Trees and solar panels
The municipality of Zoetermeer is pleased when owners of houses take energy-saving measures by installing solar panels, for example. But we also find it very important to protect greenery and trees. Therefore, we are careful when granting permits to cut down trees or prune municipal trees. The installation of solar panels is therefore subject to 2 principles.
We do not grant permission to prune or cut down an existing municipal tree if it (too) much shade for new or existing solar panels. This also applies to granting a cutting permit for a private tree in protected areas. In the Municipal Gazette at www.overheid.nl you can find the College Decision Update map protected trees.
As a resident, you ultimately decide whether or not to install solar panels. Whether solar panels will benefit you depends on the environment of your home and any changes to that environment in the future. This also means that you must take into account the growth of the trees that are already there. For this, you can always consult the administrator in your neighborhood.
When we plant one or more new trees, we take various circumstances into account. For example, the position of the sun, houses and solar panels present Because we also have to take into account cables and pipes, we sometimes decide to plant a tree in that spot after all.