Senators have approved the government's new plan to change how solar panel owners are compensated for the surplus energy they send back to the grid.

Starting in 2027, homeowners with solar panels will no longer be able to subtract the excess electricity they produce from their bills. Instead, they will receive a payment for the surplus energy they contribute to the grid. The exact payment amount has yet to be determined.

Previously, this system allowed homeowners to quickly recover the cost of installing solar panels but faced criticism for causing significant revenue losses for the government due to missing tax income.

In addition, energy companies have begun charging customers who send energy back to the grid.

Currently, one-third of households in the Netherlands have solar panels on their roofs, and around 25% of them generate more power than they consume over the course of a year.