Dutch solar energy firm Soly to start selling dynamic energy contracts

Netherlands-based Soly, a solar energy company, announced on Saturday, July 1, that it will start selling dynamic energy contracts by the end of 2023. They will provide a “unique” solution for solar panel owners in conjunction with their energy management system.

Founded in 2013 by brothers Patrick and Milan van der Meulen, Soly aims to make solar energy available to everyone.

Since its inception, the startup claims to have grown to become one of the market leaders in solar energy. Shell Ventures and pension fund ABP acquired a minority investment in the firm in 2022.

Currently, Soly has operations in Belgium, South Africa, and Germany, in addition to the Netherlands. It is a certified B Corp, an international certification for businesses striving for the highest sustainability, financial transparency, and social equity.

Reducing the load on the electricity grid

According to Soly, 133,000 Dutch homes were utilising dynamic energy contracts as of December 2022. 

They can profit from low or even negative energy costs during periods when there is an excess of energy, like in the case of wind or solar output. This creates a financial incentive for users to reduce their use of the grid. 

Milan van der Meulen says, “As long as we all consume energy at inconvenient times, there is a risk that the energy grid cannot handle this anymore. We would like to prevent that. With our dynamic energy contract, you are financially rewarded for smart consumption.”

Additional revenue for solar panel owners

In the Netherlands, Soly has already installed solar panels on 30,000 homes. However, solar panel owners actually create electricity during periods of low or negative energy costs, therefore they are unable to take advantage of a dynamic energy contract’s benefits. 

For this reason, Soly is launching the Soly Brain. It is an energy management system that makes sure solar panels are shut down automatically when the cost of electricity is negative. 

In this manner, owners of solar panels can use dynamic energy to both save and make money. 

The system also offers intelligent control of the house battery and charging station to ensure that the electric car and home batteries are charged at convenient times.

Milan van der Meulen says, “We are extremely happy that we can also let owners of solar panels benefit from dynamic energy. It allows them to create additional savings while directly balancing the energy grid.”

Virtual power plant

Soly claims a network of tens of thousands of residences equipped with solar panels, batteries, charging stations, and heat pumps are gradually emerging, in addition to solar energy produced on company roofs and solar carports.

The Dutch company plans to link and intelligently manage this network in the future, actively aiding in the balancing of the energy grid.

Milan Van der Meulen adds, “We will recognise when there is a surplus or shortage on the energy grid. Within seconds, we can switch assets on or off and thus balance the grid. In addition, the system enables customers within the Soly network to exchange energy with each other.”