What Solease does

Solease B.V., founded 2011 in Utrecht, is a Dutch sustainable energy services company and the first organization in the Netherlands to rent solar panels to residential customers. Its flagship offering is an operational lease subscription that bundles a rooftop PV system with installation, monitoring, maintenance, repairs, and insurance into a fixed monthly fee with no upfront investment; an outright purchase option, often paired with VAT recovery assistance, is also offered. The product portfolio has expanded beyond solar to include home insulation (from 2021), hybrid heat pumps, home batteries, and EV charging stations. Customer-facing digital tools include the Huisscan—an automated 3D satellite roof assessment that yields a personalized savings estimate within two minutes—and the more granular Dakscan for system layout. Technology choices are roof-specific: micro-inverters for shaded or complex roofs and string inverters from SolarEdge (with power optimizers), Growatt, or GoodWe for evenly lit roofs, each integrated with its vendor's monitoring portal (SolarEdge, Growatt SEMS, GoodWe). The company is structured as eight Dutch B.V. entities, including Solease B.V., regional operating vehicles (Noord-Brabant, Overijssel, Project 2), and function-specific entities (Verkoop, Management, Commercial); the regional B.V.s exist primarily to ring-fence financing from provincial energy funds (Utrecht, Friesland, Overijssel, Drenthe, Brabant/BOM, Oost NL). Distribution is multi-channel: direct digital sales via solease.nl plus referral arrangements with de Volksbank group banks (ASN, BLG Wonen, RegioBank, SNS), retail partners (Praxis, Woonwijzerwinkel), Feenstra/Vattenfall (since 2015), and B2B2C employer-sponsored programs in place with organizations including Utrecht University, Provincie Groningen, Hogeschool Utrecht, and Triodos Bank. Operations are Netherlands-only across all twelve provinces. Cumulative installed production has reached roughly 60.8 GWh of electricity and approximately 36,482 tonnes of CO2 avoided, with average net customer savings of about €130/year versus prior energy costs and home value increases of roughly €5,000 per installation. The company is privately held, with founder and CEO Pierre Vermeulen and co-founder and CFO Roderick van Wisselingh, and operates with a small headcount of 1–10 employees (installation heavily outsourced to local certified installers). Per the most recent website content, Solease states it is currently not accepting new residential customers ('Wij nemen momenteel geen nieuwe klanten aan'), a material operational signal that bears on near-term growth and revenue interpretation.

Name

Solease

Legal name

Solease B.V.

Website

https://solease.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Solease, founded 2011 in Utrecht, rents and sells Dutch residential solar panels via a full-service operational lease. Its portfolio also covers insulation, heat pumps, home batteries, and EV chargers, distributed nationwide through bank, retail, energy, and employer partner channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Utrecht

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Solar Panel Rental (Operational Lease): Solease's primary revenue stream is an operational lease model for residential solar panels. Customers pay a fixed monthly fee for the use of a solar power system. The fee covers financing, installation, monitoring, maintenance, repairs, and insurance. Solease retains economic ownership of the system. After 15 years, the lease price automatically reduces by 40%; after 20 years, customers can take ownership for a symbolic €1. Customers may purchase the system at any time at market value.
2. Solar Panel Sales (One-Time Purchase): Solease also sells solar power systems outright to customers who prefer to own the panels from the start. Solease facilitates a VAT refund service for private buyers (21% of purchase price returned via the Dutch tax authorities). The company provides installation as part of the purchase price, but ongoing maintenance and repairs are the customer's responsibility.
3. BTW (VAT) Recovery Service: For customers who purchase solar panels, Solease manages the VAT recovery process with the Dutch Tax Authorities on behalf of private buyers, facilitating the return of 21% of the purchase amount.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Solease designs, sells, installs, finances, and services residential solar PV systems in the Netherlands through an all-inclusive operational lease (monthly rental) and an outright purchase option. The rental bundle covers equipment, installation, monitoring, maintenance, repairs, and insurance with no upfront investment, while customers retain the right to purchase at market value at any time. Complementary offerings include home insulation, hybrid heat pumps, home batteries, and EV charging stations, enabling a one-stop home sustainability package.

Product overview

Solease is a Dutch sustainable energy services company offering a bundled portfolio of residential energy solutions. Its core offering is solar photovoltaic (PV) systems available through both an operational lease (rental) model and outright purchase, targeting homeowners, businesses, and employers across the Netherlands. The rental model provides an all-inclusive subscription covering equipment, installation, monitoring, maintenance, repairs, and insurance, with no upfront investment required and the option to purchase at market value at any time. Complementary products include home insulation (multiple types: floor, roof, cavity wall, attic, basement), heat pumps, home batteries, and EV charging stations — all positioned under one roof as part of a coordinated sustainability strategy. Customer-facing digital tools include the Huisscan (automated home sustainability assessment) and Dakscan (roof analysis for solar panel sizing). The company operates nationwide, partnering with provincial energy funds, banks, and employers to broaden access to its offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Zonnepanelen (Solar Panels) Residential and commercial rooftop solar PV systems available through an all-inclusive monthly operational lease or outright purchase. The rental bundle covers financing, installation, monitoring, maintenance, repairs, and insurance, with no upfront investment, no BKR registration, and the option to purchase at market value at any time; after 20 years customers can take ownership for a symbolic €1.
• Woningisolatie (Home Insulation) Insulation services for floors, cavity walls, roofs, lofts, and foundations, covering floor, roof, basement, cavity wall, and attic insulation. Delivered in collaboration with an experienced insulation partner with a free in-home consultation.
• Warmtepomp (Heat Pump)

Quantifiable outcome

• Average net savings of €130 per year per customer after rental costs
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Feenstra (Vattenfall)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2015Feenstra, a Vattenfall company, has partnered with Solease since 2015 to refer its residential and commercial customers to Solease for solar panel installation. Feenstra positions Solease as its recognized sustainable specialist, leveraging its existing customer base in the Dutch energy market. The partnership enables Feenstra to offer solar panel solutions without operating its own installation capability.
• PraxisminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPraxis, a Dutch home improvement retailer, features Solease's solar panel rental offering on its website. The partnership targets DIY-oriented homeowners who visit Praxis for home improvement projects, creating a retail pathway to Solease's solar services.
• WoonwijzerwinkelminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWoonwijzerwinkel, a Dutch home improvement advice retailer, offers Solease solar panel rental on its website, reaching homeowners seeking home improvement advice and connecting them with Solease for installation.
• de Volksbank (ASN Bank, BLG Wonen, RegioBank, SNS Bank)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSolease is featured on co-branded pages with the de Volksbank group brands — ASN Bank, BLG Wonen, RegioBank, and SNS Bank — reaching these banks' sustainability-minded customers. The banks direct their customers to Solease for solar panels, insulation, and heat pumps, functioning as a significant referral channel covering millions of Dutch bank customers.
• Mijn Groene HuisminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMijn Groene Huis (My Green House) partners with Solease to offer solar panel rental to its customers, combining home energy advice with Solease's installation services.
• SlimmebuurminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSlimmebuur is a community platform (initiated by climate foundation HIER) where neighbors advise each other on energy-saving measures including solar panels and insulation. Solease works with Slimmebuur as a marketing and referral partner; customers who refer neighbors through Slimmebuur may also qualify for Solease's referral bonus (€100 per referred customer).
• WoningverbeteraarscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWoningverbeteraars is a joint platform of Solease and the de Volksbank group brands (ASN Bank, BLG Wonen, RegioBank, SNS Bank) dedicated to helping Dutch homeowners improve their homes sustainably. Solease provides solar panels, insulation, and heat pump services through this platform, which also serves commercial/business customers seeking to improve energy labels (label C required from 2023 for 100m2+).

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Zonneplan: Dutch residential solar company offering subscription and purchase models with bundled home batteries and EV chargers. Most direct Dutch competitor to Solease's solar-as-a-service proposition, with comparable pricing and target homeowner segment.
• GroenLeven: Dutch solar lease and installation provider for residential and commercial customers, now part of Vattenfall. Directly comparable to Solease in product (solar lease), geography (Netherlands), and target market (homeowners).
• Wocozon: Cooperative offering solar panel rental for Dutch homeowners and landlords. Closely comparable business model (solar-as-a-service, no upfront investment) and customer segment, with similar geographic focus on the Netherlands.
• Sunrock: Dutch provider of solar-as-a-service primarily for commercial and large residential roofs. Comparable lease/rental business model and Dutch geographic focus; differs in skewing toward larger rooftops rather than single-family homes.
• Sunrun: US leader in residential solar lease and PPA agreements, with bundled battery storage. Closest international analog to Solease's operational-lease model for residential solar and a benchmark for category economics in solar-as-a-service.

Broad incumbents

• Eneco: Major Dutch energy retailer with growing solar, heat-pump, and home-battery offerings. Larger incumbent that competes for the same homeowner sustainability wallet but does not focus exclusively on the operational solar-lease niche.
• Vattenfall (Feenstra): Major Nordic-Dutch energy company; Feenstra (a Vattenfall company) is an active Solease channel partner but also offers its own solar and heating solutions. Comparable as a broad incumbent in Dutch residential energy services.
• Vandebron: Dutch sustainable energy supplier that matches consumers with local green-energy producers and offers home-energy solutions. Adjacent incumbent operating in the Dutch home sustainability market Solease serves.

Emerging players

• Homevolt (by Frank Energie): Frank Energie's home-battery product combined with dynamic-tariff energy supply. Emerging Dutch player intersecting with Solease's home-battery offering and competing for the same solar-homeowner wallet.

Regional players

• Solarcentury (Statkraft): UK-founded solar developer and installer, now owned by Statkraft, with European residential and commercial offerings. Comparable solar leasing and installation business model outside the Netherlands; relevant for understanding how the model travels across European markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/solease.nl
• Xx.com/Solease
• Facebookfacebook.com/SoleaseBV
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/solease

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds8 records

Investors6 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Solease