A sharp rise in gas prices linked to the war in Iran is driving a sudden surge in demand across the Netherlands for heat pumps, solar panels, home batteries, and used electric vehicles, with installers reporting being overwhelmed and some companies seeing demand spikes of up to 100 percent, Trouw reports.
Installers and retailers across the country are experiencing rapid increases in inquiries and sales, according to industry groups the Dutch Association for Sustainable Energy (NVDE) and Techniek Nederland, as well as multiple companies reporting directly to Trouw.
At Feenstra, an installation company, applications for products such as solar panels increased by 30% last week compared with pre-war levels. In Purmerend, auto wholesaler Johan Meure reported selling nearly twice as many used electric vehicles as usual during the same period. Hoppenbrouwers Installation Group said interest in home batteries is rising strongly, especially for emergency backup power in crisis scenarios.
The most pronounced growth is in heat pumps. “It is one big madhouse here,” said Sander Wapperom of installation company DeWarmte. “Normally, March is the end of the season, and demand only rises again in autumn. But now we have broken our monthly record, we are heading toward a thousand applications.”
Dick Reijman of Techniek Nederland said rising gas prices are directly influencing consumer behavior, with heating systems typically the first area households consider when energy costs increase.
At the same time, the sector is still recovering from earlier volatility. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and record-high gas prices in 2022, the heat pump market surged. However, after the previous Dutch government scrapped a requirement for hybrid heat pumps and gas prices fell again, the market collapsed. In 2024, only 125,000 heat pumps were installed in homes, compared with nearly 180,000 the year before.
That downturn led to layoffs across installation firms. Although demand is now rising again, companies say the rebound is weaker than during the Ukraine crisis and uncertain in duration. Recruitment is also difficult, as many technicians have left the sector. “Many installers moved into other work,” said Joren Harmanny, director of Groenpand, which had to shrink from 60 employees to 30. “You don’t just get them back.”
Manufacturers are not yet increasing production, according to the Heat Pump Association, which adds further uncertainty about how long supply constraints will last if demand continues.
Despite the instability, companies say they prefer steady demand over the extreme swings seen in recent years. The recent spike is still being welcomed financially across the sector.
The boom has also raised ethical questions about benefiting from a war that has caused thousands of deaths. “It is distressing that people only think about sustainability when there is a crisis,” said Olof van der Gaag of the NVDE. “It would be better if that attention were constant, because of the climate.”
Wapperom also acknowledged the moral tension, saying war is “of course never good news,” but added, “However, fossil fuels becoming more expensive is good for the transition, and also for the world.”
Not all companies are hesitant about capitalizing on the shift. Stijn Otten-van Beest, director of HeatTransformers, said he explicitly instructed his sales team to use the moment in their messaging. “In the last two years, heat pumps had a negative image — they were called ‘forced pumps.’ Now they are suddenly a symbol of independence.”
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