Solar panels in Brussels
A 6 kWp home system in Brussels is modelled to produce about 6,051 kWh a year, or 1,008 kWh per installed kWp, from PVGIS climate data at the city's coordinates. Certified PV installations in the Brussels-Capital Region earn green certificates for 10 years. The page lists 2 local rules, each checked against its official source. Of the 2 cities we model in Belgium, Brussels has the highest yield. On our model, the system saves about EUR 831 in year one and pays back in 10.2 years. Using 70% of the power at home instead of 30% moves payback from 10.2 to 5.2 years. Output peaks in May (738 kWh) and bottoms out in December (190 kWh).
Month by month in Brussels
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 | 218 | 3.6% |
| February | 313 | 5.2% |
| March | 533 | 8.8% |
| April | 688 | 11.4% |
| May | 738 | 12.2% |
| June | 728 | 12.0% |
| July | 725 | 12.0% |
| August | 660 | 10.9% |
| September | 583 | 9.6% |
| October | 423 | 7.0% |
| November | 253 | 4.2% |
| December | 190 | 3.1% |
- Best month: May (738 kWh). Weakest: December (190 kWh), a 3.9x difference.
- May, June, July produce 36.2% of the year; January, November, December produce 10.9%.
- Year-to-year variation: about 312 kWh (5.2%, one standard deviation).
- Sunlight reaching the panels: 1,299 kWh per m² a year.
Local rules and support in Brussels
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.
- Brussels-Capital Region (Brugel)
Green certificates for rooftop PV
Certified PV installations in the Brussels-Capital Region earn green certificates for 10 years. New multiplier coefficients apply to installations commissioned from 1 April 2026: Brugel's worked example gives a 6 kWp system 1.739 certificates per MWh produced, targeting a payback of about seven years.
Source: Brugel, Mécanisme des certificats verts (checked 2026-09-25)
- Brussels-Capital Region (Brugel)
No net metering: surplus is sold to a supplier
Brussels abolished compensation (net metering) for PV owners from November 2021. Surplus electricity can instead be sold to an electricity supplier at the energy-component price, and owners of systems up to 10 kVA without a VAT number are not subject to VAT obligations for that sale.
Source: Brugel, Fin du principe de la compensation (checked 2026-09-25)
How Brussels compares
Brussels ranks 1 of 2 for yield among the cities we model in Belgium, and 31 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), Warsaw (1,014 kWh per kWp), Rotterdam (1,000 kWh per kWp).
What moves the payback in Brussels
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% | €642 | 15.0 yrs |
| 30% (our default) | €831 | 10.2 yrs |
| 50% | €1,210 | 6.9 yrs |
| 70% | €1,589 | 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: €21,078.
Best panel angle in Brussels
At latitude 50.85°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 | 1,009 |
| PVGIS optimum | 39° | south (177°) | 1,011 |
The optimum adds 0.2% a year over the standard roof in Brussels. 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)
- Brugel: Mécanisme des certificats verts (checked 2026-09-25)
- Brugel: Fin du principe de la compensation (checked 2026-09-25)
Calculate your exact savings
Free, no sign-up. Your address gives payback, NPV, incentives and a 25-year cashflow for your roof in Brussels.
Calculate your exact savings →