Flemish people will have installed more than 1000 megawatts of solar panels in 2023
Flemish families and companies will have installed more than 1,000 megawatts of solar panels for the first time in 2023, according to the provisional annual figures of the Flemish Energy and Climate Agency. In addition, Flanders received more than 150,000 installations with solar panels last year.
The figures may increase because grid operator Fluvius has not yet registered all connections for 2023. writes De Tijd. Compared to 2022, 60 percent more solar power was installed in Flanders. When adding up the installations, installations at private individuals and companies were taken into account. A record of 716MW was set for households. That is 31 percent more than the year before. Two-thirds of the installed capacity in Flanders is on household roofs. At the large solar parks, the installation tripled compared to 2022.
It is possible that more families took advantage of the subsidy for solar panels, where they could receive a maximum of 750 euros. 2023 was the last year in which this was possible. The temporary VAT reduction from 21 to 6 percent for sustainable investments in housing probably also played a role. Furthermore, global prices for solar panels fell by fifty percent due to oversupply.
The war in Ukraine has also played a role, says Flemish Energy Minister Zuhal Demir. “In uncertain times, Flemish people opted for an additional source of energy supply on their roof. Such an investment reduces the costs of their electricity bill and the demand on the market.” Two-thirds of large installations above 250kW were carried out without the help of subsidies, says Demir. According to the minister, this is sufficient proof that the switch to solar panels will continue, despite the fact that the government will stop issuing subsidies.
“The choice to stop subsidizing both private and commercial installations was the right one. While in the past the market for solar panels collapsed after the sometimes generous government support for families and companies was curtailed, the forecast is now that sales will continue smoothly even without subsidies. to walk.”