Grower Ties Verbaarschot is ramping up the share of renewable energy he can generate on his farms. For both the Someren and Helenaveen sites, he had barn roofs filled with solar panels. Now it is also the turn of the water basin at the cucumber grower in Someren. Bata Energy Solutions realized the project in Someren.
When we spoke to William Arends from Bata about it in mid-July, the installation team was busy laying the cabling, installation of the anchoring is imminent and the estimate is that the project will be ready in a fortnight. It is not the first project with solar panels for the enterprising grower. William: "Earlier this year, we also realized 3 PV installations on the roofs for this grower."
In total, the combination of solar panels on the roof and on the water basin provides the grower with 1.6 MWp of renewable electricity capacity. With the generation from the solar panels, the cucumber grower fills in a large part of his base load of energy and also supplies electricity back.
SDE subsidy
At the Lienden-based consultancy and installation company, they note that greenhouse horticulture is in high demand for renewable energy generation. "Especially at the moment, the purchase costs of solar panels are relatively low and it is very interesting to step in," they say.
SDE subsidies also help entrepreneurs make the move. Grower Ties also applied for SDE subsidies, William knows. "For this, he got help from his subsidy adviser. We support this application, but can also apply for such a subsidy completely ourselves for a customer if necessary." The SDE subsidy reimburses the difference between the cost price of generating green energy and the market price of energy. Or in William's words, "The SDE subsidy provides a floor price for 15 years of solar power."
System choice
But before that happens, the panels have to be installed on the water basin. And a system must be chosen. Bata Energy Solutions does not develop such floating systems itself but chooses what fits best with the customer. In Someren, a system from Connectum has been realized.
"We became active in constructing floating solar panel systems after requests from customers in the greenhouse industry," the energy specialist indicates. "Then we started looking into systems. Currently, we only realize projects with Connectum's system because, in our opinion, it is the best system for water basins."
The original Belgian system was chosen because it is maintenance-friendly and because the specialists at Bata like the cable management system. "The cables running from the panel to the inverter have to be good and safe, especially as you are dealing with cabling with water."
Also important: the system is easy to install. "You build the system per six panels at a time and not per individual panel. That also means that if the basin cover wears out once, you can take the system off the basin and put it back on much easier."
Transformer stations added
Bata specializes in turnkey delivery of PV systems, including also 'the heavy electrical work' in William's words. To optimally connect the system in Someren to the greenhouse situation, it was decided to add two transformer stations. "One for connecting the solar panels on the roof in Someren and one for the solar panels on the water basin."
When connecting, it is always a consideration to choose between alternating current or direct current, William points out a technical detail involved in turnkey delivery. "What works out best financially depends partly on how many meters you have to bridge with cables. One time a new transformer substation may be fine, while another time a low-voltage connection may be more economical." In Someren, also because of the plans of the grower who has space to add a new greenhouse, the decision was made to install new transformer stations.
Grower Ties has room to add a greenhouse. The placement of new transformer stations has already taken this into account.
A recent energy development is that battery systems are being looked at, also in greenhouse horticulture. With the current system choices, grower Ties is keeping that option open, although no battery will be added (yet).
Bata started with solar panels on roofs, has also started specializing in floating solar panel systems and energy storage systems, and nowadays also realizes charging plazas. "So should a customer also need this, we can help with this as well. Our mission is to provide SMEs in the Netherlands with energy solutions in the broadest sense of the word."
For more information:
William Arends
Bata Energy Solutions
Marsdijk 35
4033 CC Lienden
Tel: 06 82067910
[email protected]
[email protected]
www.bata-energysolutions.nl