For Flanders (where the green energy certificate system for solar panels was most well-known), the support period since 2008 looked like this:
|
Commissioning date of solar panels
|
Duration of green energy certificates
|
|---|---|
|
2006-01-01 – 2012-07-31
|
20 years
|
|
2012-08-01 – 2012-12-31
|
10 years
|
|
2013-01-01 – 2018-03-31
|
15 years
|
|
2018-04-01 – 2020-12-31
|
10 years
|
|
2021-01-01 – 2021-07-16
|
Maximum of 12 years (depending on production volume)
|
|
From 2021-07-17
|
No more green energy certificates for new PV installations in Flanders
|
In addition, the value of the certificates also changed over the years:
|
Year of commissioning
|
Minimum value per certificate (1 MWh)
|
|---|---|
|
2008 – 2009
|
€450
|
|
2010
|
€350
|
|
2011 (Jan-Sep)
|
€300
|
|
2011 (Oct-Dec)
|
€270
|
|
2012 (Jan-Mar)
|
€250
|
|
2012 (Apr-Jun)
|
€230
|
|
2012 (Jul-Dec)
|
€210
|
|
2013
|
€190
|
|
2014
|
€150
|
|
2015
|
€110
|
|
From 2016
|
System with banding factors and a minimum price of €93 per certificate
|
In practice, this meant that someone who, for example, installed solar panels in:
2008 → received certificates for 20 years, so until 2028.
2011 → received certificates for 20 years, so until 2031.
2013 → received certificates for 15 years, so until 2028.
2018 → received certificates for 10 years, so until 2028.
Notably, many installations from the 2008-2012 period are still receiving certificates today, often yielding a very high return compared to the original investment. The Flemish government later significantly reduced this support because the price of solar panels fell much faster than expected.
