The Flemish energy market is on the verge of a major shift. Starting 1 April 2026, The Flemish government will most certainly no longer grant green energy certificates during any quarter-hour period in which the electricity price turns negative. What may have seemed like a rare market anomaly until recently will soon have a direct financial impact on producers of renewable energy. Where support once guaranteed stability, smart control is becoming the new business model.
What will change exactly?
Today, producers of solar, wind or biogas electricity still receive green energy certificates for every megawatt-hour generated. That support, however, disappears as soon as the market price drops below zero. Previously, this required several consecutive hours of negative prices, but from April 2026 onward, just one negative quarter-hour is enough to lose the certificate for that period. This means that one 15-minute interval with negative prices may now be the difference between profit and loss.
The impact will be strongest for larger installations (above 200 kW), although even smaller producers will increasingly feel the pressure as the market evolves. The message from the Flemish government is clear: the future is not about producing more, but producing smarter.
Why this change?
The measure aims to improve how the energy market functions during periods of overproduction. On sunny or windy days with low demand, excess power floods the grid, pushing prices down, sometimes even below zero. Until now, installations could still receive subsidies during these moments, meaning that support was paid out even when the market itself was in the red.
By suspending GSCs during negative quarter-hour prices, Flanders aims to:
- Reduce unnecessary market distortion caused by subsidies at times of oversupply.
- Encourage producers to make their energy more flexible.
Flexibility as the new revenue model
The energy transition is no longer only about producing renewable power, it is about producing it intelligently. Those who can align their production, storage and consumption with market conditions will maintain profitability, even without subsidies. This is where energy flexibility becomes essential.
Energy flexibility means you can dynamically adjust your production, usage and storage in response to price signals. When prices are negative, you consume or store, when prices rise, you inject or sell. In doing so, you protect your revenues while supporting a more stable energy system.
How the Endustries software by Entras makes the difference
With the intelligent energy flexibility software developed by Entras, volatility becomes an advantage, not a risk. Our Endustries software by Entras responds to real-time market prices and automatically controls your energy flows:
- During negative prices: the system activates local consumption (charging-boilers, heat pumps, hot & cold buffers) and modulates local production (combined heat & power (CHP) engines, solar panels, wind turbines) to absorb excess production.
- During positive prices: it optimises export and leverages high-price intervals to maximise revenues.
- Continuously: it balances production, storage and consumption using live market data, weather forecasts and your operational profile.
Every quarter-hour becomes an opportunity. Instead of depending on support, you generate value through smart control.
What does this mean for producers of renewable energy?
The new regulation is not a threat, it is a signal. Companies that prepare now will be better positioned than ever. Because with energy flexibility, you gain the ability to:
- Minimise losses during negative price intervals
- Capture additional revenues during peak price periods
- Avoid or optimise curtailment or grid congestion limitations
- Future-proof your installation in a market that shifts every 15 minutes
Ready for 2026? The time to act is now.
The shift from support to smart control is coming fast. Companies that start building flexibility today will outperform those that wait. Entras provides the technology that doesn’t just monitor, it moves with the market. The question is not whether flexibility will matter, but whether you will be ready in time.
Want to learn more?
Request you free flexibility scan today and discover how your installation can benefit from tomorrow’s energy market.
