Vintage Solar in Belgium: Timing, Behavior, and the Math Behind a 2009 Setup
I have been seeing a lot of posts on Hive lately about solar panels, electricity prices, and home energy strategies. It seems like a hot topic right now. Most of these posts focus on brand-new setups, battery integration, or perfect optimization.
I want to share a slightly different perspective: what happens when your system is already in place, inherited when you bought your house, and the "old" rules dictate your strategy.
We bought our house in 2016. The solar panels were already there: 16 panels, roughly 3.8 kWp. By today’s standards, that is nothing remarkable. But what came with the house was something you simply can't buy anymore: a pre-2009 Flemish solar installation with green energy certificates.
In hindsight, that specific timing mattered more than the hardware itself.
The Human Factor (and Covid)
We have had Electric Vehicles (EVs) for about five years now, and we switched to a dynamic electricity tariff (hourly prices) as soon as it became possible in Belgium.
That switch required a change in behavior. I definitely received some "feedback" at home in the beginning when I ran the dishwasher while prices were high! It took some time to adjust, but since the Covid pandemic, this has become much easier. Working from home more often means we can actually use appliances or charge the cars when the sun is shining, rather than pushing everything to the evening peak.
1. Production: The Solar Year 2025
Despite their age, the panels are still performing well. 2025 was actually a great solar year for us. Here is the breakdown of where that energy went:
Component | Amount (kWh) |
|---|---|
Total solar production | 2,939 |
Sold back to the grid (Injection) | 1,178 |
Self-consumed | 1,761 |
Self-consumption Rate | ~60% |
The Story Behind the Numbers: We managed to use about 60% of our own power directly. That is decent for a setup without a home battery. The remaining 1,178 kWh was injected back into the grid.
Financially, that injection doesn't earn us much because market prices usually crash when the sun is shining brightest. However, in our specific situation, production is key. Even if we don't use the power ourselves, the total production count (2,939 kWh) is what triggers our green energy certificates.
2. The Cost: The Reality of the Bill
Belgium is known for high grid fees and taxes. Even with solar panels, if you consume from the grid (like we do for heat and cars in winter), the bill adds up.
Component | Amount (€) |
|---|---|
Energy cost | 1,240.53 |
Injection compensation | -30.84 |
Grid fees | 1,068.15 |
Taxes & surcharges | 529.15 |
Subtotal (excl. discount & VAT) | 2,806.99 |
30% employee discount (excl. VAT) | -842.10 |
Subtotal discounted | 1,964.89 |
+ 6% VAT | +117.89 |
ACTUAL PAID AMOUNT | € 2,082.78 |
The Story Behind the Numbers: This table shows the reality of the Belgian grid. The actual energy only costs about €1,240, but the grid fees and taxes add another €1,600 on top of that! Luckily, my wife works for a utility company, which grants us a 30% discount on the total bill (excluding VAT). Without that discount, the bill would have been much steeper. In the end, €2,082 is what actually left our bank account in 2025.
3. The Result: Are We Winning?
So we paid over €2,000. That sounds like a loss, until you look at the income side generated by the "Vintage" status of the panels and our EV charging strategy.
Category | Amount (€) |
|---|---|
Electricity bill (paid) | – 2,082.78 |
Green certificates (Income) | + 900.00 |
EV reimbursements (Income) | + 1,962.17 |
NET RESULT | + € 779.39 |
The Story Behind the Numbers: This is where the strategy comes together.
Certificates: Because the system is pre-2009, we get €450 for every 1,000 kWh produced. That is €900 cash.
EV Arbitrage: We get reimbursed a flat €0.25/kWh by my employer for charging the car. The trick here is the dynamic tariff. We strictly try to charge when the raw energy price drops below €0.10/kWh. In Belgium, that €0.10 is deceptive. Once you add grid fees, distribution costs, and taxes, that price roughly doubles to ~€0.24 per kWh for a standard consumer. That would barely break even with the reimbursement. However, thanks to our 30% discount on the total bill, our effective cost drops well below that level, while the reimbursement stays fixed at €0.25.
We don't necessarily aim for "profit" as the main goal—we just want to cover our costs. But managing to power a house and drive two cars for a year while ending up €779 in the green is a very nice bonus.
Future Plans: The Battery Dilemma
We are thinking about installing a home battery, but not yet.
If we modify our installation now to add a battery, we lose the right to those valuable green certificates. So, the strategy is simple: patience. We will wait until the 20-year certificate contract expires. Once that happens, we will upgrade to a modern setup with a battery. That will allow us to:
Align EV charging even better with solar hours.
Store cheap dynamic energy from the grid in winter.
Increase that self-consumption well above 60%.
For now, the lesson is that solar optimization isn't always about the newest tech. Sometimes, it's about understanding the rules of the system you inherited and knowing when not to change a thing.
I'm hoping that in our next house we can have some sort of solar installation. Whether we do it ourselves or it is already there. I really like the idea of it, but I just am not a fan of the upfront cost here in the US. Plus finding a reputable company is hard and we are likely planning to move in the next decade or so.
A reputable company is almost a must have. During the golden years of the solar panels here, with the certificates, business just popped up all over the place. Most of them don't exists anymore, resulting lots of problems for the people who did buy their installation through such a company.
We are happy that they were already installed. Just enjoying the free energy :) Charging the car with free energy is the ultimate dream. No costs, only income.
I think that is how it is over here right now. With all the government incentives there are a lot of companies that just showed up overnight and you don't know if you can really trust them.
Just did read an article, in the national press, that 25% of these companies don't exist anymore.
Figures!
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Hello everyone as many of you know I got attacked with downvotes on Hive by racist scamming farming whales who don't care about Hive all they care about it what they can take
If anyone dares to say anything they don't like you will be downvoted and put on the naughty list 😂 the black list and you Will find so many black people on the blacklist 😂
You have a few accounts that have full control over Hive and nothing is going to change
What happened to me and many others can happen to you at any time and are you going to turn a blind eye then 😂
You have a few old clowns promoting Hive like it's something amazing when many people know it's not
Your words mean nothing if all you do is lie to people
Your actions speak a lot louder than any words and it's clear that the downvoters on Hive are all mentally ill if they think they can just keep doing the same thing over and over again even when the evidence is clear as day it's undeniable
As I've told the downvoting scammers on Hive everything is documented so I really don't understand why they keep doing the same thing 😂
They like to call the truth spam but we all know the truth
I hope you enjoy the rest of this post and I hope it makes you wake up and realise what's happening on Hive 😂
If you missed part 3 here it is https://hive.blog/hive-108278/@kgakakillerg/hive-is-done-3
Hive is done
Hive is Done part 2
Hurtlocker 😂😂😂 https://hive.blog/hive-108278/@kgakakillerg/hurtlocker-and-friends
It's crazy how they think they can hide on a Blockchain 😂
Thank you for reading and viewing this post I hope you all enjoy the rest of your day ahead ✌🏾 👊🏾 🌎 🌍 🌍 🌍 🌍 🌍 🌍 🌍 🌍 🌍 🌍 🌍 🙏🏾
👆🏾👆🏾👆🏾👆🏾👆🏾👆🏾👆🏾👆🏾👆🏾
Downvoting the truth does nothing 😂
👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾
Hello everyone as many of you know I got attacked with downvotes on Hive by racist scamming farming whales who don't care about Hive all they care about it what they can take
If anyone dares to say anything they don't like you will be downvoted and put on the naughty list 😂 the black list and you Will find so many black people on the blacklist 😂
You have a few accounts that have full control over Hive and nothing is going to change
What happened to me and many others can happen to you at any time and are you going to turn a blind eye then 😂
You have a few old clowns promoting Hive like it's something amazing when many people know it's not
Your words mean nothing if all you do is lie to people
Your actions speak a lot louder than any words and it's clear that the downvoters on Hive are all mentally ill if they think they can just keep doing the same thing over and over again even when the evidence is clear as day it's undeniable
As I've told the downvoting scammers on Hive everything is documented so I really don't understand why they keep doing the same thing 😂
They like to call the truth spam but we all know the truth
I hope you enjoy the rest of this post and I hope it makes you wake up and realise what's happening on Hive 😂
If you missed part 3 here it is https://hive.blog/hive-108278/@kgakakillerg/hive-is-done-3
Hive is done
Hive is Done part 2
Hurtlocker 😂😂😂 https://hive.blog/hive-108278/@kgakakillerg/hurtlocker-and-friends
It's crazy how they think they can hide on a Blockchain 😂
Thank you for reading and viewing this post I hope you all enjoy the rest of your day ahead ✌🏾 👊🏾 🌎 🌍 🌍 🌍 🌍 🌍 🌍 🌍 🌍 🌍 🌍 🌍 🙏🏾
👆🏾👆🏾👆🏾👆🏾👆🏾👆🏾👆🏾👆🏾👆🏾
Downvoting the truth does nothing 😂
👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾
Hello everyone as many of you know I got attacked with downvotes on Hive by racist scamming farming whales who don't care about Hive all they care about it what they can take
If anyone dares to say anything they don't like you will be downvoted and put on the naughty list 😂 the black list and you Will find so many black people on the blacklist 😂
You have a few accounts that have full control over Hive and nothing is going to change
What happened to me and many others can happen to you at any time and are you going to turn a blind eye then 😂
You have a few old clowns promoting Hive like it's something amazing when many people know it's not
Your words mean nothing if all you do is lie to people
Your actions speak a lot louder than any words and it's clear that the downvoters on Hive are all mentally ill if they think they can just keep doing the same thing over and over again even when the evidence is clear as day it's undeniable
As I've told the downvoting scammers on Hive everything is documented so I really don't understand why they keep doing the same thing 😂
They like to call the truth spam but we all know the truth
I hope you enjoy the rest of this post and I hope it makes you wake up and realise what's happening on Hive 😂
If you missed part 3 here it is https://hive.blog/hive-108278/@kgakakillerg/hive-is-done-3
Hive is done
Hive is Done part 2
Hurtlocker 😂😂😂 https://hive.blog/hive-108278/@kgakakillerg/hurtlocker-and-friends
It's crazy how they think they can hide on a Blockchain 😂
Thank you for reading and viewing this post I hope you all enjoy the rest of your day ahead ✌🏾 👊🏾 🌎 🌍 🌍 🌍 🌍 🌍 🌍 🌍 🌍 🌍 🌍 🌍 🙏🏾
👆🏾👆🏾👆🏾👆🏾👆🏾👆🏾👆🏾👆🏾👆🏾
Downvoting the truth does nothing 😂
Waiting makes perfect sense. I wish our government was pro solar instead of seeing us as the enemy and trying to find ways to earn the revenue they lost from solar users.
They had to do something here. Solar panels were expensive back in the days and without support nobody would buy them. And they needed us to purchase them so that they would meet their environmental goals 😁
👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾
Hello everyone as many of you know I got attacked with downvotes on Hive by racist scamming farming whales who don't care about Hive all they care about it what they can take
If anyone dares to say anything they don't like you will be downvoted and put on the naughty list 😂 the black list and you Will find so many black people on the blacklist 😂
You have a few accounts that have full control over Hive and nothing is going to change
What happened to me and many others can happen to you at any time and are you going to turn a blind eye then 😂
You have a few old clowns promoting Hive like it's something amazing when many people know it's not
Your words mean nothing if all you do is lie to people
Your actions speak a lot louder than any words and it's clear that the downvoters on Hive are all mentally ill if they think they can just keep doing the same thing over and over again even when the evidence is clear as day it's undeniable
As I've told the downvoting scammers on Hive everything is documented so I really don't understand why they keep doing the same thing 😂
They like to call the truth spam but we all know the truth
I hope you enjoy the rest of this post and I hope it makes you wake up and realise what's happening on Hive 😂
If you missed part 3 here it is https://hive.blog/hive-108278/@kgakakillerg/hive-is-done-3
Hive is done
Hive is Done part 2
Hurtlocker 😂😂😂 https://hive.blog/hive-108278/@kgakakillerg/hurtlocker-and-friends
It's crazy how they think they can hide on a Blockchain 😂
Thank you for reading and viewing this post I hope you all enjoy the rest of your day ahead ✌🏾 👊🏾 🌎 🌍 🌍 🌍 🌍 🌍 🌍 🌍 🌍 🌍 🌍 🌍 🙏🏾
👆🏾👆🏾👆🏾👆🏾👆🏾👆🏾👆🏾👆🏾👆🏾
Downvoting the truth does nothing 😂
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Hello everyone as many of you know I got attacked with downvotes on Hive by racist scamming farming whales who don't care about Hive all they care about it what they can take
If anyone dares to say anything they don't like you will be downvoted and put on the naughty list 😂 the black list and you Will find so many black people on the blacklist 😂
You have a few accounts that have full control over Hive and nothing is going to change
What happened to me and many others can happen to you at any time and are you going to turn a blind eye then 😂
You have a few old clowns promoting Hive like it's something amazing when many people know it's not
Your words mean nothing if all you do is lie to people
Your actions speak a lot louder than any words and it's clear that the downvoters on Hive are all mentally ill if they think they can just keep doing the same thing over and over again even when the evidence is clear as day it's undeniable
As I've told the downvoting scammers on Hive everything is documented so I really don't understand why they keep doing the same thing 😂
They like to call the truth spam but we all know the truth
I hope you enjoy the rest of this post and I hope it makes you wake up and realise what's happening on Hive 😂
If you missed part 3 here it is https://hive.blog/hive-108278/@kgakakillerg/hive-is-done-3
Hive is done
Hive is Done part 2
Hurtlocker 😂😂😂 https://hive.blog/hive-108278/@kgakakillerg/hurtlocker-and-friends
It's crazy how they think they can hide on a Blockchain 😂
Thank you for reading and viewing this post I hope you all enjoy the rest of your day ahead ✌🏾 👊🏾 🌎 🌍 🌍 🌍 🌍 🌍 🌍 🌍 🌍 🌍 🌍 🌍 🙏🏾
👆🏾👆🏾👆🏾👆🏾👆🏾👆🏾👆🏾👆🏾👆🏾
Downvoting the truth does nothing 😂
It's great that an old system can still be productive and it must have paid for itself by now. I see people come up with all sorts of anti-solar/EV/renewables rubbish and you wonder about their motives, but the stuff works.
We are on a simple tariff with a cheap period each morning. I could get a variable one, but that would need more thought about our consumption. I think you can even get paid to consume at times. It may make sense to automate more things to exploit it. As it is we can charge up the EV cheaply at night and that is the biggest electrical expense.
A battery can make a big difference. It cuts our cost over the winter as we can charge it cheaply. In summer it can keep us going overnight.
Enjoy your solar gains.
!BEER
👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾
Hello everyone as many of you know I got attacked with downvotes on Hive by racist scamming farming whales who don't care about Hive all they care about it what they can take
If anyone dares to say anything they don't like you will be downvoted and put on the naughty list 😂 the black list and you Will find so many black people on the blacklist 😂
You have a few accounts that have full control over Hive and nothing is going to change
What happened to me and many others can happen to you at any time and are you going to turn a blind eye then 😂
You have a few old clowns promoting Hive like it's something amazing when many people know it's not
Your words mean nothing if all you do is lie to people
Your actions speak a lot louder than any words and it's clear that the downvoters on Hive are all mentally ill if they think they can just keep doing the same thing over and over again even when the evidence is clear as day it's undeniable
As I've told the downvoting scammers on Hive everything is documented so I really don't understand why they keep doing the same thing 😂
They like to call the truth spam but we all know the truth
I hope you enjoy the rest of this post and I hope it makes you wake up and realise what's happening on Hive 😂
If you missed part 3 here it is https://hive.blog/hive-108278/@kgakakillerg/hive-is-done-3
Hive is done
Hive is Done part 2
Hurtlocker 😂😂😂 https://hive.blog/hive-108278/@kgakakillerg/hurtlocker-and-friends
It's crazy how they think they can hide on a Blockchain 😂
Thank you for reading and viewing this post I hope you all enjoy the rest of your day ahead ✌🏾 👊🏾 🌎 🌍 🌍 🌍 🌍 🌍 🌍 🌍 🌍 🌍 🌍 🌍 🙏🏾
👆🏾👆🏾👆🏾👆🏾👆🏾👆🏾👆🏾👆🏾👆🏾
Downvoting the truth does nothing 😂
View or trade
BEER.Hey @fullcoverbetting, here is a little bit of
BEERfrom @steevc for you. Enjoy it!Did you know that <a href='https://dcity.io/cityyou can use BEER at dCity game to buy cards to rule the world.
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Hello everyone as many of you know I got attacked with downvotes on Hive by racist scamming farming whales who don't care about Hive all they care about it what they can take
If anyone dares to say anything they don't like you will be downvoted and put on the naughty list 😂 the black list and you Will find so many black people on the blacklist 😂
You have a few accounts that have full control over Hive and nothing is going to change
What happened to me and many others can happen to you at any time and are you going to turn a blind eye then 😂
You have a few old clowns promoting Hive like it's something amazing when many people know it's not
Your words mean nothing if all you do is lie to people
Your actions speak a lot louder than any words and it's clear that the downvoters on Hive are all mentally ill if they think they can just keep doing the same thing over and over again even when the evidence is clear as day it's undeniable
As I've told the downvoting scammers on Hive everything is documented so I really don't understand why they keep doing the same thing 😂
They like to call the truth spam but we all know the truth
I hope you enjoy the rest of this post and I hope it makes you wake up and realise what's happening on Hive 😂
If you missed part 3 here it is https://hive.blog/hive-108278/@kgakakillerg/hive-is-done-3
Hive is done
Hive is Done part 2
Hurtlocker 😂😂😂 https://hive.blog/hive-108278/@kgakakillerg/hurtlocker-and-friends
It's crazy how they think they can hide on a Blockchain 😂
Thank you for reading and viewing this post I hope you all enjoy the rest of your day ahead ✌🏾 👊🏾 🌎 🌍 🌍 🌍 🌍 🌍 🌍 🌍 🌍 🌍 🌍 🌍 🙏🏾
👆🏾👆🏾👆🏾👆🏾👆🏾👆🏾👆🏾👆🏾👆🏾
Downvoting the truth does nothing 😂