How the Netherlands Became Europe's Solar Power Leader

The Netherlands is a leader in adopting floating solar technology and transforming landfills into solar parks, demonstrating that a sustainable energy future is achievable.

FREMONT, CA: There is a distinct hill that stands out in the Dutch rural landscape, located approximately 130 kilometres to the east of Amsterdam. The hill has a unique appearance and is noticeable due to its shimmering surface, surrounded by farmhouses, bare trees, and wet grassland. A hill that is 25 metres high and has been constructed using 15 years’ worth of garbage generated by households and businesses. However, what makes it noteworthy is the fact that it is covered with 23,000 solar panels.

TPSolar, a solar developer based in the Netherlands, inaugurated a solar power plant in Armhoede, located in the eastern part of the country, in the middle of 2020. The plant, which is constructed on top of a former landfill, has the capacity to produce up to 8.9 megawatts of electricity, which is enough to power approximately 2,500 households.

The Netherlands is currently on a mission to locate new and creative sites to install additional renewable energy sources, which is exemplified by a recent project. The country has already installed over 48 million solar panels, resulting in an average of two solar panels for each resident and a capacity of over one kilowatt (KW) per person, establishing it as Europe's foremost solar energy producer per capita, according to Solar Power Europe, an industry association.

The Netherlands Leads Europe in Solar Power

The Netherlands has taken significant steps in recent years to prioritise climate targets such as its renewable energy objective, including passing laws to limit onshore gas and oil drilling and increasing its green spending. As part of this effort, the country allocated a renewable energy budget of 13 billion euros for 2022.

Last year, solar farms in the Netherlands accounted for 14 per cent of the country's total electricity production, which is a significant increase from one per cent in 2015. This indicates that solar power has outdistanced coal-fired power generation in the country for the first time. The highest proportion of electricity generation in the European Union is from solar energy sources.

The energy ministry of the Netherlands has reported that over two million households in the country are currently generating renewable energy through the net metering system. This system was established in 2004, and it allows households with solar panels to offset their electricity production against their consumption. This indicates a significant uptake of renewable energy in the country, with a growing number of households contributing to the transition towards more sustainable power resources.

The Dutch government is currently evaluating how to modify site planning and financial aid to promote the development of solar farms that are more seamlessly incorporated into the natural environment. In developing sustainable energy projects at a waste management company, the Dutch method of adopting renewable energy sources is "very MacGyver-like," alluding to a popular 1980s American television series in which a secret agent fashioned inventive tools from ordinary items.

Taking different energy technologies, assembling them and trying to make the amalgamation that works. The companies have joined forces with a nearby utility to transform abandoned landfill sites into solar power plants. Though a time-consuming process, once everybody gets on board, the Netherlands tends to move quite swiftly.

The Netherlands has become a leader in the adoption of floating solar technology and the transformation of landfills into solar parks, which has helped the country to significantly increase its solar energy capacity. This achievement is a result of the country's innovative spirit, combined with its determination to combat climate change and transition to a sustainable energy future. The success of the Netherlands can serve as an inspiration to other countries, demonstrating that with the right policies, investments, and innovations, a sustainable energy future is achievable.