a.s.r. real estate thinks its important to treat the world in a responsible manner and contribute to sustainable homes. Using solar panels to generate energy contributes to sustainability and is also an attractive and efficient way of saving energy.
*a.s.r. real estate is a trade name of ASR Real Estate B.V., the company that represents your lessor ASR Dutch Core Residential Custodian B.V., acting as the legal representative of the mutual fund ASR Dutch Core Residential Fund.
By generating your own solar energy you will enjoy the following advantages:
Contrary to what people often think, sunlight is very evenly spread over the whole world. The sun shines about 1500 hours per year in the Netherlands, which is about 1000 kWh/m2 of sunlight each year. Moreover, solar panels don’t just work in strong sunlight, but also in ordinary daylight. Somewhat less, but it all adds up. A summer with fewer sunlight hours isn’t necessarily a problem because spring and fall sometimes also deliver a surprising amount of solar power. When the sun isn’t shining, you will use ‘regular’ energy from your energy provider as before and you will not experience any power outages.
No, a.s.r. real estate has investigated which single family homes can best profit from solar panels in terms of location and roof incline. Homes that will be having major roof maintenance and repairs in the coming years, or those that will be surveyed regarding further ways of making the home more sustainable, will not yet be receiving an offer. The offer only applies to the homes of tenants who have received a letter about this in the mail.
a.s.r. real estate is also looking into the possibilities of installing solar panels on the roofs of apartment complexes.
No, what we are offering for your property is a fixed set of panels. In deciding this, we look at the space on the roof, the aesthetic distribution of the panels in the street and the best and most feasible return. a.s.r. real estate will not be able to make any exceptions.
After installation, the solar panels become a fixed part of your property and the rental price of your property will be adjusted accordingly. The lease will last for as long as you rent the property from a.s.r. real estate.
If you would like to take up the offer that you received from us regarding the installation of solar panels, please indicate this to our supplier who will be installing the solar panels. You will be receiving further information about this.
In the case of single-family houses, solar panels can be separately installed on any suitable roof. It naturally looks better if the neighbours also have them, but this is not necessary. Everyone can decide for themselves whether they want to participate.
In the case of an apartment complex, the feasibility of installing solar panels and connecting them to the meter cupboards of individual homes has to be investigated. If your property is selected for the installation of solar panels, you will receive more information and an offer.
No, a.s.r. real estate has covered the solar panels in the building insurance for the property.
a.s.r. real estate will be financing the purchase of the solar panel system, installation, maintenance, guarantees and insurance. As a tenant, you won’t have any worries or extra costs for this. A portion of the investment will be recouped from the monthly contribution included in the rental amount. a.s.r. real estate will be bearing the costs of the remaining portion of the investment. By installing the solar panels a.s.r. real estate is not benefiting from government subsidies or other types of schemes.
Depending on the surface area, the positioning relative to the sun, accessibility to the roof and the technical possibilities, a customised offer will be drawn up for each home.
For single-family homes, an average of 6 to 12 solar panels will be fitted per home; for apartment complexes, the average is 4 to 6 solar panels per apartment.
If your complex is selected for solar panel installation, you will receive an offer by post. This offer will indicate how many solar panels can be installed on the roof of your home. It will also give details of the yield of these solar panels and the surcharge you will pay. This charge will be incorporated into the base rent. This means that the costs will be included when calculating your annual indexed rent increase.
The costs of renting the panels will be lower than the actual revenue you will gain. In addition to sustainable energy from your own roof, the panels will also give you a financial advantage. The savings you will enjoy from the solar panels depend on a number of things, like your personal rate of energy use and the positioning of the solar panels. Our supplier will be able to tell you more about this.
a.s.r. real estate is responsible for system management. However, it is not possible to see whether the solar panels are still working properly from outside the property. Therefore, you yourself will have to check the transformer or the app to see whether energy is still being generated. You can report any problems to a.s.r. real estate. Should the system temporarily not be functioning in an optimal way due to a disruption, this will not entitle you to any kind of compensation. In addition, the consequences caused by misuse or destruction caused by you, your house mates or third parties who are residing in or around your house with your permission will naturally be for your own account and at your own risk.
Do you receive rent benefit? Then you may well benefit more. The supplier can calculate this for you based on your income. a.s.r. real estate cannot advise you on this topic.
Right now you pay a monthly advance payment to your energy provider. You can choose to reduce the amount of the monthly advance immediately after the solar panels have been installed by contacting your energy company. You can also choose not to reduce the amount of the monthly advance immediately; you will then receive a lower year-end statement and will probably even get a refund.Every energy provider has its own conditions regarding reducing the monthly advance; ask your energy provider about it.
With solar panels you will be generating your own energy, but you will not generate the same amount of energy every day. This means that sometimes your home will have more electricity available than you use and at other times less. In addition, you will also of course need energy after sundown, for example for powering the lamps in the living room or using the washing machine. Actually, this always leads to two situations for households with solar panels:
The power that you draw from your energy provider will therefore always be set off against the power that you feed back. This is also called the offsetting arrangement.
For more information about the offsetting arrangement, please visit our supplier’s website: https://www.zonneplan.nl/kenniscentrum/financieel/salderingsregeling.
The government intends to make adjustments to the offsetting arrangement starting in 2023, but right now it is not yet clear how this arrangement will be scaled back. For the latest developments regarding the offsetting arrangement, please visit our supplier’s website. a.s.r. real estate has no influence on how the arrangement will be changed, nor is it liable for any potential disadvantages.
Municipal and/or water utility taxes may be linked to the WOZ value, however, this particularly affects home owners (OZB property tax, water utilities, sewage treatment) and not those who rent. A tenant may have to pay a contribution for water utility taxes and sewage treatment surcharges, but this varies for each municipality. You can find out whether these charges are linked to the WOZ property value in your municipality by asking the authority involved.
No, it is not possible to buy the solar panels.
For single family homes, a.s.r. real estate is working with Zonneplan for the delivery, installation and maintenance of solar panels, and with Lens Energie for apartment complexes.
Zonneplan: for more information about Zonneplan, go to: www.zonneplan.nl
Lens Energie: : for more information about Lens Energie, go to: www.lens-energie.nl
If a property has been selected by a.s.r. real estate for the installation of solar panels, you will be receiving an introductory letter. The supplier of solar panels we are working with will make you a fitting offer.
In order to be able to inform you properly about the solar panels, the supplier would like to have a personal conversation with you. That way you will get answers to all your questions quickly.
The logo of a.s.r. real estate and the supplier will be visible on all correspondence. We will clearly communicate to you that the supplier is operating on the instructions of a.s.r. real estate.
If you gave your approval to go ahead with the installation of the solar panels and an appointment for installation has been made, you still have the option of cancelling without any problems. Even on the day of installation. You can do this on the Zonneplan website (www.zonneplan.nl) or by phoning +31 (0)38 – 20 38 212.
If you gave your approval to go ahead with the installation of the solar panels, it is unfortunately no longer possible to cancel the approval statement after the final registration date. If you would like to cancel before the final registration date, you can do this on the Lens website (www.lens-energie.nl) or by phoning +31 (0)20 – 61 83 794.
It usually takes no longer than half a weekday for the entire system to be installed, regardless of the size of the system.
No, the work will be carried out primarily outside your home on the roof. The technician will have to enter your home to hook up the panels to the metre and/or install the transformer. That means that someone has to be home while the work is being carried out. The technicians leave things tidy when they are finished.
There are little lights on the transformer that show you that it is working. Our transformers can also be read using an app.
Solar panels last at least 25 years and need hardly any maintenance before that time. The transformer lasts about 10 to 15 years. a.s.r. real estate will ensure that broken parts are replaced or repaired.
The solar panels are installed on top of the existing roofing, for both flat and sloping roofs. For a flat roof, a substructure is placed under the panels to create a slight incline. For a sloping roof, rails are anchored by means of hooks in the roofing tiles. The solar panels are then installed onto the rails. If any roofing tiles get broken, the supplier is responsible for replacing them.
The transformer is generally mounted close to the panels and is about 40cm x 40cm in size. The transformer should be hung in a cool and dry place. Often the most suitable place in a single family home is in the attic. A survey made before installation will identify the best place for your type of property.
Micro transformers are often used in apartment complexes. These are installed under the solar panels on the roof, which means that no transformer has to be placed in the apartment. Such micro transformers are not accessible to tenants but can be read using an app.
The transformer has a maximum noise level of 15db at a one metre distance. This is similar to a laptop that is in stand-by mode. The transformer turns off at night. There may be a noise when the transformer starts up.
This is included in the insurance coverage of a.s.r. real estate. If any damage is caused during installation, the supplier will repair this damage.
If something is defective, this will be replaced by our supplier who will send the bill to a.s.r. real estate. a.s.r. real estate is responsible for keeping the system operating. Such costs will not be charged through to tenants. However, tenants are not entitled to any compensation for temporary disruptions.
Solar panels placed on a sloping roof will be rinsed clean by the rain and dirt will burn off under the sun’s heat. Normally, cleaning is only required if the panels are subject to smoke from heavy industry. a.s.r. real estate and the supplier will be keeping track of how the system is operating. This means that you will not need to clean the panels. The panels installed on a flat roof are also set at a 15-degree angle on a structure in order to receive the best solar radiation for the highest return; these panels are also rinsed clean by the rain.
Your grid operator would like you to install a smart metre if you are making use of solar panels. Between now and 2023, everyone in the Netherlands will have a smart metre. With a smart metre, grid operators can read your electricity and gas consumption remotely (with your approval); this information is sent via the power grid.
Generally speaking, tenants who order solar panels now will receive a free smart energy metre. You will be asked to apply for a smart metre during the process by visiting www.energieleveren.nl. The supplier will also be checking this with your grid operator.
The advantages of installing a smart metre are:
If you don’t want your data to be automatically read, you can indicate this to your grid operator.
