Wallonia Mandates Compensation for Solar Panel Owners Hit by Grid Disconnections
Belgium’s Walloon government has adopted a groundbreaking decree requiring grid distribution operators to compensate owners of solar panels whose systems are forced to disconnect from the electricity network due to voltage overload. The decision, adopted in first reading on May 28, 2026, marks the first time such a compensation regime has been established in the region and represents a significant victory for renewable energy advocates, as reported by RTBF.
The Problem: When Too Much Sun Shuts Down Solar Panels
Wallonia is home to approximately 300,000 “prosumer” households — residents who both produce and consume electricity through rooftop solar panels. On sunny days, when solar production peaks, the low-voltage electricity grid in certain neighborhoods becomes saturated. Voltage rises beyond safe limits, and inverters automatically shut down to protect both the grid and the installation. The result is that solar panels stop injecting electricity, and owners lose potential income from power they could have sold back to the grid.
According to the Walloon government, approximately one in three solar panel owners experience these disconnections, known as “décrochages,” on sunny days. ORES, the main grid operator in Wallonia, maintains a public risk map showing neighborhoods where more than 20% of customers experience up to two hours of disconnection per sunny day.
How the Compensation Mechanism Will Work
The compensation regime, expected to take effect in 2027, is built on three pillars: proportionality, objectivity, and simplicity. Compensation will be calculated based on the actual kilowatt-hours (kWh) that could not be injected into the grid, multiplied by an average electricity price. Smart meters — which are mandatory for eligibility — will measure production losses over a 12-month monitoring period.
Walloon Energy Minister Cécile Neven (MR) explained the mechanism in an official government press release: “The grid operator will be able to monitor the smart meter for one year. It will observe whether disconnections actually occur, and the prosumer will be compensated proportionally to the quantity of kWh they were unable to inject into the grid.”
A 1% threshold applies: disconnections occurring less than 1% of the time will not trigger compensation, a measure designed to avoid disproportionate administrative procedures for very small amounts. Prosumers without smart meters can request one and be equipped within four months.
Estimated Costs and Grid Operator Opposition
The estimated maximum annual cost of the compensation scheme is €20 million for ORES and €5 million for RESA, the Liège-region operator. While Minister Neven has guaranteed no impact on consumer electricity bills until 2029, after that date grid operators could seek regulatory approval from the CWaPE to pass costs through to all households — estimated at approximately €10 per household per year.
ORES has publicly opposed the principle of compensation. As L’Avenir reported, spokesperson Annabel Vanbéver stated: “We are against the very principle of compensation, because these are funds not allocated to the real solution — investment in network modernization. But obviously, we will apply the Walloon government’s decision.”
Minister-President Adrien Dolimont (MR) countered that the mechanism is designed precisely to incentivize grid investment: “The idea is to resolve this problem through a compensation mechanism that makes distribution network operators responsible. This should also encourage them to invest more so that, ultimately, these disconnections no longer exist.”
Prosumer Advocates Cautiously Welcome the Decision
BeProsumer, the association representing solar panel owners, has cautiously welcomed the proportional compensation approach. Spokesperson Régis François noted that it aligns with the association’s long-standing demands. However, BeProsumer has raised significant concerns about two issues.
First, the lack of retroactivity means prosumers who have already suffered losses in previous years will not be compensated. François called this “completely shaky” (“complètement bancal”), arguing that compensation should begin from the moment monitoring starts.
Second, BeProsumer has warned that if the “Bad Voltage Quality” (BVQ) signal remains the primary activation criterion, approximately 25% of affected prosumers could be excluded from compensation. Their analysis, conducted with startup OpenWatt using data from several hundred smart meters over two summers, shows that many genuine disconnection cases would not trigger the BVQ threshold. As La Libre Belgique reported, François warned that if the BVQ issue is not addressed, “we could then consider legal action.”
Broader Implications and What’s Next
The decree, adopted in first reading, will undergo two more readings before final approval. The compensation mechanism is expected to enter into force in 2027, with full smart meter coverage targeted across Wallonia by 2029.
This decision could set a precedent for other Belgian regions. Flanders has been discussing similar compensation for solar panel disconnections since at least 2022, and the Walloon move may accelerate those efforts. More broadly, the compensation guarantee may encourage more households to invest in solar panels, knowing they have a safety net against grid limitations.
The compensation mechanism also creates a financial incentive for grid operators to accelerate infrastructure modernization. Every avoided disconnection saves compensation costs — a dynamic that Minister Neven described as sending “a strong signal to citizens: Wallonia supports the transition and the efforts of each person to achieve our energy goals.”
As the text moves through the legislative process, key questions remain: What exact formula will be used to calculate the per-kWh compensation rate? Will the BVQ criterion be modified to avoid excluding affected prosumers? And how will the government ensure that grid operators invest compensation-equivalent amounts in network upgrades?
For Wallonia’s 300,000 solar panel owners, the answers to these questions will determine whether the new regime delivers on its promise of fairness — or falls short of the protection they have long sought.