At the beginning of April this year, Dutch full service solar company KiesZon started construction on the largest single roof solar project of the Netherlands, mid-July the project reached its completion and was subsequently connected to the grid. Some 28,000 panels were placed on the roof of a distribution center in Venlo amounting to a yearly yield of 7,000,000 kWh.
The roof of the distribution center has a surface area of over 80,000 square meters and has been almost completely covered with solar panels in the last 3 months. The 28,000 panels generate roughly 7,000,000 kWh of renewable energy each year. That is, by way of comparison, enough green energy to provide 2,000 (average) households with a years’ worth of electricity. Approximately half of the generated energy will ‘stay’ in the distribution center itself, bringing clean and green energy to its user. The remaining electricity is offered to companies and residents in the (Greenport) Venlo area.
The foundation of the enormous solar project was laid by Etriplus, who developed a sustainability plan. Etriplus then reached an agreement with KiesZon, a subsidiary of Dutch green energy supplier Greenchoice, with regard to constructing the project. KiesZon also took care of the development, financing and exploitation of the project.
The Province of Limburg, where Venlo is located, also played a significant part in the realization of the immense solar project. The Province contributed financially to cover additional costs of the construction of the roof and the connection to the grid. This contribution shows how ambitious the Province of Limburg is regarding sustainable energy.