Dutch solar owners asked to switch off during peak periods to ease distribution crisis - pv magazine Global
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Dutch solar owners asked to switch off during peak periods to ease distribution crisis
The Dutch market regulator is set to introduce new rules for grid connections starting 1 July which will see householders and business owners slip down the priority queue. Grid operators have been urging people to change their consumption and generation behaviors.
By
Blathnaid O’Dea
05 Jun 2026
Markets & Policy
Commercial & industrial
Netherlands
Residential
Photo: Eneco<br>/>
Solar in the Netherlands is coming up against space constraints, both on land and on the grid. | Photo: Eneco
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Liander and Enedix, two of Netherlands’ largest distribution system operators (DSO), appealed to residential energy consumers to manage their expectations as the country deals with its severely congested grid.
According to Liander, the largest Dutch DSO, around 7,300 customers are waiting longer than desired to connect to the grid to upgrade an existing small consumption connection to a new or heavier power connection. This places limitations on customers who want to add a heat pump or a charging station to their home or business.
Liander’s Chief Operations Officer, Sarike van Wette, said a heavier connection is not always needed, and that reducing applications for unnecessary connections could save costs and help reduce strain on the electricity grid.
Van Wette asked consumers to be more informed about what they can do to ease the burden on the grid, such as charging their cars at night or running their electrical appliances during the day when solar generation is at its peak.
Standard grid connections that most households have allow space for a small hybrid heat pump, 12 solar panels, electric cooking with a one-phase hob, and standard electrical appliances. Van Wette advised those thinking of adding a heavier duty connection for an appliance to always consult the installer to check if more capacity is needed.
Enexis has also asked its customers to reduce their consumption – and residential solar is one of the categories of service user highlighted.
Rutger van der Leeuw, CEO of Enexis, said in March that the DSO had completed a record amount of network updates in 2025, investing €1.9 billion and unlocking 542 MW of additional flexible capacity. Van der Leeuw claimed this is comparable to the annual electricity consumption of a city like Eindhoven.
“We achieved this through flexibility contracts, congestion management, the 100th blockpower contract and the first collective grid transport agreement,” said the Enexis CEO.
He added that consumers would play a big role in how successfully the Netherlands can address its distribution crisis. “Business customers are increasingly aware that transmission scarcity can affect their operations, and that they must adapt to this new reality,” he said.
“Customer willingness to avoid peak periods is growing. Pilots with central control of hybrid heat pumps show reductions in the evening peak of 10-25%. Many public charging points are now suitable for grid-aware charging, and solar panel owners can be compensated for temporarily reducing feeding during extreme peak moments.”
Liander’s van Wette asked people to be patient over delays, adding that some locations are more constrained than others. “What can be done depends on the location,” the COO explained.
“We realize that waiting for a new or heavier power connection has a major impact on people’s daily lives. For example, if they want to remodel, make it more sustainable or build a new house. Unfortunately, we cannot realize everything everywhere right away at the moment.”
Van Wette added that Liander is receiving inquiries from frustrated customers asking why the wait is so long, plus why it varies depending on their location.
“The answer is that the space on the net differs per neighborhood and even per street. That’s why one gets it and the other doesn’t. Or one faster than the other,” said van Wette. “From that situation, we must work within those limits to keep the grid safe and reliable.”
From July 2026, grid operators will have to limit access to the electricity grid to facilities such as care and education under new rules set to be implemented by the Authority for Consumers and Markets (AMC). Households and businesses will slip down the priority queue, with entrepreneurs in a worse position than householders.
In May, pv magazine reported that the AMC will impose grid tariffs on large-scale solar in a bid to address congestion.
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Commercial & industrial
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Written by
Blathnaid O’Dea
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