Solar park Wijkerbroek
The Netherlands
Impact
Renewable energy
The total capacity of Solar Park Wijkerbroek is 18.1 MWp. It produces approximately 16,700 MWh per year, which is enough to power over 5,500 households.
Sustainable farming
Six farmers each gave up a piece of land for this initiative, 16.3 hectares in total. One of them uses his sheep to graze the herb-rich grassland on these lower-quality agricultural plots – naturally.
Biodiversity
All ditches through and along the park will be provided with natural banks. We expect the locally occurring but rare moor frog to make its home here, where it can feast on the insects that will be attracted to the rest of this naturally designed park.
Local community
Local energy cooperative EWEC is joint owner of the Solar Park. In addition, the Solar Park will contribute a sum of EUR 4,000 a year to the local environmental fund for the next 15 years.
Local community
Sunvest developed Solar Park Wijkerbroek in partnership with local energy cooperative EWEC. When designing the park, much attention was paid both to local environmental development and to the local community’s needs and wishes. As a result, a public footpath crosses right across the solar park, so that local residents can now take a stroll through their neighbourhood in the evening. No less than two hectares of the 15-hectare site has been reserved for greenery, including fruit trees, wide thickets and winter feeding fields for the birds.
What the energy cooperative says
EWEC
‘It will take some time before you can really see it, because you know thickets, bushes, knotted willows, coppice groves, traditional-variety fruit trees and a winter feeding field? They all need time to grow. There are also ecological embankments and reed banks. This is how we make sure we consider nature’s needs and make the solar park a less intrusive part of the landscape. You can come and experience it yourself: there are departure points for cyclists, meandering footpaths and picnic benches too.’
