The Netherlands is working on a temporary framework governing permits for solar near airports. Trade association Holland Solar has said there is a lack of convincing evidence as to why solar panels have to meet stricter reflection requirements than other surfaces.
The Dutch government is developing a temporary policy framework that will regulate permit applications for solar projects located close to airports. Industry body Holland Solar has argued that there is insufficient evidence to justify requiring solar panels to comply with more demanding reflection standards than other nearby surfaces.
The Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management in the Netherlands has announced that it will implement an interim framework introducing stricter conditions for new applications seeking permission to build solar parks in the vicinity of airports.
In correspondence sent to the Dutch parliament, Minister for Infrastructure and Water Management Vincent Karremans stated that the Netherlands currently has no dedicated rules addressing aviation safety issues associated with the installation of solar parks near airports.
According to Karremans, the temporary framework is intended to provide public authorities and all relevant stakeholders with “guidelines to help them make informed decisions within their respective areas of responsibility.”
The initiative comes after an incident in March 2025 when glare reflected from solar panels caused Schiphol Airport’s Polderbaan runway to be closed to arriving aircraft for two hours. Following the event, Dutch authorities instructed that approximately 78,000 nearby solar panels be removed, while the owners of the project replaced every remaining panel at the site.
In response to that incident, the ministry commissioned engineering and consultancy company Arcadis to prepare a framework establishing the conditions and assessment criteria that should apply to solar parks planned near airports.
Arcadis concluded in its report that land surrounding airports should continue to be used for solar energy generation, but that aviation organizations together with the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) should have a clearly defined role in assessing and validating the flight safety aspects of proposed solar park designs.
“The temporary framework outlines when and how aviation stakeholders and the ILT aviation authority can be involved in the development of solar farms near airports,” Karremans’ letter explains. “The temporary framework will be relevant for new permit applications for solar parks.”
For projects where the permitting process has already begun but official approval has not yet been issued, the responsible authorities will have the option of deciding whether consultations should take place to alter the design of the proposed solar installation.
Karremans also noted that the framework is intended to apply not only to Schiphol, the Netherlands’ largest airport, but also to other airports across the country. At the same time, the Netherlands Aerospace Centre will carry out additional research to establish what should be regarded as a safe separation distance between solar installations and airport runways.
The framework is being introduced as a temporary measure because the European Aviation Safety Agency is preparing regulations that will address glare from solar panels located near airports. According to Karremans’ letter, those European rules are expected after 2029.
Dutch solar industry association Holland Solar expressed concern following Karremans’ announcement, criticizing the decision to introduce more restrictive requirements for all future solar developments around airports. The organization said that before implementing regulations that could influence renewable energy deployment, it is essential to determine whether such measures are genuinely required.
“Based on one known incident in which pilots actually experienced glare from solar panels around Schiphol, stricter rules will be introduced for all future solar parks around Dutch airports,” the association’s statement says. “There is a lack of convincing substantiation as to why solar panels might soon have to meet stricter reflection requirements than other surfaces, such as water or greenhouse horticulture.”
Holland Solar said it supports carrying out further independent research into both the effectiveness of the existing international guidance and the proposed stricter evaluation framework before any new national requirements are adopted.
“Safety naturally always comes first. But if you want to introduce stricter national rules based on one known situation, it must be clear why that is necessary,” added the association’s director, Wijnand van Hooff. “We do not see sufficient justification for this in the report.”
Originally reported by pv magazine India on Jul 21, 2026.
