The House of Representatives in the Netherlands, the country’s lower house of parliament, has passed a motion requiring the government to develop a framework for balcony solar by the spring of next year.

The motion, raised by Democrats 66 (D66) politician Felix Klos, says that while 35% of Dutch households have now installed solar panels, permitting balcony solar would offer more households the opportunity to generate their own electricity and reduce their energy bills.

It calls on the government to develop a framework that allows for the safe connection of balcony solar and to identify which relevant standards and regulations would need to be amended to facilitate the move.

The motion received broad cross-party support, with representatives from 12 political groups voting in favour.

There are 17 parliamentary groups represented in the Netherlands’ House of Representatives in total, with D66 holding the most seats. The party leads a minority government alongside the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) and Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA).

Klos’ motion cited Germany as an example of a country that permits balcony solar. Around 500 MW of PV capacity added in Germany last year came from new plug-in systems.

The United Kingdom became one of the latest countries to legalise balcony solar in August for customers in England, Scotland and Wales. A month later, Greece permitted plug-in balcony solar solar up to 800 W and standalone batteries for the first time.

Last month, a group of Green Party politicians in Norway, who do not form part of the ruling government, put forward a proposal to make it possible to connect plug-in solar and batteries that meet established safety requirements by the end of 2027.

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