Paying for Return Delivery is Not the Same as Netting

It may not have escaped your notice, but energy company Vandebron is the first supplier to introduce a fee for returning energy to the grid. But what does that have to do with netting?

The answer is simple: absolutely nothing!

OptimaSolar explains it. Almost every solar installation generates excess energy. The electricity produced by the solar panels first goes through your meter cupboard to power the devices in your home. This is typically about 30% of the generated energy. The remaining 70% is sent back to the grid via the meter cupboard. Since energy companies incur significant costs to manage this electricity properly, they charge a fee for this service. For the majority of solar panel owners, this will amount to approximately €21 per month, or €252 per year. These costs are deducted from your yield.

How Does Netting Work?

Netting allows you to offset the electricity you supply to the grid with the electricity you consume during the dark months. This is calculated over a 12-month period. For example, if you consume 3,000 kWh of electricity from the grid per year and return 2,800 kWh to the grid via your solar panels, you will only pay for the remaining 200 kWh. This system will remain unchanged for now.

The Calculation:

Suppose you consume 5,000 kWh per year and have 12 solar panels, each with a capacity of 420Wp, generating 4,500 kWh per year. At a rate of €0.35 per kWh, the value of the generated electricity is €1,575. If the return delivery costs amount to €252, your net yield would be €1,323 per year. This means the entire solar panel installation will pay for itself within 5 years!

All in all, purchasing solar panels remains a great investment, even with the introduction of the monthly surcharge for solar panel owners.