A current and constantly recurring theme is sustainability, and of course, we don't want and can't afford to lag behind in developments regarding sustainability. The last couple of years, with future prospects in mind, the Voorwinden group has invested in sustainability in various areas.
It started a few years ago with the construction of a new building. Prior to and during the construction, careful consideration was given to the sustainable solutions that were possible at that time.
The starting point was choosing the right materials to construct a well-insulated, energy-efficient building. Additionally, we installed over 1,400 solar panels on the roof of the building. These panels are sufficient to provide green electricity year-round for the workshop, the office, and the electric cars.
More recently, we equipped the building with a heat pump. With the acquisition of the heat pump, we have become completely independent of external energy sources. Now, we can heat the building, including the workshop, canteen, and office, in a more environmentally friendly way during the cold months. The heat pump is powered by green electricity generated by our own solar panels.
Despite everything being powered by solar energy in and around the building, there was always a portion that was fed back into the grid. Additionally, once the sun was down, we still needed power from the grid. This was not an ideal situation, and we wanted to find a solution for it. Eventually, we turned to Battiq. Battiq installed a battery pack for us earlier this year.
This battery pack can store solar energy generated during the day, allowing us to use it outside of sun hours. As a result, we can still charge the electric cars with solar power in the evening. Additionally, any electricity used by equipment and installations inside the building during the evening will still be sourced from solar energy.
With investments in the battery and the heat pump, we have made our energy consumption circular. In the coming years, we will closely monitor the technologies for sustainability and greening, and where possible, invest in and make adjustments to stay up-to-date with sustainability.
