BRUSSELS, 16/07/2019 - From 1 January 2020, the compensation mechanism for solar panels in Brussels will change. The regulator Brugel announced this yesterday afternoon. Nothing will change until the end of this year. After that, there are limited changes which we explain in detail below.
First of all, the decision is in line with what we have been telling you since day one. Only the timing is three months earlier: the new scheme will enter into force on 1 January 2020, instead of 1 April 2020.
Below we explain in detail what is going to happen, but the main thing is: the energy savings that you can make with solar panels in the Brussels region remain very significant.
Who does it apply to?
The new scheme only applies to installations smaller than 5 kWp. This means Brusol installations of 17 panels or less. For all larger installations, nothing changes.
How is it going today?
Today, PV installations in Brussels (smaller than 5 kWp) have a reverse counter. Sometimes you do not use all the power that your solar panels generate. This can be the case on days with a lot of sun, especially when you are not at home. In that case, the surplus electricity flows to the grid and your counter 'turns back'. The reverse is also possible. In the evening, at night or on days with no sun, your solar panels do not generate any electricity, but you do use electricity. In that case, you will consume electricity from the grid and your counter will turn forward. The principle of a reverse counter compensates for this and, in summary, this means:
- Your solar panels produce energy, your counter turns backwards (= your meter reading drops)
- In the evening you consume energy, your counter turns forward (= your meter reading increases)
In the end, this costs you nothing.
In Brugel jargon, this is what it sounds like: the compensation principle means that all electricity injected into the regional distribution network - produced by a photovoltaic installation at a time when the prosumer is not consuming it in real time - is deducted mathematically each year in Brussels from the quantity of electricity taken from the network.
How will it work from 1 January 2020?
Your electricity bill is roughly made up of two components: the pure energy cost (this is the 'energy' you buy), and network costs (these are the transport and distribution costs to get this 'energy' to you).
1) Nothing changes for the energy part: your counter keeps turning back for all the green electricity produced.
2) The 'grid costs' section does change: you are no longer compensated for this part. You will therefore pay the network contribution for the electricity that you actually purchase from the network.
What does this mean for you, in very concrete terms?
You will still save a huge amount on your energy bill. From 2020 onwards, the savings will be slightly smaller than in 2019. In very concrete terms, the figures look like this (source: Brugel):
Example 1: You consume 3,500 kWh per year and have 10 Brusol panels on your roof.
- In 2018, your bill was EUR 772.95.
- In 2019 (with solar panels, within the old system) your bill will be 337.11 EUR. You save EUR 435.84 per year.
- In 2020 (new system) your bill will be EUR 485.37. You are still saving EUR 257.58 per year!
Example 2: You consume 7,500 kWh per year and have 16 Brusol panels on your roof.
- In 2018 your bill was EUR 1 558.47.
- In 2019 (with solar panels, within the old system) your bill will be 826.73 EUR. You save EUR 731,74 per year.
- In 2020 (new system) your bill will be EUR 1 030.08. You still save EUR 528.39 per year!
If you switch on the washing machine and other appliances when the sun shines instead of in the evening, your savings increase even more. After all, you will then pay less in network costs.
To be clear: there are no taxes, excise duties, levies or other taxes. Nor will there be a prosumer tariff, unlike in Flanders or Wallonia. What's more, BRUGEL has committed itself to there never being a prosumer tariff. From 2020 onwards, you will continue to make savings, which will amount to many thousands of euros over the lifetime of the installation.
Would you like more information?
Send your questions to info@brusol.be, or visit the Brugel website here for the full report and some sample calculations:
