Netherlands Approves Grid Fees for Owners of Rooftop PV Systems

The competition regulator in the Netherlands says that the grid fees that big energy suppliers are applying to PV system owners are legitimate. Solar customers currently pay between €100 ($107) and €697, depending on the system size.

The Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) has investigated the grid fees that four energy suppliers – Budget Energie, Vattenfall, Eneco and Engie – are currently applying to residential PV system owners. It has concluded that these fees are legitimate.

The authority said the “terugleverkosten” fees depend on higher purchasing costs, higher imbalance costs, and the net-metering costs that the energy suppliers have to deal with when their customers own and operate rooftop PV systems.

It added that the fees are not a source of profits, as the funds collected with them compensate the lower tariffs paid to consumers who do not own PV installations.

The competition regulator also said that PV system owners currently have to deal with complicated contracts offered by the energy suppliers, which makes it difficult to compare them and choose the best option.