Dutch homeowners shower in sunshine

A fact that may not be known to everyone is that the Netherlands is the country in Europe with the most solar panels installed, more than 1,000 watts per person in 2023, or around 20,000 megawatts. 

However, most Dutch homes rely on fossil gas for hot water and heating. Now, Vattenfall in the Netherlands has launched a smart solar-powered boiler that allows homeowners to more than double the benefit of having solar panels on their roofs and thereby save on gas bills. 

Up to 80 per cent self-consumption with solar boiler

Today, most solar homeowners only use around 30 per cent of their self-generated solar energy. The remaining 70 per cent is fed back into the grid. With a solar water heater, calculations show that up to 80 per cent of the self-produced solar energy can be used in the home.

In the Netherlands this can make a huge difference  as the county’s net-metering scheme will end in 2027, making it less favourable than before to feed electricity from solar panels back into the grid. The change in regulation is in turn due to capacity constraints in the country's electricity grid. 

The solar boiler is based on simple and proven technology. It consists of a hot water tank with an electric heating element and a smart control unit connected to it. When the controller detects that the power from the solar panels is not being used for the home's normal consumption, this power is fed to the boiler, which heats the water. The boiler then keeps the hot water available for shower, hot tub or for use in the kitchen. Also, the solar boiler is a very cost efficient alternative to using batteries for energy storage. 

Great interest from solar-panel owners

A recent survey conducted by Direct Research on behalf of Vattenfall shows that only 39 per cent of solar panel owners are aware of the possibility to use solar water heaters. Of those surveyed, 83 per cent said they would like to use more of their own solar energy.

Jeroen van Loon, Head of Solution Development at Vattenfall says: ‘We see that customers want more control over their self-generated solar energy. Solar panel owners want to use more solar energy themselves and are looking for smart solutions. A solar water heater is one such smart solution, which is why we will inform customers about it and offer it. The solar water heater is one of the most accessible and efficient ways to directly increase your own consumption of solar energy.’