This article only applies to Long Stay. Click here to find more information about the difference between Long Stay and Short Stay housing.

When will my student complex get solar panels?  

Unfortunately, we can't share a schedule with you. When your student complex's gets solar panels, you will be notified.

Do we have to pay to use the solar panels?  

Do you live in a room at SSH? Then you don't have to pay anything for the use of solar panels. Do you live in a studio or apartment with the SSH? Then you also don't pay anything for the use of solar panels for now, but this may change. The government is working on a policy where the energy label of your home will be included in the rent. In the future, you may have to pay more rent if you use solar panels. 

What happens to the power generated from the solar panels?

We use the power for electricity in your building. Sometimes for electricity in the common areas and otherwise for your own electric bill.

Is the power generated for the common areas, or also for the rooms and apartments?  

This depends on the electricity meter in your building. Do you live in a student complex with one single electricity meter for the whole building (e.g. Casa Confetti)? Then you can use the energy from the solar panels for your own room. Do you live in a student complex with an individual electricity meter per room (for example Warande and Cambridgelaan)? Then we connect the solar panels to the electricity meter for communal areas. Even then you benefit from the generated energy. This is because you pay separately for electricity in the common areas via the service costs.

Are we going to pay less for electricity and/or service charges? 

We hope so, of course, but electricity has become significantly more expensive in recent years. Also, the government is working on a policy where the energy certification of your home will count in the rental price. Therefore, you may have to pay more rent in the future if you use solar panels. How much this will be, we don’t know yet. 

If more power is generated than used, do we get money back? 

Sometimes yes, but this varies per student complex. With a single electricity meter for the building (large consumption connection) we are not allowed to deliver electricity back to the network. The waiting list for this is a few years. Do you live in a student house with an individual electricity meter per room, for example in one of our buildings in the city in Utrecht? Then you may receive money back. However, we do not aim to generate as much power as possible. It costs a lot of money to install solar panels and a lot of power does not always generate extra money. Our goal is to reduce the cost of electricity as much as possible for all students living with SSH.

Should we turn on appliances, such as the washing machine, at times when the sun is shining? 

Yes, please! You can use the electricity from the solar panels. This is good for the environment.