Solar park Cothen
The Netherlands
Impact
Renewable energy
The capacity of Solar Park Cothen is 14 MWp. It produces approximately 13,000 MWh per year, which is enough to power over 4,000 households.
Sustainable farming
The 11.4-hectare site, once a fruit tree orchard, was converted into a solar park in 2022 after the trees became economically unviable, allowing the owner a more relaxed lifestyle.
Biodiversity
Historically this plot was an area that the little owl used to hunt in. The natural integration of the solar park means these owls can still find more than enough to eat here. The many owl droppings you see between the panels also shows they like perching there!
Local community
The local energy cooperative EWEC has issued a 250,000 euro bond to the park that pays a good rate of interest. The sum in question was raised by 60 participants, more than a third of whom come from Cothen itself.
What the landowner says
Gerard Vernooij
‘Sunvest understands both the world of farming and the world of renewable energy. A properly designed solar park like this one benefits both myself and the local neighbourhood.’
