Amsterdam: Solar panels on monuments spark debate between sustainability and heritage

Amsterdam: Solar panels on monuments spark debate between sustainability and heritage

Share:

Amsterdam’s iconic canal houses, masterpieces of the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries, could soon feature visible solar panels—a shift that disrupts the city’s traditional landscape. By 2025, the municipality plans to relax installation rules, a decision stirring controversy among heritage advocates.

Currently, solar panels are permitted on protected monuments only if they are not visible from the street. However, facing climate and energy challenges, Amsterdam’s green-led administration intends to expand this authorization. According to Alexander Scholtes, deputy mayor, this measure is essential to reconcile cultural preservation and sustainability. The city, home to about 10,000 monuments, must contribute to reducing CO2 emissions in a country struggling to meet its climate goals.

A debate over aesthetics and environment

In the historic Grachtengordel neighborhood, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the idea of integrating solar panels into the urban landscape faces criticism. “These panels would disfigure the original 18th-century gables,” says Karel Loeff, president of the Erfgoedvereniging Heemschut association, which advocates for heritage protection. While he acknowledges the importance of sustainability, he proposes alternatives such as investing in solar farms outside the city center.

Supporters of the project, however, emphasize that strict rules on panel color and alignment will ensure harmonious integration. According to Alexander Scholtes, it is possible to achieve “responsible sustainability” without compromising heritage.

A nationwide challenge

Amsterdam’s initiative reflects a broader trend in the Netherlands, where other cities like Rotterdam and Utrecht are also loosening their energy policies. The country has around 120,000 monuments, many of which consume significant amounts of energy. Jan Rotmans, a climate change scientist, believes that making these buildings more sustainable could significantly reduce national CO2 emissions while preserving cultural value.

Authorities warn that inaction on climate change poses a threat to heritage itself. To achieve a 55% reduction in emissions by 2030, innovative solutions are necessary, even for such iconic structures.

Balancing tradition and modernity

This debate highlights the tension between energy modernization and tradition preservation. While the installation of solar panels on historic roofs seems inevitable, it remains divisive. Heritage associations fear aesthetic “chaos,” while climate advocates stress the urgency of action.

For residents and tourists alike, the coexistence of these two perspectives could redefine Amsterdam’s unique charm. Nevertheless, the challenge remains to harmonize historic beauty with the ecological imperatives of the 21st century.

Solargik strengthens its presence in Italy with 85 MW of photovoltaic projects, including partnerships with Revalue and Free Ingegneria, to deploy systems on steep and agricultural land previously considered unexploitable.
EDF power solutions commissions two new photovoltaic plants in Moselle, together representing a capacity of 72 MWp, capable of annually supplying electricity equivalent to 36,000 inhabitants, or 30% of the population of Metz.
Solar energy reached a record share of 22.1% in the European electricity mix in June 2025, becoming for the first time the main source of electricity in the European Union, according to a report by think tank Ember.
Abraxas Power Corp. receives unprecedented authorisation from Maldivian authorities to develop a 100 MW solar project within a new special economic zone, targeting energy security and national climate objectives.
GreenYellow and Meaders Feeds Ltd finalise a second 1.8 MWp solar project under the Carbon Neutral Industrial Sector Scheme aimed at decarbonising the Mauritian industrial sector.
The Lime Kiln project, developed by Chaberton Energy and Pivot Energy, will provide renewable energy to 500 homes and businesses in Maryland, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
MPC Energy Solutions has signed an agreement to sell its stake in the Planeta Rica solar project in Colombia. The transaction is expected to close by the end of 2025.
EDF power solutions has commissioned the Aéroparc photovoltaic plant, with a capacity of 42.2 MWp, in the Territoire de Belfort, making a significant contribution to the region's energy transition.
The overproduction of solar energy in Europe is causing a drop in captured prices, undermining the profitability of producers. In Germany, Spain, and France, capture prices are at record lows, with profound economic consequences.
Altarea Energies Renouvelables has started work on its first ground-mounted photovoltaic plant in Caudecoste, marking a new milestone in its development. The 7 MWc plant is expected to be operational by the end of 2025.
Chinese manufacturer JinkoSolar has delivered three energy storage systems totalling 21.6 MWh to the American company Distributed Energy Infrastructure, as part of the Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) programme aimed at strengthening local solar infrastructure.
TotalEnergies ENEOS has commissioned two photovoltaic installations totalling 1.2 MWp for marine logistics group Lee Huat Yap Kee in Singapore, under two long-term power purchase agreements with no upfront investment.
TCL Solar has concluded two exclusive partnerships in Suzhou with AU Solar and Madina Solar to supply 250 megawatts of photovoltaic modules to the Pakistani market, addressing rapidly growing local energy demand.
Mitrex secures Guinness Record for the largest integrated solar facade globally, combining photovoltaics and cultural art in Edmonton, covering over 30,000 square feet with installed capacity exceeding 265 kW.
EDF power solutions completes the acquisition of the 500MW Gate Burton solar-battery project from the company Low Carbon, strengthening its presence in hybrid photovoltaic-storage solutions in the United Kingdom.
The global photovoltaic films market is expected to see significant growth, reaching $41.59bn by 2034 due to the development of new solar technologies and the increasing demand for encapsulation suited to these innovations, a recent study indicates.
Italian group Plenitude has begun building Entrenúcleos, a 200 MW photovoltaic plant near Seville, set to deliver more than 435 GWh a year from 2026 while trialling locally produced green steel.
The state-controlled refiner has launched a 7.5-megawatt photovoltaic unit off Qingdao, the country’s first commercial installation designed for fully saline waters, intended to supply its future renewable hydrogen production.
The Emirati company Global South Utilities plans to install up to 250 MW of solar capacity in Madagascar, a project aimed at strengthening the national electricity network heavily reliant on fossil fuels and frequently facing energy deficits.
Emerging economies from the BRICS group now account for more than half of global solar electricity production in 2024, driven mainly by China, India, and Brazil, according to a new report by the organisation Ember.