Owners of solar panels feel cheated. All kinds of energy companies demand hundreds of euros in ‘feed-in costs’. The result is that people turn off their panels or even remove them from the roof, writes De Telegraaf.
The fact that panel owners have to pay ‘re-delivery costs’ is related to the netting scheme. Outgoing minister Rob Jetten wanted to phase this out, but his proposal was voted down in the Senate. The netting scheme, as it currently exists, means that someone can offset the annually generated electricity against the annual consumption.
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Energy companies are therefore forced to charge costs for generated electricity that is not consumed. It costs solar panel owners between 15 to 20 euros per month.
‘Government does not honor agreement’
These additional costs were not taken into account at the time of purchasing the solar panels. This makes the payback period a lot longer. Some people even decide to turn off their panels or remove them from their roof.
“The government does not fulfill its agreement and allows energy companies to request this, which means that it is no longer worthwhile to invest in panels. I am being punished because I have solar panels,” a frustrated electrical engineer Marco Berkheij told the newspaper.
‘Justifiably’
Political journalist Victor Pak says he thinks it is “right” that people feel duped. “On the other hand, energy companies have said: as long as the netting arrangement remains in place, we are forced to do this. It is a tension between politics and business.”
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Pak says that the VVD wants to “get started” with this. “They can come up with a private member’s bill to look at this again. Then there must be a majority in favor and there was not that in the Senate.”
Also read:
Solar panels are becoming an increasingly large cost item, suppliers are not transparent: ‘Don’t know whether amounts are fair’
By: Vick ten Wolde
