At the end of the year, we always reflect on what the past year has brought us and look ahead to what the new year will bring. There's plenty to discuss, as the world of energy is in the middle of big changes.

We can safely say that Zonnefabriek won't soon forget 2025: it was a turbulent year! The solar panel market had suffered a serious downturn in 2024 and remained in a slump in 2025, while demand for other energy-related products began to grow. At the same time, the abolition of the net metering scheme loomed, and energy suppliers began to announce the feed-in tariffs starting in 2027. Then the government collapsed, and new elections brought the prospect of a very different kind of government, with quite different ideas about energy compared to before. How did Zonnefabriek navigate this unusual year? We asked Joris Vogel, COO (Chief Operating Officer) of Zonnefabriek.

46% growth

How was last year, Joris? “Ooph! An interesting year, that's for sure. Lots of changes again, but ultimately a good ending.” What do you mean by that? “We initially anticipated a stabilization of the solar panel market, but at the beginning of the year it turned out that the market was declining a bit further. It wasn't until later in the year that things started to improve again. Fortunately, the results for the new products were better than expected, so we ultimately achieved 46% growth compared to last year.” That was probably thanks to those home batteries? “Not entirely, but certainly in a large part. Of all the products we currently have in our range, home batteries are the top sellers. But air conditioners, charging stations, and heat pump boilers are certainly not doing badly either.”

Joris exudes optimism, as always, but he admits that last year was indeed 'challenging', as they say. "Because the solar panel market was underperforming, we put extra focus on reducing operating costs, in addition to achieving growth in new products," he says. "Now we're at the point where we've regained a good balance between costs and revenues. We've also been able to strengthen the team in crucial areas, giving us all the knowledge and experience to successfully launch the new products."

New website

So, what's happening in 2026? "Well, first of all: a new website!" says Joris enthusiastically. You may have already noticed: our website has a new look, with a new logo and a new slogan. "From now on, it's '(turn) every house (into) a Zonnefabriek' instead of just 'every roof,'" he explains, "because our products now go much further than just solar panels on the roof. Ultimately, everyone wants to make their home completely sustainable, and that includes things like heat pumps and charging stations for electric vehicles."

"We're also continuing our successful SMA exchange campaign (in which customers can exchange their existing solar panel inverter for a hybrid model plus Sunny Home Manager, free of charge when purchasing SMA batteries – ed.), especially now that SMA is almost ready to integrate their systems with dynamic tariffs. I think we can make a lot of customers happy with that," Joris continues. Okay, so does that mean solar panels are no longer an interesting product? "Ha, not at all! The solar panel market is certainly much smaller than it was a few years ago, but we're already past our lowest point a few months ago. We're slowly seeing interest increase again, because even after 2027, solar panels will remain an excellent investment for most people."

Back onto the roof!

Thank goodness! Our installers will be happy to get back onto the roof! What can we expect in 2026? "2026 will be another year of growth," says Joris confidently. "We've invested heavily in new products and propositions. That's clearly been a success, as our customer satisfaction is higher than ever. This year, we're aiming for more growth while still maintaining customer satisfaction, and the way things are looking now, it could even be a super year." Great news, and exciting to hear! Want to turn your entire house into a Zonnefabriek by 2026? Get in touch, and we'll tell you all about it!