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Are solar panels the ultimate solution?

Solar panels, it is impossible to imagine contemporary streets without them. It is estimated that around six million houses will have solar panels on their roofs by the end of 2023. Investment in solar panels is still growing and the cost price is falling. High energy prices and awareness of reducing CO2 emissions are driving up demand for solar panels. But increasingly sharp edges are also becoming visible. What is the return on investment, what are the consequences of installation by rogue installers and how are the government and energy suppliers involved in developments? As an independent advisory organisation, we are happy to take you through the considerations when buying solar panels.

Solar panels, what's the tension.

The increase in the use of solar energy is in itself a positive development. But the high demand for solar panels also has a downside. For instance, house fires are increasingly being blamed on improperly installed solar panels. TNO research shows that this is mainly due to improper installation by rogue installers. This is apart from the accidents caused by unsafe working.

Furthermore, it is questionable whether peak loads on the power grid and the planned phase-out of the net-metering scheme will put pressure on efficiency.

The adjustments to the power grid infrastructure, to handle peak loads are certainly going to take several more years. Meanwhile, energy supplier Vandebron is going to charge their customers with solar panels more. Resupply is advantageous for the customer, but it costs the energy supplier money. This is because they have to sell the returned energy, often at a lower price than the energy was purchased. If a lot of energy is returned, the supplier makes a loss. Vandebron will be the first to charge customers with solar panels for this. It is not yet known whether other energy suppliers will follow suit.

Woondokter welcomes solar panels, especially on the basis of a good plan.

Yet solar panels are still cost-effective. You offset generated energy against used energy. That means you still pay less, even with the increase. Actually, the cost does not rise, but your energy bill does not fall as much.

Frank Benthem is co-founder of Woondokter and is one of its sustainability consultants. Frank welcomes developments when it comes to using solar panels. ‘Actually, everyone should be their own energy manager: run the washing machine and charge the car when the sun shines. Therefore, solar panels are a good investment if you properly take into account things like net-metering, number of solar panels and orientation. But realise that solar panels are part of the electrical installation in your home. So be well informed when it comes to effective sustainability and saving energy costs.’

What can one expect from solar panels?

The question is what motivates homeowners to have solar panels installed. Do they effectively want to become more sustainable and reduce energy costs? Or do they simply choose the path of least resistance by going along with some kind of sustainability trend. Frank Benthem: ‘The cost of natural gas usually makes up the lion's share of energy costs. We recommend saving on that initially. The remaining heat demand can be met sustainably with a heat pump. Gas consumption is then eliminated, but additional electricity consumption costs take its place. The consumption of an electric car and induction cooking may be added. Effective sustainability and energy saving is an interplay between a host of measures. Unfortunately, there are no standard solutions because every house is unique in terms of construction and location. Therefore, always opt for a comprehensive approach based on expert advice.’

Making your home more sustainable? The first saving starts with a good plan.

Making a home more sustainable effectively usually requires several measures and are different for each home. Solar panels can be one of the measures, but are not always the ultimate solution. As an independent organisation, Woondokter has advised and guided more than 500 residential consumers in recent years on how to make their homes more sustainable. The WoningPlan and WoningPlan+ formed the basis for this. Frank Benthem: ‘In our advice, we always include the option of solar panels. But effective sustainability and reducing expenditure on energy costs go further. That is why we work according to a plan in which we personally make a detailed survey of the house in six steps. We record the outcome in writing in the WoningPlan. We beschrijven in begrijpelijke taal hoe we tot het advies zijn gekomen en geven inzicht in de te investeren kosten.

In case one also wants advice on increasing living comfort, one can opt for the WoningPlan+. We therefore include aspects such as condensation, mould formation, ventilation, air quality and ambient noise in our advice.’

Sustainability for now and the future.

Determining the best way to increase sustainability in advance not only has the advantage of an objective overall plan, which is fully tailored to the house in question. Frank Benthem: ‘Experience has shown that we also have to respond to developments such as net-metering and the quality of the installation work. Our WoningPlan or WoningPlan+ is a solid foundation, but we can also be counted on for execution by using TrajectBegeleiding (Trajectory Guidance).”

A number of municipalities and the government subsidize making homes more sustainable. More information can be found on our website. website.

 

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Harry lives in a detached house in Almere. During the regular maintenance of the central heating system, he found a tiny hole in the boiler's heat exchanger.
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