Investment in solar panels now pays for itself within six years, information organization Milieu Centraal has concluded in new calculations. A set of ten panels costs about 5,000 euros, compared to 7,500 euros last year.

“Back to normal,” concludes Mariken Stolk, sustainable energy expert at Milieu Centraal. Last year, solar panel prices rose sharply due to high demand due to the energy crisis. Partly for this reason, the payback period was eight years at the beginning of this year.

But interest in solar panels declined sharply last year, installers previously noted, which is also reflected in delivery times. A year ago, solar panels were not available on roofs until six to nine months after they were purchased. Now companies can often deliver within a month.

Nieuwsuur filed this report on the matter in October:

“People are skeptical about buying because of the phasing out of netting and the feed-in tax from energy companies,” Stolk says. “Even with the phasing out of the compensation system, investing in solar panels yields a return of 6 percent per year.” This assumes an age of 25 years.

In the calculation, Milieu Centraal assumes a “standard” energy contract. If you have a dynamic energy contract and the electric vehicle is being charged at your charging station, the payback period may be shorter, especially if charging is done at times when the price of electricity is low or even negative.

Another factor that plays a role is that in neighborhoods with many solar panels, there is a risk of the panels not working on sunny days. As the voltage on the grid becomes too high, it turns off.

The magnitude of this problem can vary from one household to another, which means that this risk cannot be properly included in the calculation. You can find out where these problems occur by postcode via the regional network operators’ website.

Low interest among households creates problems for suppliers and installation companies. This makes it more difficult for self-employed installers to find work, many companies assert. also mentioned FD last week reported that at least 25 companies in the solar industry have gone bankrupt this year.

The trade organization Techniek Nederland is aware of the market tendency. The new account therefore represents good news for the industry, says Chairman of the Board Dukli Terpstra. “I expect demand for solar panels to increase sharply again. The potential for solar energy is still huge. Not just on rooftops, but also on commercial properties.”