// Westvlees Belgium
Solar carports bifacial modules for 300 cars, with EV charging and water management, in Flanders fields.
Menapy, Izen and the Belgian Pork Group cooperate to produce 1 GWh of solar power above 300 parking spots with EV charging, water management, and the welcomed shading in the increasingly warmer Belgian summers.
Tom Pollyn, Menapy: “Menapy helps industrial companies to become more sustainable and to save on energy costs without the investment. With our "Solar as a Service" we take care of all studies, development, financing, construction, insurance and maintenance, while our customers enjoy sustainable and competitively priced solar power. Every solar park is a reference, and this one is outstanding thanks to the combination with EV charging and water management. There are similar projects being prepared for construction in the near future: in Belgium, Spain and Italy.”
Jo Van Beek, IZEN: “This is a challenging and interesting project because it involves a special collaboration between three parties. Westvlees purchases green energy from the developer and IPP Menapy, but that is not the only reason why this meat processing company opts for renewable energy. The solar carports provide almost 1 GWh of solar power per year, which is the equivalent of the annual electricity consumption of about 300 families. This is possible since IZEN applied bifacial solar panels, catching light from both sides: sunlight at the top and ambient light at the bottom.”
Anthony Van Eeckhout, WestVlees: “Westvlees needs a lot of cooling and given its location, many employees come to work by car. The staff of Westvlees works all day long in a particularly cool environment and finding your car charged in the shade after a long day of work is definitely a bonus. For many years now, Westvlees has been committed to making energy and water consumption more sustainable, and this installation fits perfectly within the company philosophy. On-site electricity production is not the only aspect: rainwater from the solar carports is collected and cleaned for use in business operations.”