How do solar panels affect property values?

Rooftop solar panels, also known as solar roofs, give property owners an additional opportunity to make their properties more sustainable. In doing so, a property generates clean and sustainable electricity. This is a great step in the energy transition. A step that every company or individual will have to deal with sooner or later. But what does it benefit you, as a property owner?

In this article, we discuss the following topics:

Euro value:

We discuss what a solar roof will get you and how it will affect your property value.

The "value" in meeting necessary laws and regulations on time:

What do you need to consider regarding (future) laws and regulations, and how can you respond to them?

The moral value of contributing to cleaner energy:

What does your moral compass say about sustainability and how do you take responsibility in this area?

The characteristics of a solar roof

With a solar roof, industrial solar panels are placed on the roof of the property. With these solar panels you generate your own and clean energy. This has two advantages; it ensures lower energy costs over time and you contribute to the sustainability of properties.

A solar roof is smaller than a solar farm, but larger than a set of solar panels for private use. At Novar, we build solar roofs as small as 3,000 m2. The energy this generates can then be redistributed to homes in the area. In this way, together we make it possible to make green power more accessible.

Installing a solar roof is possible for existing properties, as well as new construction projects. With new construction projects, Novar is often involved at an early stage so that the construction of a solar roof can already be taken into account. For example, the roof construction is already looked at in the first phase to prevent unforeseen obstacles. In the case of existing buildings, we naturally also check whether the roof construction is immediately suitable, or whether adjustments are still necessary.

Subsidies when investing in a solar roof

When making real estate more sustainable, a financially attractive scheme is often used. Some options include:

• The SDE++ subsidy (Sustainable Energy Production Incentive Scheme): this is a government scheme that serves as an incentive for producing sustainable and clean energy.
• The MIA (The Environmental Investment Allowance): deduction for environmental investments.
• The Vamil (Arbitrary Depreciation of Environmental Investments): the cost of the environmental investment can be submitted by this deduction at a time of your own choosing.
• Of course, eligibility for the above schemes varies from one situation to another. Different tests and amounts apply to each scheme.

How will a solar roof benefit me?

Investing in a solar roof provides money as well as a reduction in the use of energy(Source: Digimakelaars). What this yield is, is different for each situation. The size of the solar roof plays a role, but also the geographical location and the situation of the roof (sloping or flat roof). On average, the yield per panel is about €8 per month. On a business premises, about 2000 solar panels are installed. This will quickly save 200,000 kg of CO2 emissions per year. In addition to your contribution to the energy transition, you also have lower monthly energy costs. Win-win!

Prepare for the future

In the rapidly changing energy world, it is increasingly possible to enter into long-term partnerships with external companies, each using their expertise to achieve great results. This way you don't have to be the expert yourself, but can, for example, completely outsource the care of solar panels.

By investing in a solar roof now, you are prepared for the future and just a little bit ahead of developments. Moreover, real estate increases in value after a sustainable investment: in the private sector, a price effect of 2.56% was found on the house value after installing solar panels(Source: Tias).

Using unused space

Currently, roofs of real estate properties are often unused. The Netherlands is a small country, so using unused space for solar roofs is extra important. At Novar, we like to make unused space productive. The roofs are already there and every solar panel on a roof, in turn contributes to the energy transition.

Fire safety and maintenance of a solar roof

We often receive questions about solar roof fire safety. Proper maintenance increases the safety of rooftop solar installations. It is necessary to have professionals examine all crucial components and perform maintenance work where necessary. With an annual comprehensive inspection of the solar roof, the chances of fire are very low.

At Novar, safety comes first. We monitor our projects 24/7. In the construction phase, we identify and evaluate all possible risks that must be resolved before the operational phase. We are in close contact with the EPC and O&M parties. In addition, we visit all projects several times a year for a thorough inspection by our experts. This way we keep it safe and achieve optimal returns from the solar panels.

Contributing to a better future

In everyday life, we notice that the world and the climate are changing. For example, we see in the news that weather conditions are more severe in recent years. The earth is getting warmer, it rains more often and winters are shorter. We see the ice floes in Antarctica crumbling by huge amounts at a time. So it is crucial that we stop global warming. And with that, you can start small. By taking nature and the climate into account, you are already creating a positive return. Every day that you emit less CO2, you contribute to a cleaner climate and a better future.

Working toward a more sustainable world with a solar roof

Less CO2 emissions and a nice yield for you. A solar roof is also an important motivation for this reason. This way, you not only do your part to increase the value of the property and decrease energy consumption, but also contribute to the energy transition and the climate agreement.

The step to sustainability

A lot has to happen before a solar roof is realized. You are not alone; Novar helps you from the orientation and makes sure you are relieved of as much as possible. We organize the construction and take care of the installation 24/7. Together, we are happy to take the step towards a sustainable (business) building. We have one principle: the users of the building must not be disturbed by our work. While your tenants continue to work or live comfortably under the roof, we prepare everything on the roof. That way you don't have to do any work, but you can still work on sustainability.