Dutch MPs call off plan to freeze ground-mount PV permits

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
MPs at the Dutch Parliament want the government to unlock largely-untapped rooftop PV potential (Credit: Flickr / Fred Romero)

The Dutch PV industry has escaped an attempt by politicians to temporarily ban new authorisations for certain ground-mounted projects.

MPs had tabled in early May a motion calling for permits to PV on farming and natural land to halt for the time being but dropped the request later that month, before the text was put to a vote.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

The final motion – adopted with 127 votes for and 23 against – urges only for these ground-mounted projects to be tested against a so-called “solar ladder”, a suitability ranking MPs want to roll nation-wide.  

The motion calls on the government to map out ground-mount PV’s impacts on landscape, nature and farmland and promote, instead, largely-untapped rooftop projects MPs feel are being hindered by regulation.

PV association Holland Solar, which had warned the temporary permit ban would have affected a 3-4GW pipeline, shared this week its relief at MPs’ change of heart.

“We are pleased with the positive attitude of [motion proponent] Carla Dik-Faber,” said the association, adding that it will now “work hard” to deliver a code of conduct for land PV and a paper on how to boost rooftop deployment.

A market of steep land prices and image problems

How the government will respond to the MP calls remains, for now, uncertain. In a letter to Parliament in February, Economy minister Eric Wiebes said the government will decide on a national solar ladder after investigating whether “additional safeguards” are needed.

For PV, the political backlash emerges as the industry soars – doubling between 2016 (2GW) and 2018 (4.15GW), according to IRENA – off the back of the subsidy scheme known as SDE+.

Growth has triggered concerns over land use in what remains one of Europe’s most densely populated states. As explained by lawyers and industry experts, deploying in the Dutch market entails steep land prices and potential image problems.

“Developers want to build as big as possible but again, we’re not a gigantic country,” Peter Desmet, founder and CEO of distributor Solarclarity, told PV Tech in April as he explained why unsubsidised, utility-scale projects may take longer to bloom than elsewhere in Europe.

“Large-scale projects may be concentrated in less-populated areas but the meaning of that term differs from the Netherlands to, say, Canada or the UK,” Desmet added, urging foreign players not to overlook the opportunities that await with residential schemes.

Read Next

October 8, 2025
The NSW Independent Planning Commission has granted planning approval for Potentia Energy's 500MW Tallawang solar-plus-storage project.
October 8, 2025
US solar module prices jumped in Q3 2025 as developers scrambled to meet the 2 September 2025 safe harbour deadline for Investment Tax Credit (ITC) qualification, according to supply chain platform Anza.
October 8, 2025
Officials from Norway and Egypt have agreed provisional terms for the financing of the Dandara solar park in Egypt, which is being built and operated by Norwegian IPP Scatec.
October 8, 2025
Saatvik Green Energy has secured new solar PV module orders worth more than INR7 billion (US$84 million), to be delivered in this financial year.
October 8, 2025
Australia's NEM achieved a new minimum operational demand record of 9,666MW, marking a 4% decrease from the previous record.
October 8, 2025
Frontier Energy plans to expand its Waroona Renewable Energy Project into a renewable energy precinct by 2031, targeting up to 1GW solar.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
October 21, 2025
New York, USA
Solar Media Events
November 25, 2025
Warsaw, Poland
Solar Media Events
December 2, 2025
Málaga, Spain
Solar Media Events
February 3, 2026
London, UK