Solar panels in Antwerp
PVGIS climate data puts Antwerp at roughly 1,005 kWh per kWp each year, so a typical 6 kWp roof makes around 6,028 kWh. The City of Antwerp's renovation portal points homeowners to Zonnewerf, a citizen-cooperative initiative offering advice and guidance for the group purchase of solar panels. The page lists 2 local rules, each checked against its official source. Of the 2 cities we model in Belgium, Antwerp has the lowest yield. Output peaks in May (738 kWh) and bottoms out in December (183 kWh). Year-one savings come to about EUR 828, for a simple payback of 10.2 years. Using 70% of the power at home instead of 30% moves payback from 10.2 to 5.2 years.
Month by month in Antwerp
Modelled output of a 6 kWp system at 35° facing south (towards the equator), from PVGIS climate data (PVGIS-SARAH3, 2005 to 2023).
| Month | kWh | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| January | 223 | 3.7% |
| February | 313 | 5.2% |
| March | 531 | 8.8% |
| April | 694 | 11.5% |
| May | 738 | 12.2% |
| June | 724 | 12.0% |
| July | 717 | 11.9% |
| August | 660 | 10.9% |
| September | 577 | 9.6% |
| October | 413 | 6.9% |
| November | 256 | 4.2% |
| December | 183 | 3.0% |
- Best month: May (738 kWh). Weakest: December (183 kWh), a 4x difference.
- May, June, July produce 36.2% of the year; January, November, December produce 11%.
- Year-to-year variation: about 282 kWh (4.7%, one standard deviation).
- Sunlight reaching the panels: 1,296 kWh per m² a year.
Local rules and support in Antwerp
Rules set by the city or its region, on top of the national scheme. Each one was checked against the official source on the date shown.
- Flemish Region
Capacity tariff on network charges
Since January 2023, part of the Flemish network tariffs has been charged on how much electricity a household draws at the same time (kW), the capacity tariff, rather than only on consumption in kWh.
Source: Flemish Government (vlaanderen.be), The capacity tariff (checked 2026-09-25)
- City of Antwerp
Zonnewerf group purchase listed by the city
The City of Antwerp's renovation portal points homeowners to Zonnewerf, a citizen-cooperative initiative offering advice and guidance for the group purchase of solar panels. The city's own climate premiums on the same page cover greening and rainwater measures, not solar panels.
Source: Stad Antwerpen, Antwerpen renoveert: premies en leningen (checked 2026-09-25)
How Antwerp compares
Antwerp ranks 2 of 2 for yield among the cities we model in Belgium, and 32 of 41 across every country on Solar Figures. Within one country the prices are the same, so a payback gap between these cities comes from sunshine alone.
| City | kWh per kWp / yr | Payback (EUR) |
|---|---|---|
| Brussels | 1,009 | 10.2 yrs |
| Antwerp | 1,005 | 10.2 yrs |
| National reference point (country page) | 1,007 | 10.2 yrs |
Closest yield abroad: Cologne (1,003 kWh per kWp), Rotterdam (1,000 kWh per kWp), Warsaw (1,014 kWh per kWp).
What moves the payback in Antwerp
Power you use yourself is worth the retail price (€0.36 per kWh); power you export earns €0.044. So the share you use at home, by running appliances in daylight or adding a battery, changes the payback. The system cost stays the same in every row (a battery would add to it).
| Used at home | Year-1 savings | Payback |
|---|---|---|
| 20% | €640 | 15.0 yrs |
| 30% (our default) | €828 | 10.2 yrs |
| 50% | €1,206 | 6.9 yrs |
| 70% | €1,583 | 5.2 yrs |
- Net system cost after incentives: €8,100 for 6 kWp.
- Incentive modelled: No national/Flanders capital grant; net metering abolished 1 Apr 2026. (Brussels still has green certificates.).
- 25-year net savings at our default: €20,988.
Best panel angle in Antwerp
At latitude 51.22°N, PVGIS finds the fixed tilt and direction that maximise yearly output. Our figures use a common 35° roof; the table shows what the optimum adds.
| Setup | Tilt | Facing | kWh per kWp / yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard roof (used on this page) | 35° | south | 1,005 |
| PVGIS optimum | 39° | south (177°) | 1,007 |
The optimum adds 0.2% a year over the standard roof in Antwerp. Most of a roof's value comes from its direction: a roof facing away from the equator loses far more than a few degrees of tilt.
See the full Belgium picture on our Belgium solar page, or the national incentives in our Belgium solar guide.
Sources and method
Figures computed 2026-09-25 for a 6 kWp system, 35° tilt, 14% system losses, terrain shading on. An estimate, not a quote: your installer's quote will be exact.
- PVGIS 5.3 PVcalc (PVGIS-SARAH3), European Commission JRC (checked 2026-09-25)
- Belgium tariff and incentive inputs (see DATA_SOURCES.md) (checked 2026-06-21)
- Flemish Government (vlaanderen.be): The capacity tariff (checked 2026-09-25)
- Stad Antwerpen: Antwerpen renoveert: premies en leningen (checked 2026-09-25)
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