Power for +/- 450 Enschede households

The available space on the three hangars will be put to good use: a total of about 3,000 solar panels will be installed with a total area of over 6,000 m2. These will produce an annual output of +/- 1.3 million kWh; enough for about 450 households. In comparison, all the solar panels installed throughout Schiphol generate about 1.9 million kWh.

The construction will be realised by Herstructureringsmaatschappij Overijssel (HMO) and financially supported by a subsidy from the Sustainable Energy Production Incentive Scheme (SDE+). Coöperatie Enschede Energie will own and operate the solar panels and ensure that the power generated is supplied to the residents of Enschede. A major advantage of Technology Base is that, with the recent construction of a main distribution station, the available grid capacity is more than sufficient to supply back to the grid, unlike other industrial estates. 

Placement on roofs

Technology Base chooses to use existing rooftops. The free field where solar panels are often suggested has too many limitations. Aviation legislation requires a large obstacle-free zone and new land is also targeted as a development location. In addition, Technology Base is committed to preserving ecological and social values on and around the area. For instance, there is a task to maintain the skylark population, which lives in the open grass landscape on Technology Base and the adjacent nature reserve. Their habitat is unsuitable for the installation of solar panels. 

Technology Base

It is not the first building at Technology Base whose roofs will be used for solar panels. The already converted shelters previously used to store F16 fighter planes have been completely all-electric converted and developed into modern sustainable office premises for companies. Technology Base's ambition is to also equip the roofs of newly developed buildings with solar panels.

Enschede Energie 

Sustainable energy cooperative Enschede Energie provides support for the solar project and know-how on sustainable energy generation. Chairman Jeroen Jansen is enthusiastic about this new solar project: ‘It is the largest solar roof our cooperative has realised so far, so we are very proud of it. We can provide green power to many Enschedeans with this.’ He continues: ‘Incidentally, more solar projects from Enschede Energie are on the way. In almost all projects, Enschedeans living in the area can benefit financially if they sign up as participants. We really go for the local connection, as a cooperative we find that very important.’

Technology Base is happy that in this way it can contribute to a sustainable solution that is also socially embedded.

Restructuring Company Overijssel (HMO)

An energy-neutral Overijssel in 2050, that is the goal of the province of Overijssel. Using energy from biomass, wind, soil and sun. For company roofs, the aim is to have 160 hectares of roofs fitted with solar panels by 2023. Together with the province of Overijssel, HMO is working hard to realise this ambition. The solar panels on the roofs of Technology Base's hangars are a nice step towards realising that ambition.