The panels, which generate a total of 132 kilowatt-hour (kWh), allow Beekenkamp Plants to supply most of the electricity used by the Research & Development Centre’s operations itself. “Generating power when the sun shines that we then use to run all the growing cells, phytotrons and cooling cells again; I’m proud of that,” says Marc Driessen, director of Beekenkamp Plants Ornamentals.
The installation of solar panels was not conceived overnight during the current electricity crisis. “Even during the design phase of the Research & Development Centre, the future installation of solar panels was taken into account. For instance, Royal Brinkman, installer and also designer of the Research & Development Centre, calculated the extra weight of the solar panels even before the construction of the building. In addition, the main switchboard was already equipped with PV groups, which ensure that the solar energy is distributed appropriately,” explains Erik van Velden, project supervisor of technical services.
The installation of the 387 solar panels is another great step towards a sustainable, energy-neutral future. The next step in this? The geothermal heat project, which Beekenkamp is also affiliated with.
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