SDE++: Renewable electricity
Do you want to apply SDE++ subsidy for a wind turbine, solar panels or a system that makes electricity from hydropower? On this page you will find the general conditions for electricity production and the technology-specific application conditions.
Supplying electricity to the grid when the price is negative
Do you have a system that makes electricity from sun, wind, water, or a biogas system with a CHP? And do you supply electricity to the grid when the electricity price on the EPEX market is negative? Then you will not receive SDE subsidy for that electricity.
We expect to change from hourly prices to 15-minute prices on 1 October 2025. From that moment, you will not receive subsidy for any 15-minute period in which the price on the EPEX is negative.
Wind
You can apply for a subsidy for wind turbines in these 3 categories:
You can apply for a subsidy for wind turbines on land.
In the ‘Onshore wind with a height restriction’ category wind turbines may not be higher than 150 metres (tip height). This is because of national laws and rules that apply when an airport is located nearby. If you apply for a subsidy in such an area , you must indicate this in your application.
More information about height restrictions
You can find more information about these height restrictions in section 2.5.4 'Burgerluchthavens en militaire luchthavens (CNS en vliegveiligheid)' (Civilian airports and military airfields (CNS and aviation safety) of PBL’s memorandum 'Hoogtebeperkte categorie wind op land' (Height-restricted Onshore Wind') (in Dutch).
The ‘Viewer Hoogtebeperkingen Luchtvaart' (Viewer Aviation Height Restrictions) viewer is available on the page 'Hoogtebeperkingen luchtvaart' (Aviation height restrictions) of RVO’s website. This map shows the height limits near airports. The information comes from the Ministry of Defence and the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT).
Wind turbines near air traffic control areas
From 2024, projects in this category can also receive subsidy if higher wind turbines are not allowed because they may disturb military radar. This applies to wind projects near air traffic control areas around the airports Schiphol, De Kooy, Deelen, Eindhoven, GilzeRijen, Leeuwarden, De Peel, Volkel, Woensdrecht or the section of the Kleine Brogel located above Dutch territory.
In the ‘Wind on flood defences’ category, you can apply for a subsidy for wind turbines on a structure belonging to the Directorate-General for Public Works and Water Management. The wind turbines may also be placed in a restricted zone near the water defence, such as a dyke.
This applies to primary water defences that protect against flooding from surface water. These water levels can be influenced by storm surges, high water in one of the major rivers, or high water in the IJsselmeer or Markermeer, or a combination of these. It also includes areas like the Volkerak-Zoommeer, Grevelingenmeer, the tidal part of the Hollandsche IJssel, and the Veluwerandmeren.
Wind turbines near sea water defences
You can also apply for a subsidy for wind turbines placed near sea water defences. These are wind turbines near defences that border the North Sea, Western Scheldt, Eastern Scheldt, Wadden Sea, Dollard, Ems, and the hard and soft sea defences of Maasvlakte 2. Examples are dunes and sea dykes located on land. There are also water defences with water on both sides, called front-facing water defences, such as the Afsluitdijk and the Delta Works in Zeeland.
Wind turbines on inner dykes
Wind turbines placed on inner dykes, where safety rules are less strict, have similar costs to regular onshore wind turbines. For these wind turbines you can apply in the category ‘Onshore wind’.
Check all water defences on a map
You can find all water defences and sea water defences on the map ‘Wind op waterkering SDE++’.
Replacement of wind turbines
You can also apply for a subsidy if you are going to replace wind turbines. This is only allowed if:
- the nominal capacity of each new wind turbine is at least 1 MW higher than the old one,
- or the wind turbine has been in use at the same location for 15 years at the time of replacement, and it was taken into use at least 13 years before the subsidy application.
Wind speeds
All municipalities in the Netherlands are divided into 5 wind speed categories. For each wind speed category, we calculate a different base amount.
The wind speed categories are:
- ≥ 8
- ≥ 7.5 en < 8.0 m/s
- ≥ 7.0 en < 7.5 m/s
- ≥ 6.75 en < 7.0 m/s
- < 6.75 m/s
Wind map
For all wind categories, we use the Windviewer. This map shows the average wind speed for each municipality in the Netherlands and is based on a wind map from KNMI. The SDE++ 2025 uses the municipal boundaries as of 1 January 2025. You can find a list of the municipalities in Annex 2 of the ‘Aanwijzingsregeling SDE-categorieën’. Each wind category has its own base amount.
The wind map shows which wind speed category applies to your project location. When submitting your subsidy application in eLoket, you must select the municipality where you will carry out the project. Note: the name of the municipality may be different from the name of the town or village where your project is located.
Because wind speeds in the municipality of Rotterdam vary a lot, it has been divided into districts and neighbourhoods. Please take this into account when selecting the correct municipality in eLoket.
Large-scale grid connection
In the ‘Wind’ category you can apply only for wind turbines that are connected to the electricity grid with a large-scale grid connection. This is a connection to the electricity grid with a total maximum power rating of more than 3 x 80 A.
Are you a producer with a small grid connection? Then you might be able to apply for the Subsidieregeling coöperatieve energieopwekking (SCE) (Subsidy Scheme for Cooperative Energy Generation).
Combined applications
You can combine applications in the wind categories. This can be useful if you want to take on the project together with other applicants, but only if all applications in the bundle get a subsidy.
If more subsidy is requested on one day than the available budget, we rank the applications based on subsidy intensity, in euros per ton of CO₂ reduction. For a combined application, the highest amount of the applications in the bundle is used.
If it becomes necessary to draw lots, the whole bundle is treated as one application.
Profile and imbalance factor for Solar PV and Wind
Starting from SDE++ 2025, the imbalance factor for Solar PV and Wind will no longer be included in the correction amount, but in the base amount. This means you will still receive a subsidy for these costs, but the amount may be different from previous years. The profile costs will still be included in the correction amount.
Solar PV
You can apply for a subsidy for solar panels (solar PV). These must have a peak output of 15 kWp or more and be connected to the grid with a total maximum capacity of more than 3 x 80 A (a large-scale grid connection).
You can apply for a subsidy for photovoltaic solar panels in these categories:
You can apply for a subsidy for a system where the solar panels are installed on a building roof.
In this category you can apply for:
- Facilities for which (minor) alterations are necessary to an existing roof. These are alterations in the structure of the roof or the installation of a roof structure that relieves the load on the roof. For this category, together with your application, you must submit the ‘declaration regarding the load-bearing capacity of the roof structure’. In the declaration, the structural engineer indicates which alterations need to be made to the structure to make it suitable.
- Facilities with lightweight panels. These weigh a maximum of 10 kilogram per m2 of roof surface covered with solar panels.
You can apply for a subsidy for a system where the solar panels are placed on or against a wall, facing east-west with a maximum deviation of 30 degrees. The system must have a capacity of 15 kWp or more, but less than 1 MWp.
You can apply for a subsidy for a system where the solar panels are floating on water.
You can apply for a subsidy for a system where the solar panels are placed on land.
These categories include conditions for taking further account of nature. These conditions must also appear in the environmental and planning permit:
- Viewed from above, there must be at least 25% open space between the tables with solar panels.
- You must provide a layout plan and management plan which describe your efforts to prevent deterioration in soil quality, water quality and ecological quality during the subsidy period.
- You monitor the effects of the power generation facility on soil quality, water quality and biodiversity. As necessary, you take additional measures to prevent deterioration in soil quality, water quality and ecological quality during the subsidy period.
- You perform a baseline measurement to determine the current value of soil quality, water quality and ecological quality.
For the assessment of your application, it is important that the competent authority includes the criteria as described above in the environmental and planning permit.
With solar tracking systems, the panels automatically turn to follow the sun, enabling you to achieve higher energy production. Solar tracking systems have higher investment costs than standard systems, but they also have a higher number of full-load hours that qualify for the subsidy. For this reason, the base amounts and correction amounts are the same as for standard systems.
These categories include conditions for taking further account of nature:
- Viewed from above, there must be at least 25% open space between the tables with solar panels.
- You must provide a layout plan and management plan which describe your efforts to prevent deterioration in soil quality, water quality and ecological quality during the subsidy period.
- You monitor the effects of the power generation facility on soil quality, water quality and biodiversity. As necessary, you take additional measures to prevent deterioration in soil quality, water quality and ecological quality during the subsidy period.
- You perform a baseline measurement to determine the current value of soil quality, water quality and ecological quality.
For the assessment of your application, it is important that the competent authority includes the criteria as described above in the environmental and planning permit.
You can apply for a subsidy for a ground-mounted system where the solar panels are placed vertically on land. You can apply for a project with a capacity of 15 kWp or more, but less than 1 MWp, and also for a project of 1 MWp or more.
Conditions for Solar PV
From 2025, all solar projects on land must be nature-inclusive. This means they must meet certain conditions to better protect nature. These conditions must also be included in the environmental permit:
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Seen from above, there must be at least 25% open space between the rows of solar panels. See drawings below.
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You must provide a layout plan and a management plan that explain what you will do to prevent a decline in soil quality, water quality, and ecological quality during the subsidy period.
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You must monitor the effects of the solar installation on soil quality, water quality, and biodiversity. If needed, you must take extra measures to prevent damage to nature during the subsidy period.
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You must do a baseline measurement to find out the current quality of the soil, water, and ecology.
To assess your application, it is important that the local authority includes these conditions in the environmental permit.
25% open space between row of solar panels
Seen from above, there must be at least 25% open space between the rows of solar panels.
In the four pictures below, you can see different situations.
Only the space between the tables with solar panels counts. The space around the outer tables does not.
Is there a pond, ditch, or something else between the tables with solar panels that creates extra space? Then you cannot use that extra space to compensate less space between other tables.
In a south-facing setup, the space between the tables is at least 25% of the width of the table.
In an east-west setup, the east and west sides are seen as one table. The space between the tables must be at least 25% of the width of the table on the east side plus the length of the table on the west side. It does not matter if the tables touch at the top (the highest point) or if there is space at the top.
In an east-west setup, is there space at the top (the highest point)? Then you may use this space to make up for having less space at the bottom (the lowest point). This space can count towards the 25% open space requirement.
You can apply for a subsidy for a production system that is partly made with used materials. However, the solar panels and the inverter must be new.
In this category you can apply only for systems with a large-scale grid connection. This means a connection with a total maximum capacity of more than 3 x 80 A. You may also connect your system using more than one large-scale grid connection.
You may connect your system to the electricity grid through the large-scale grid connection of a nearby site. But your system must be built at the location for which the subsidy is given.
Do you want to build your system on 2 nearby sites? Or does your location have more than one street number? Then explain this clearly in your subsidy application.
Do you have a small consumer connection?
Are you a producer with a small consumer connection? Then you may be able to apply for the Subsidieregeling coöperatieve energieopwekking (SCE) (Subsidy Scheme for Cooperative Energy Generation).
Extra contracted feed-in capacity for the solar PV system may be a maximum of 50% of the peak power of the solar panels. This rule applies to all solar PV projects, except for solar tracking systems and vertical solar PV systems on land.
We will compensate projects for the small loss in energy production by giving them fewer full load hours and a higher base amount. This means that, in the end, more renewable electricity from solar panels will be produced.
In the application form, we ask extra questions about the grid connection and the contracted feed-in capacity.
Different situations
There are different possible situations for feed-in capacity. For example, you may have a new contract or an expansion of an existing one. For new grid connections, there is no existing feed-in capacity. In that case, the contracted feed-in capacity may be no more than 50% of the peak power of the solar panels.
For existing contracts, you do not need to include the feed-in capacity already used for other systems, like a wind turbine or an existing solar PV installation. Do you already have a contract with the grid operator before applying for the subsidy, and is that contract not yet used for another system? Then you must change the contract so that it meets the rules of the subsidy.
The extra feed-in capacity you contract for the new solar PV system may be no more than 50% of the peak power of the new system. If your current feed-in capacity is more than the peak power of the existing system, you must subtract that from the 50% you are allowed to contract for the new one.
With this change, more renewable energy projects can be built using the same grid capacity.
Sun-tracking systems
Sun-tracking systems move the solar panels to follow the position of the sun. This can help you produce more energy. These systems cost more to install than standard systems. But they also have more full load hours that count for subsidies. That is why the base amounts and correction amounts are the same as for standard systems. A feasibility study is required for sun-tracking systems. You also need to include a calculation of the expected energy production. Based on this, we can decide the maximum number of full load hours.
Solar farm with fixed solar panels and solar tracking panels combined
If you wish to submit a subsidy application for a solar farm where not all of the panels are solar tracking, you will have to submit 2 separate applications: 1 application for the panels that do track the sun and 1 for those that do not. You only have to carry out the energy yield calculation for the solar tracking panels. It is not possible to change categories once you have submitted the subsidy application.
Bifacial solar panels
If you wish to use bifacial solar panels for your project, you may apply for a subsidy for a higher production capacity (in kWp). In the Netherlands, the yield from these panels is not more than 15% higher (per year) compared with a system with monofacial PV panels. Please enclose an explanation showing how you calculated the production capacity of your bifacial panels with your subsidy application, substantiated with a datasheet of the model of solar panel concerned if possible.
Grid delivery and non-grid delivery
You can only apply for a subsidy for the energy you deliver to the electricity grid. The base energy prices and correction amounts for this can be found in the tables below.
Setting off excess profit
In the SDE++ scheme, from 2024 onwards, for all categories of Solar PV and Wind, excess profit will be set off against the subsidy you receive for grid supply. In other words, this does not apply to the electricity you use yourself. A limit will be imposed above the submission amount; this is known as the generation limit amount. This has been set at 1.8 cent per kilowatt hour above the base amount applicable for the category. Any profit generated above this generation limit amount is known as excess profit, and you will be required to pay back this amount or it will be set off against your subsidy.
Profile and imbalance factor for Solar PV and Wind
Starting from SDE++ 2025, the imbalance factor for Solar PV and Wind will no longer be included in the correction amount, but in the base amount. This means you will still receive a subsidy for these costs, but the amount may be different from previous years. The profile costs will still be included in the correction amount.
Hydropower
You only get a subsidy for energy from water that you do not pump up just to make energy. You can apply for new hydropower installations with a height difference of less than 50 cm.
This can include different types of installations:
- installations that use free-flowing water energy;
- water turbines that use tidal energy;
- installations that turn wave energy into electricity.
Download a table with documents you need
Would you like to know which attachments you need to include with your application? Download the table Documents to Attach to Renewable Electricity Applications ('Tabel verplichte bijlagen SDE++ 2025', Hernieuwbare elektriciteit).
This download is in Dutch. We wil publish the translated version as soon as it is ready.
Download a table with tariffs for your installation
Would you like to know the amounts that apply to the category you are interested in? Download the Table of Tariffs for Renewable Electricity SDE++ 2025.
This download is in Dutch. We wil publish the translated version as soon as it is ready.
- Ministry of Climate Policy and Green Growth
