A disputed solar panel installation that dazzled pilots with reflections and forced closures on sunny days at one of Europe’s busiest airports has found a reprieve in the face of demolition demands.
Originally an initiative from four Dutch landowners, the Groene Energie Corridor (DGEC) is run by Benelux energy firm Energy Solutions Group, and occupies around 100 hectares situated immediately below busy runways at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport. It can generate approximately 123 GWh of green energy annually, which is equivalent to the energy consumption of approximately 40,000 households.
But earlier this year, the solar farm had been threatened with removal due to the disruption caused by significant glare from its panels, which pilots said were affecting visibility and endangering planes and passengers.
Courts heard that the DGEC panels, put into place in 2024, were not textured enough to limit reflections and therefore were unsuitable for the location, in violation of the firm’s duty of social care and legal responsibilities to the airport. Around a third of the installation was ordered to be removed.
But removing the installation comes at a huge cost, and could risk potential bankruptcy for the owners, who, while cooperating with authorities, have argued that they undertook extensive research prior to construction, based on internationally recognised Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) guidelines and had received positive feedback from stakeholders and expert assessments, including one from the Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR).
They also pointed out on their website that the solar farm’s design keeps at least 25% of the land remaining green and maintains “unobstructed views from the polder ribbons” while possessing “flower-rich grassland and kilometres of green borders, which enhance biodiversity with flower and butterfly meadows and elephant grass.”
Now, to avoid unsustainable losses to the DGEC, which invested €90 million in the project in 2024 and had raised €125 million, the park’s panels, instead of being demolished, will be temporarily taken down, covered with an anti-reflection film, and put back into position.
After intensive consultations, Schiphol, De Groene Energie Corridor (DGEC), the municipality of Haarlemmermeer and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (I&W) have found a solution for the solar park located beneath the approach routes of the Polderbaan and…
— Schiphol (@Schiphol) August 21, 2025
The costs reportedly will be shared by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, Schiphol, the municipality of Haarlemmermeer, and DGEC, as long as the proposed solution is given the green light by the Haarlemmermeer council.
Bert Creemers, director of DGEC and CEO of Energy Solutions Group, said in a press release: “The energy transition sometimes presents challenging issues. Thanks to the excellent cooperation with all parties involved, we can combine sustainable energy and aviation safety.”
