Flanders reduces solar park subsidies to lower energy bills
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The Flemish government in Belgium will reduce subsidies for large solar panel installations, according to Flemish Minister of Energy Melissa Depraetere.
Previously, the government encouraged solar energy through “green certificates,” but now a surplus of electricity from solar panels exists. Depraetere believes the old system was unfair because solar panel owners sometimes paid to put extra energy onto the grid while still receiving subsidies.
The government will change the rules so support through certificates stops after 15 minutes of negative electricity prices, rather than the current six hours. European regulations prevent a complete removal of the subsidies. Depraetere expects this change to save 179 million euros. She plans to use the savings to lower the energy bills of Flemish residents by an average of 6 euros per year, with a small reduction also planned for businesses.
Depraetere also anticipates that operators of large solar parks will more quickly turn off or store power, reducing the oversupply on the grid and potentially lowering negative energy prices. This change builds on a planned “energy tax shift” that aims to save Flemish families an average of 80 euros per year on electricity from 2028, or 150 euros for households with heat pumps.
