Solar growth in the Netherlands slowed across both smaller and larger projects in 2025, according to RVO 
It highlights that grid constraints and weaker returns are creating challenges for the solar market  
Energy storage is emerging as one way to manage the challenges linked to rising solar generation and combat negative electricity pricing 
Solar power capacity in the Netherlands continued to expand in 2025, but at a much slower pace than in previous years. The country added 1.4 GW of new solar during the year, taking total installed capacity to 29.4 GW, according to the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO).  
At the end of 2025, 43% of the country’s solar capacity was installed on homes, smaller commercial buildings, and public buildings such as schools and sports facilities. The remaining 57% came from larger systems on commercial roofs, solar fields, and floating solar parks. 
On an annual basis, the pace of solar growth slowed further in 2025, with annual additions falling by more than half from 2024 levels (3.3 GW) and reaching their lowest point since 2019, according to RVO’s Solar PV Monitor 2026. 
The slowdown was visible across different parts of the market. While households and small businesses installed fewer panels last year, growth in large solar parks and large rooftop systems also weakened. One major reason is that small solar system owners must pay to feed excess electricity to the grid. Moreover, the end of net metering from January 1, 2027, is also making rooftop solar less financially attractive for households and small businesses, RVO highlights.  
At the same time, grid congestion is making it harder to connect new solar projects, leading to delays or changes in project plans. 
Solar projects are also facing more frequent periods when electricity supply exceeds demand. During sunny and windy periods in spring and summer, this can push wholesale electricity prices below zero. There were 581 hours of negative electricity prices in the Netherlands in 2025, according to the RVO, or about 7% of the time. During such periods, large solar projects and households with dynamic electricity contracts can face costs for feeding electricity into the grid. 
Some solar owners therefore temporarily switch off their systems to avoid losses, it highlights. 
Despite the slowdown, RVO says solar power generated 25.8 TWh in 2025, accounting for 19.7% of the country’s total electricity production. Solar remained a significant source of electricity in the Netherlands, supplying about 20% of the country’s electricity in 2025, compared with 24% for wind and 48% for fossil fuels.  
RVO expects the pace of capacity growth to remain moderate. It forecasts average annual additions of about 1.3 GW between 2026 and 2028 as challenges related to grid congestion and negative electricity prices continue to weigh on installations. The agency also expects greater use of energy storage and energy management systems going forward, as solar system owners seek to mitigate the impact of these challenges. 
Battery storage growth is now visible in the market, although it remains limited. About 1% to 2% of solar households had a home battery at the end of 2025. Total battery storage capacity in the Netherlands doubled during the year, reaching about 3 GWh, up from 1.3 GWh in 2024. RVO said this was still equivalent to only around 2% of average daily solar generation during May to July. 
TaiyangNews 2024

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