Solar panels mandatory for large electricity consumers

To reduce dependence on gas faster and accelerate the rollout of renewable energy, Flanders requires companies to install solar panels on a minimum proportion of their roof area. According to Energy Minister Zuhal Demir, a large potential remains untapped on the roofs of Flemish buildings today and for companies themselves, solar energy is a profitable investment.

Who falls within the scope of the obligation?

• Large electricity consumers that use 1,000 megawatt hours or more of electricity from the grid on an annual basis from 2021 (around 2,500 customers from various sectors).
• For public organisations , the purchase threshold is lower, at 250 MWh from 2021 and 100 MWh from 2026.

The obligation to invest is imposed on the owners, lessee or long-lease tenants of the buildings connected to the off-take points. These are not necessarily the customers at the off-take point.

How many solar panels must be installed?

The basic requirement will be phased in:

• From 30 July 2025: minimum of 12.5 Wp per m² of roof area
• From 1 January 2030: minimum of 18.75 Wp per m² of roof area
• From 1 January 2035: minimum 25 of Wp per m² of roof area

A reduced obligation is subject to the following conditions:

• Power may be limited to 35% of annual consumption: for example, only 389 kWp must be installed per GWh of annual consumption by mid-2025.
  Important: If this power limitation is implemented and annual consumption increases, additional panels may have to be installed.
• When a grid study by the grid operator limits the maximum connectable injection capacity , the number of solar panels may be limited to a ratio of 0.7 kVA/kWp (around 1.429 kWp/kVA).
• For roof surfaces that are more than 25% translucent (such as sun rooms), only the non-translucent surface area will apply.

Investments can also be made in wind projects or bio-CHP that generate an equivalent amount of electricity.

What happens if you fail to meet the obligation?

The system must be put into operation before the above deadlines. If not, a fine of up to €400 per 2.3 solar panels will follow every two years  as long as the obligation is not met. However, the amount of this fine is yet to be confirmed by the government.

For now, for a 10,000 m² site (normally a minimum of around 291 solar panels* to be installed from 30 July 2025), this would amount to a fine of €50,000, payable every two years for as long as the obligation is not met.

Where can the solar panels be installed?

1. Own site

The solar panels may be installed on buildings, marginal land, carports or bicycle sheds on the same site. Floatingsolar panels are also allowed.

2. Multiple own sites

For companies that have several sites of their own, it is possible to install the solar panels on one of the other sites in the Flemish Region. The above options also apply in this case.

3. Through participation

Another possibility is to contribute financially to a PV project located in the Flemish Region and put into operation after 1 January 2023.

The participant’s minimum contribution is determined based on the peak power allocated through a participation agreement:

• 800 euros per kWp obligation for participation agreements entered into before 1 July 2025
• 750 euros per kWp obligation for participation agreements entered into between 1 July 2025 and 1 January 2030
• 700 euros per kWp obligation for participation agreements entered into after 1 January 2030

For each participation, the owner will have to submit a participation agreement with a unique number to VEKA. Peak power can only be used once to meet the obligation.

Source: Solar Magazine, PV-Flanders

Manual and simulator

You can find all information on the obligation in the manual (version 20 December 2023).

This simulator (version 27 March 2023) allows you to calculate the peak solar power you need to employ and by when. The simulator also shows alternative ways to meet the obligation.

Full details of the obligation can be found at Vlaanderen.be .

Solar energy for your business: a smart choice

Investing in solar energy is not only worthwhile to meet the legal obligations, but beneficial in other ways:

• You save on energy costs and become less dependent on price fluctuations in the electricity market
• You enjoy a nice return on investment
• You make an environmentally friendly choice