The 12 benefits of solar panels for businesses

1. Solar panels have a favourable payback period

Thanks to an average payback period from 7 years and a 25-year production guarantee, you can enjoy 18 years of carefree pure profit. By investing in solar panels, you will immediately save on your energy bill. Moreover, the current generation of solar panels lasts up to 30 years!

2. The price of solar panels is becoming more affordable

The cost price of solar panels is now a lot lower than 10 years ago: on average, you pay €1.26 per Watt peak. Even without solar panel subsidies, it is a viable and extremely interesting investment. Moreover, the return on solar panels is still very high, thanks in part to the favourable support measures for solar panels for companies and the self-employed.

3. Solar panel efficiency remains worthwhile

Because regulations have changed several times in recent years and solar panel subsidies are being phased out, some people doubt the return on investment of solar panels. But rest assured, a solar panel installation remains a smart investment: on average, when investing in solar panels, you count on a 14% return. There are few savings or investment options that offer as high a return as solar panels. On top of that, the production guarantee guarantees returns of up to 80% for up to 25 years after installation!

4. Save energy from day one

From the very first day after the start-up of your PV installation, your energy bill will drop. After all, you immediately produce your own green energy. Even the solar energy that you don’t use right away will still earn you something: with a feed-in contract, your company will be compensated for every kWh of solar power it injects into the grid.

5. You protect yourself from rising electricity prices

By installing solar panels on your company’s roof, you stabilise (part of) your energy costs. This gives you more long-term security, because no matter how much energy prices fluctuate, with solar panels your company is guaranteed free energy to cover (part of) its consumption. On the energy you produce yourself, you also pay no contributions, no distribution costs to grid operators and no taxes to the government.

6. You earn even on less sunny days

Solar panels do not need heat to produce electricity, sunlight suffices. As a result, they also generate energy during winter and on less sunny days. Belgium has an average of 1,600 to 1,700 hours of sunshine a year, which is more than enough to make the efficiency of solar panels worthwhile.

7. Solar panels help your business anticipate regulatory changes

In Flanders, the regulations surrounding solar panels have changed regularly in recent years. The most recent and drastic change happened in January 2021:
Until January 2021, it was said that those who installed solar panels before 2021 could enjoy the principle of the reverse counter and the prosumer tariff until 15 years after installation.

But the Constitutional Court quashed that scheme. Solar panel owners with a digital meter will now automatically fall under the net actual offtake system, as will anyone installing solar panels after 2021. Under this system, you no longer pay a prosumer tariff but distribution network charges on your gross actual offtake.

8. You benefit from solar panel subsidies

To make the investment in solar panels accessible to companies, there are a lot of support measures in our country. Some are limited to Flanders, others apply to the whole country, but all of them make the benefits of solar panels a lot cheaper.

Injection fees for your overproduction

With an energy contract with an injection fee like MaxxFix Pro, you will be compensated for the excess electricity you inject into the grid. With Luminus, you’re in the right place anyway: all our contracts include an injection fee. For now, the scheme only applies in Flanders and Brussels, but from 2024, Walloon entrepreneurs with solar panels will also receive injection compensation. Check all conditions and benefits here.

The investment deduction for solar panels

The government supports investments in energy-saving measures across the country with an investment deduction. This allows you to deduct part of the purchase value of your solar panels from the taxable profit of the year in which you bought them. Figures and more on the increased investment deduction can be found here.

Solar panels will become even more advantageous in 2025, when the standard investment deduction will be increased to 10%. Moreover, the self-employed, SMEs and liberal professions will be able to deduct their energy-saving and green investments for tax purposes up to 40%. The current deduction for investments in research, development and patents will be refreshed as the ‘technology deduction’. Inflation is no longer affected: the one-off investment deduction is now 13.5%, rising to 20.5% when spread over several years.

Besides the increased investment deduction, you can also just write off the purchase amount over a provisionally unlimited time (say 15 to 20 years), depending on your income. Check with your accountant.

Green Certificates

These vouchers for self-produced energy that you sell back to the electricity supplier or energy regulator were created to encourage the installation of renewable energy sources, such as solar panels. Since 2014, Flanders and Wallonia no longer distribute green certificates, except for solar panels installed before that year. Brussels is the only region where you still receive the vouchers annually (although the system will be phased out there too since 2021).

Local contributions

Some municipalities also offer their own compensation or support measures that make installing solar panels more attractive for your business. Check with the local authority where your business is located.

9. Solar panel maintenance is limited

Thanks to their smooth structure and the regular rinsing they receive from Belgian rain, solar panels are largely self-cleaning and require little maintenance. Thus, even rainy days prove beneficial for the efficiency of your solar panels!

10. Solar panels are a sustainable business investment

The benefits of solar panels are not limited to the financial picture, but it is also a way for entrepreneurs to contribute to a sustainable future. You limit your CO2 emissions, set the tone for other businesses and create a green corporate image. After a maximum of 10 years, once the initial cost has been recouped, you no longer have fixed costs for your electricity consumption. This future-oriented thinking characterises the successful entrepreneur!

11. Solar panels create a happy working environment

Working for an environmentally conscious company will motivate your employees and yourself even more. Moreover, solar panels are not the only way to save energy in your company. Together with your employees, being careful with energy consumption and avoiding waste will become a breeze.

12. Free charging of company cars

With the growing popularity of electric vehicles, charging company cars has become a significant cost item. By producing your own sustainable energy and using it to charge your vehicle, you will save significantly on operational costs as well as create an environmentally conscious image for your business.