Photovoltaic support mechanisms: how they work by region

In Brussels, the main advantage of installing solar panels, in addition tosignificant energy savings, lies in the fact that every owner of a photovoltaic installation benefits from the granting of green certificates which can be sold to energy suppliers and others. However, the regime has changed somewhat since January 1, 2021. Here's a comparison of the different CV coefficients before and after 2021:

	Installation before 2021	Installation from 2021
Installations < 5kWp	3 CV per MWh produced	2.4 HP per MWh produced
Installations > 5kWp	2.4 HP per MWh produced	2.4 HP per MWh produced

The average resale price of green certificates is €90/certificate. So, for a 5kWC installation with southern exposure, you'll receive more than 11CV per year, which will earn you more than €1,000/year.

Please note that this change only concerns people who have installed panels after 12/31/20.

We've just written a complete and more recent article on "saving money
"Understanding the savings of a solar panel installation in Belgium (2023)"

Despite this change, installing photovoltaic panels in Brussels remains highly profitable, with a return on investment of 3 to 5 years. In addition to green certificates, you'll be able to resell electricity. What's more, this formality is simplified because it's included on the electricity bill.

Finally, the prosumer tariff is not in force in Brussels.

Walloon region :

In Wallonia, the meter turns upside down: what you consume will be added to the meter, but what you produce via solar panels will be subtracted. At the end of the year, you'll pay the difference between what you've consumed and what you've produced. The panels you install will produce enough electricity to cover your annual consumption, so you'll save significantly on your electricity bill and avoid being affected by fluctuations in the price of electricity.

A prosumer tax is also applied in the Walloon region, the aim being to make owners of photovoltaic installations contribute to the distribution network and encourage self-consumption. For the time being, this tariff is fully covered by the Walloon government until the end of 2021. In 2022 and 2023, the Walloon region will pay part of the tariff (54%). From 2024 onwards, the tariff will be paid entirely by the solar panel owner.

Flemish Region:

In Flanders, the meter will no longer run back wards on new installations from January¹, 2021. In fact, a new actual pricing system is now in force. One of the main advantages of installing PV in Flanders is therefore the significant energy savings you'll make, since by consuming as much of the energy produced by the panels as possible (typically during the day), you won't have to consume energy from the grid. Instead of the meter running backwards, owners of photovoltaic panels in Flanders will receive compensation for the kWh they feed back into the grid, i.e. the electricity produced by the panels but not immediately consumed. The average purchase price of 1 kWh is around 0.23€, and the resale price on the grid is 0.05€ for 1kWh: it's therefore very interesting to consume as much of the energy produced by the panels as possible.

What's more, as of January 1, the Flemish region has introduced a " solar bonus ", a new incentive for the installation of photovoltaic panels. This bonus will be granted to installers of photovoltaic panels whose buildings were already connected to the Fluvius network before 01/01/2014. The amount awarded will be €300/kWp for installations of up to 4kWp. For installations with a capacity of more than 4kWp, an additional €150/kWp will be available, up to a maximum of 6kWp.

The prosumer tariff will no longer apply in Flanders from 1/01/2021, as the region is switching to a real tariff system.

In a nutshell:

	Brussels	Walloon Region	Flemish Region
Green certificates?	Yes	No	No
Prosumer rate?	No	Yes	No
Counter running backwards?	No	Yes	No
Solar bonus?	No	No	Yes (subject to conditions)

For companies

The income generated by a photovoltaic system is threefold:

1. Electricity savings valued at the purchase price offered by your energy supplier. In fact, when you consume the energy produced by your panels, you don't have to take it from the grid.
2. Resale of surplus electricity produced, which is fed back into the grid and valued at +/- 0.04€/kWh
3. Companies installing solar panels receive green certificates from the regions according to the power of the installation. To qualify, installations must exceed 10kWp in Wallonia and 40kWp in Flanders; all installations are eligible in Brussels.

With regard to green certificates, changes have been in force since September 1, 2020 in Wallonia and January 1, 2021 in Brussels. Here are the different CV rates that now apply in the 3 regions:

Brussels-Capital Region:

System power	Grant rate
From 5 to 36 kWp	2.4 CV/MWh
From 36 to 100 kWp	1.9 CV/MWh
From 100 to 250 kWp	1.6 CV/MWh
+ more than 250 kWp	1.3 CV/MWh

With a price per green certificate of +/- 95€.

Walloon Region:

System power	Grant rate
From 0 to 10 kWp	/
From 10 to 250 kWp	0.66CV/MWh
From 250 to 1000 kWp	0.55CV/MWh
+ more than 1000 kWp	0.40CV/MWh

With a price per green certificate of +/- 65€.

Flemish Region:

System power	Grant rate
From 0 to 40 kWp	/
From 40 to 250 kWp	0.482CV/MWh
From 250 to 750 kWp	0.273CV/MWh

With a price per green certificate of €95