Plugin solar in the Netherlands

Can I use a plug-in solar kit in the Netherlands? Not simply by plugging it into any socket. The Netherlands has no specific rule for plug-in (balcony) solar. The Dutch wiring standard NEN 1010 says solar panels must be connected to their own final circuit in the fuse box, with nothing else on it, and the standards body NEN says an ordinary shared socket is not permitted. In practice, an electrician adds a dedicated circuit and socket. Every grid-connected system must be registered with the grid operator at energieleveren.nl. Net metering (salderen) ends on 1 January 2027. After that, your supplier pays a feed-in fee of at least 50% of the bare electricity price until 2030.

The Netherlands has no law or decree specific to plug-in solar. The key technical rule is NEN 1010, the Dutch standard for low-voltage electrical installations. It requires solar systems to be connected to a separate final circuit so the fuse can still protect the wiring. In August 2024, NEN, its solar and low-voltage standards committees, and the product safety authority NVWA warned that connecting a solar inverter to an ordinary shared socket is not permitted. Some sellers argue that NEN 1010 binds installers rather than consumers, but no authority has confirmed that reading.

Grid connection and registration fall under the Energy Act (Energiewet, in force since 1 January 2026) and the Grid Code Electricity (Netcode elektriciteit). The law ending net metering takes effect on 1 January 2027 (Rijksoverheid – salderingsregeling).

At EU level, the reformed Electricity Directive lets member states promote plug-in systems up to 800 W. In its July 2026 bill implementing that reform, the Dutch government chose not to use this option. Commission Recommendation (EU) 2026/1007 asks member states to remove permitting for balcony PV up to 800 W, but it is not binding. This page is guidance, not legal advice.

Product rules. Equipment sold in the EU must carry CE marking. From 0.8 kW, inverters fall under the EU grid code for generators (Regulation (EU) 2016/631). Ask the seller for the EU declaration of conformity.

Electrician. To follow NEN 1010, a qualified installer should fit a dedicated circuit and socket for the solar inverter, with no other appliances on it.

Registration. Registering every grid-connected solar system with your grid operator is a legal obligation. You do this online at energieleveren.nl, run jointly by the Dutch grid operators. You create an account, link it to your connection using your meter number, and enter:

• the inverter make, type and power (kW)
• the number of panels and their peak power (Wp)
• the date the system started running

Home batteries of 0.8 kW or more must also be registered. You can ask an installer, or your grid operator by phone, to register for you.

1. Register the system at energieleveren.nl as soon as it is installed. Your grid operator then passes the details to your energy supplier.
2. If you still have an analogue meter, the grid operator may contact you to replace it with a smart meter, which records imports and exports separately.
3. Check your contract. Net metering ends on 1 January 2027, so look at your supplier's terms for exported power: the feed-in fee (at least 50% of the bare supply price until 2030) and any feed-in costs. These differ a lot between suppliers. A new fixed contract signed now sets these terms for its whole duration.
4. There is no legal right to install balcony panels, so if you rent or live in a flat, ask your landlord or homeowners' association (VvE) before mounting anything on the façade or balcony.

0% VAT: since 1 January 2023, supply and installation of solar panels on or near a home is VAT-free (Belastingdienst). This covers panels, inverters, mounting material and the PV circuit work needed. Home batteries are still charged 21% VAT. Private owners usually don't need to register for VAT.

Net metering stays at 100% until 31 December 2026; after that, exports earn only the supplier's feed-in fee. There is currently no national purchase subsidy for solar panels. Check your municipality for local schemes.