How you can benefit from sustainability investments
- Background
- Edited 20 March 2025
- 3 min
- Managing and growing
- Sustainability
Investing in renewable energy increasingly pays off with fluctuating energy prices. For example, did you know that LED lighting uses 80% less energy than halogen lamps? An investment in solar panels, insulation, or heat pumps is also worth the effort, time and money in many cases. Just keep in mind that you will first incur costs, and you will only recoup your investment after several years.
“Big changes in energy costs and changing news on sustainability and subsidies makes both people and businesses uncertain,” says Sven Ringelberg, energy expert at simpelsubsidie.nl. He helps municipalities and housing associations save energy. “Nevertheless, many energy-saving techniques are definitely worthwhile and have interesting payback periods.”
Saving energy as a zzp’er
Some and tax breaks only apply to entrepreneurs with their own premises. If you are a self-employed professional and work from home, you may be able to take advantage of consumer (in Dutch).
How quickly you recover the cost of your investment depends on your energy consumption and costs. To estimate the payback time, divide the total investment by your estimated annual savings. Despite high material costs and long delivery times, investing in sustainability is advantageous in many situations. After your investment, you will immediately save on your energy costs. For many businesses, sustainability is also mandatory due to the energy-saving obligation.
LED lighting
Investing in LED lighting quickly pays (in Dutch) because although the initial price of LED lighting is higher than old-fashioned light bulbs, it consumes a lot less energy. LED lighting uses 85% less energy than halogen lighting. And on average, an LED bulb will last about 15 years. That is 7.5 time longer than a halogen bulb. LED is usually a cheaper alternative within 3 years. And you can replace most bulbs yourself.
Saving energy if you are a tenant
Are you renting? The law does not specify whether tenants or landlords are responsible for implementing energy-saving measures. Talk to your landlord about making the property more sustainable and find out what you can do together.
Solar panels
The netting scheme (salderingsregeling) for users selling solar electricity back to the grid ends on 1 January 2027. Currently you can deduct all electricity you sell back to the grid from your consumption. This reduces your energy costs. That will change when the netting scheme ends. Without the scheme, you will earn back your solar panels less quickly, in 12–14 years instead of 7–9 years. But solar panels are still a good investment because they last 20 to 25 years so you will still have about 11 years of free solar power after recouping your investment. Just keep in mind that your supplier may charge feed-in costs.
Apply for subsidies on time
Do you want to apply for a business subsidy, for a heat pump or solar boiler for example? Then apply before you sign a purchase agreement. You can no longer do so after you have bought the equipment. With consumer subsidies, you can apply for a subsidy after you have signed the purchase agreement.
Heat pump
If your property is well insulated, a heat pump may be an interesting investment and a sustainable alternative to a traditional central heating boiler. "If your office building does not have a class-A energy label, opt for a hybrid heat pump to cut back on your gas consumption," Ringelberg recommends. “You will save on gas right away." On average, you save (in Dutch) compared to a high-efficiency natural gas boiler.
Insulation
It is important to make sure that commercial buildings are properly insulated. The better you are able to trap heat or cold air in your building, the lower your energy bill will be.
Roof insulation
Warm air rises and if your roof insulation is poor, heat will easily dissipate through your roof. Insulating your roof properly can cut lost energy by up to 30%. There are many different insulation materials to choose from, such as PIR, PUR, and glass wool. Consult an energy adviser to discover the best option for you.
Cavity wall insulation
If your commercial building was built before 1980, the cavity walls may not be insulated. In this case, 25% of all energy is lost through the walls. Having a cavity wall insulated is a relatively simple procedure. A specialist injects insulation material into the wall through small holes in the outer wall, which are then filled. When complete, you will have a well-insulated outer wall within a few hours and with minimal inconvenience.
Glass insulation
15% - 20% of the heat in your building is lost through windows with standard double glazing. So replacing your double glazing with high-efficiency glazing. HR++ glazing is a good investment. It can be installed in the same window frames.
Exactly how much gas you can save with HR++ glass depends on the type of building, the quality of your energy installation and how you use your heating.
Calculate your savings
You can calculate the annual gas savings of your building with HR++ glass as follows: the number of m2 window surface area x the number of m3 gas savings per m2 glass = total annual gas savings. Multiply your total annual savings by the current price per m3 of gas. The result is the amount you save annually on your energy costs.
HR+++ glass
If your window frames are also in need of replacement, you can choose to have HR+++ glazing installed. This triple glazing is an even better insulator than HR++ glass but can only be installed in new window frames. The investment is more expensive but you will save more energy. HR++ glass lasts 25 to 30 years on average. Triple glass last 30 to 40 years.
