Are solar panels worthwhile in 2025?

Solar panels are no longer a new technology, making them the rule rather than the exception nowadays. This is not only because of ever-stringent government requirements for renewable energy, but also because Belgians want to be less dependent on fluctuating energy prices. But do those benefits outweigh the investment cost, which is still a few thousand euros?

How long is the payback period for solar panels?

The answer to that question depends largely on the payback period of your system. After all, your panels can generate as much power as they want, so if the investment would be too large, they would not be worth the money.
The most obvious factor affecting the payback period is the electricity costs you save thanks to the power produced by your solar panels. But there are a lot of other factors that determine whether or not the payback period of your solar panels is advantageous:

• The lifetime of your solar panels, which is around 25 to 30 years on average.
• The location of your solar panels: shade, slope, region where your home is located.
• Any premiums or allowances.
• Whether or not to have your roof modernised if the load-bearing strength is insufficient or you have not yet insulated.
• Any maintenance costs: getting your panels cleaned when you live in a wooded area, for example.

On average, you will have paid back solar panels within eight years in Flanders and Wallonia and five years in Brussels, depending on the combination of these factors.

Why choose solar panels in 2025?

• Your electricity costs drop considerably and you become less dependent on price fluctuations in the energy market.
• The quality is only improving, meaning that solar panels last longer. They have a long lifespan and increasingly favourable payback periods.
• In new construction and renovation projects, solar panels help meet EPB standards.
• Your panels also generate energy at times when you can’t use it yourself. That energy is then returned to the grid. Do you have a digital meter or plan to get one soon (because you are installing solar panels)? Then an energy contract with feed-in compensation compensates for all the solar power you return to the grid.

Belgium’s solar panel premiums in 2025: what will change?

FLANDERS

The Flemish government introduced an investment premium for solar panels in 2021 to compensate for the termination of the reverse counter. That premium was unfortunately cancelled on 31 December 2023.
But because solar panels have fallen in price, installing solar panels is cheaper now even without a premium than in 2022 with a premium! For example, an installation with eight panels (3240 Wp) cost €5,683, not including VAT, in 2022, and in the winter 2023/24, that price had dropped considerably to €5,030.
Do you want to install solar panels on a non-heated building that still has asbestos in the roof? You can get an allowance to remove that asbestos.

WALLONIA

In the Walloon region, owners of solar panels certified before 1 January 2024 who still have an analogue meter pay a prosumer rate until the end of 2030 as compensation for grid use. In recent years, you were still (partly) reimbursed for that prosumer tariff by your grid operator, but since 2024, the entire sum is now charged to you.

BRUSSELS

Although Flanders and Wallonia have dropped out of the green certificate system, Brussels still provides annual ‘vouchers’ that you can sell to your electricity supplier at market price. Don’t forget the certification of your system either.

Up to date: solar panels and digital meter

Since 2019, the Flemish government has been gradually introducing digital meters. More than 2.5 million Flemish people have already made the switch. The Brussels region had some 40,000 digital meters in November 2023. In Wallonia, the focus in recent years has been on large-scale consumers, but since 2023, prosumers with small solar panel system (< 5 kW) will also make the switch. In Wallonia, you currently find 155,000 digital meters.

How many solar panels do I need on my roof?

Convinced of the benefits of solar panels? Then it’s time to find the right installer. To determine the ideal number of solar panels for your home, it is important to have an idea about your annual electricity consumption and the extent to which you want to be dependent on the energy grid. Installing a large system to meet all your electricity needs is a nice idea, but you probably won’t be able to use up all that energy (unless you opt for a home battery). Moreover, you only have a limited roof area at your disposal.

The average Belgian family consumes around 3,500 kWh to 4,000 kWh of electricity annually. In that case, many opt for a 3 to 5 kWp system, which is sufficient for 10 to 20 panels. But to really know what is best for your consumption habits, schedule an appointment with one of our energy experts.