consumes roughly 30% of its own solar output directly, consistent with the 25-35% range documented for Dutch and comparable European households (SurgePV, Solar Self-Consumption Rules in Europe, 2026; Angile Energy, 2026). Midday generation lands when most households are out, and the surplus spills onto a grid that will soon pay almost nothing for it. Under net metering, that surplus was still valuable. After 2027, it is nearly free.

Self-consumption with a battery

A home battery shifts midday surplus to evening use. With storage, self-consumption rises to roughly 65% of annual generation, within the 60-90% range typical of well-matched residential systems in European markets (SurgePV, 2026). You draw stored solar instead of importing at €0.27. That arbitrage (near-zero storage cost versus €0.27 import price) is the primary return driver after the cliff.

Battery storage in the Netherlands runs roughly €700-€1,000 per usable kWh installed for typical residential systems in 2026 (solarenergycenter.nl, 2026; bereken-thuisbatterij.nl, 2026). Our modelling uses €800/kWh as a central cross-market default; Dutch installer quotes will vary. A common starting point for sizing is around 1 kWh of storage per 1 kWp of panels, though HTW Berlin's published sizing guidance suggests a maximum of approximately 1.5 kWh per kWp to avoid oversizing (HTW Berlin, Empfehlungen zur Auslegung von Solarstromspeichern, 2022). Whether that investment pays back depends on how much generation you would otherwise dump to the grid for a cent. The answer needs your specific roof output, your consumption timing, and a real number from an installer. For the decision framework, see when a solar battery pays off.

Dutch households are already acting on this logic. Home battery installations rose as panel-only installations slowed through 2025–2026 (ioplus.nl 2026).

How we model a Dutch system bought in 2026

Because a 2026 system lives almost entirely in the post-2027 regime, our calculator uses a declining blended export value of approximately €0.07/kWh for the Netherlands. That reflects full retail netting through 2026, a step down through 2027, then a trend toward €0.01. It is the honest forward view, not today's still-favourable number.

Self-consumption rates of 30% (panels only) and 65% (with battery) are our modelling assumptions, not measured averages for your household. Your actual figure depends on when you are home, how large your array is, and which loads you shift to daytime hours.

For generation, we use PVGIS climate data for your specific location. The Netherlands ranges from around 875-1,000 kWh per kWp per year depending on latitude and shading. Observational data from real Dutch PV systems corroborates the lower part of this range at 877-946 kWh/kWp (Dirkse et al., arxiv/KNMI observational study, 2020), while southern locations and optimal roof orientations reach the higher end. Your roof orientation matters more than national averages suggest. PVGIS is a European Commission tool that draws on satellite irradiance data; it is free and public.

For the wider picture on how export policy reshapes payback across Europe, see solar incentives in Europe 2026. For the payback and IRR maths that underpin all of this, see solar payback, NPV and IRR.

Steps to evaluate a Dutch solar purchase in 2026

Get your annual consumption figure from your energy bill (kWh per year). This sets the ceiling on what solar can save you.
Check how much you use during daylight hours (or what loads you could shift there: dishwasher, washing machine, EV charging). This determines your realistic self-consumption rate without a battery.
Size the array to your daytime load, not to your total annual consumption. Oversizing feeds more to a near-worthless grid after 2027.
Run the battery maths separately. A battery is a second investment with its own payback; it only wins if the import price you dodge exceeds the amortised cost of storage. Use our calculator or ask your installer for the specific numbers.
Confirm the 0% VAT applies to your quote. It should be automatic for residential installs, but check that the price is already net of VAT.
Act before 1 January 2027 if you want a full year of net metering. Panels installed in late 2026 still benefit from the salderingsregeling for whatever remains of the year, but the gain shrinks the later you install.

Frequently asked questions

When does net metering end in the Netherlands?

The salderingsregeling ends on 1 January 2027. The Tweede Kamer approved the abolition in November 2024 and the Senate confirmed it. There is no partial phase-down before that date: it stops on a single day. Panels installed before then still benefit from net metering until it cuts off.

What replaces net metering after 2027?

Only the terugleververgoeding remains. This is a feed-in fee that suppliers set themselves. It currently runs around €0.05/kWh net for most households. Once the netting subsidy is gone, it is expected to fall below €0.01/kWh. Panels will still save you money through the electricity you avoid importing at €0.27, but the case for exporting large surpluses collapses.

Is there a government subsidy for solar panels in the Netherlands in 2026?

There is no cash grant or tax credit for residential solar. The 0% VAT on panels and installation has applied automatically since 2023 and is already embedded in the prices installers quote. The ISDE scheme covers heat pumps and insulation but not solar panels or home batteries.

Are solar panels still worth buying in the Netherlands in 2026?

Yes, but the case rests on self-consumption rather than export. A well-sized system that covers your daytime consumption still avoids importing at €0.27/kWh, which is a solid return. The systems that look weakest after 2027 are oversized arrays with no storage, where large midday surpluses go to a grid paying almost nothing. Size to your load, consider storage, and run the actual numbers for your roof.

Does the 0% VAT apply to home batteries too?

Only if the battery is installed at the same time as the solar panels, by the same installer, as one project — then the 0% rate covers the battery too, a treatment that runs until 31 December 2026. A battery you add later, or buy from a different supplier, falls under the standard 21% VAT (part of which you may be able to reclaim). If you want the relief, make sure your quote bundles the panels and battery together (Belastingdienst).

The bottom line for 2026

Panels still pay in the Netherlands. The 0% VAT keeps costs low, and the salderingsregeling makes 2026 one of the last years that exported electricity is worth the full retail rate. But a system you install today will spend almost all of its life in the post-2027 regime, where the value of what you self-consume matters far more than the value of what you export.

Size the array to your own daytime load. Weigh a battery against the import price you dodge rather than the export revenue you gain. And run the specific numbers for your roof before you sign.

Estimate your roof →

Estimate only, not a quote. Figures use local climate data and average tariffs; your installer's quote will be exact.