Dutch PV in catch-up mode after subsidy splurge

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
GroenLeven's 48MW floating project is one of the largest reaping SDE+ support (Credit: GroenLeven)

Dutch PV is set to speed up its journey to the top of the renewable mix after dominating in the latest subsidy rounds, according to new government stats.

Figures released by state agency RVO show solar was awarded €3.2 billion of the €6 billion latest batch of SDE+, the Netherlands’ renewable support programme.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Unlock unlimited access for 12 whole months of distinctive global analysis

Photovoltaics International is now included.

Not ready to commit yet?
  • Regular insight and analysis of the industry’s biggest developments
  • In-depth interviews with the industry’s leading figures
  • Unlimited digital access to the PV Tech Power journal catalogue
  • Unlimited digital access to the Photovoltaics International journal catalogue
  • Access to more than 1,000 technical papers
  • Discounts on Solar Media’s portfolio of events, in-person and virtual

Or continue reading this article for free

The autumn 2018 round will subsidise a 2.9GW PV pipeline of 4,411 projects, the bulk of the total of 4.02GW and 4,618 projects across all renewable technologies.

At 89MW, Powerfield’s PV project was the largest renewable installation to reap support through the latest SDE+ iteration. A 48MW floating scheme by GroenLeven was amongst the other subsidised solar heavyweights.

Solar’s ‘striking’ catch-up

The subsidy success comes after Dutch PV was found by IRENA to double capacity between 2016 (2GW) and 2018 (4.15GW), even as still-leading wind only grew from 4.2GW to 4.4GW. “The catch-up effort continues,” trade body Holland Solar said after the SDE+ results were released.

Separate figures for the upcoming SDE+ round – a fresh €5 billion in subsidies the government will award around the summer – suggest PV is ready to continue making the most of state support.

Over 5,170 of all 5,376 renewable schemes applying for funding between 12 March and 4 April 2019 were PV projects, which requested €2.9 billion of the €4.8 billion applied-for total. Solar’s large share is “striking”, said Economy minister Eric Wiebes in a letter to Dutch MPs.

Subsidy-free era not ready to dawn

The Netherlands, under pressure to hasten slow progress with renewables, will update the SDE+ scheme next year. Subsidies under the SDE++ phase will account for CO2 reductions, a first in the country.

Speaking to PV Tech earlier this month, Holland Solar board member Peter Desmet said the existing project backlog will buy solar developers time whilst they learn to adapt to the SDE++ changes.

Desmet, who is CEO of distributor Solarclarity, said subsidy-free success will likely not come within the next two to three years. The Netherlands' mix of lower sun yields, expensive land and relatively modest power prices will slow the independence from SDE+, Desmet added. 

See here for the autumn 2018 subsidy results and here for the applications received for the upcoming round

2 December 2025
Málaga, Spain
Understanding PV module supply to the European market in 2026. PV ModuleTech Europe 2025 is a two-day conference that tackles these challenges directly, with an agenda that addresses all aspects of module supplier selection; product availability, technology offerings, traceability of supply-chain, factory auditing, module testing and reliability, and company bankability.
10 March 2026
Frankfurt, Germany
The conference will gather the key stakeholders from PV manufacturing, equipment/materials, policy-making and strategy, capital equipment investment and all interested downstream channels and third-party entities. The goal is simple: to map out PV manufacturing out to 2030 and beyond.

Read Next

August 22, 2025
Polish independent power producer (IPP) R.Power plans to sell a 440MW ready-to-build PV portfolio in its home country.
August 20, 2025
Italy’s cumulative solar installations have exceeded 40GW, with more than two million solar systems now in operation in the country.
August 20, 2025
Israel-headquartered independent power producer (IPP) Econergy has started commercial operations at its 87MW Oradea solar project in Romania.
August 19, 2025
Scatec has reported stable financial results in the second quarter of 2025, with revenue holding steady at NOK2.3 billion (US$220 million).
August 19, 2025
Specialist floating solar (FPV) developer Third Pillar Solar will examine the potential to develop 500MW of assets on Texas reservoirs.
Premium
August 18, 2025
Jonathan Touriño Jacobo explores evidence of systemic problems in the Iberian grid and some of the solutions following the blackout.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
September 16, 2025
Athens, Greece
Solar Media Events
September 30, 2025
Seattle, USA
Solar Media Events
October 1, 2025
London, UK
Solar Media Events
October 2, 2025
London,UK
Solar Media Events
October 7, 2025
Manila, Philippines