Crowd funding Dutch solar farms

A photo from the Parc Cynog solar farm in Wales. Adding a solar farm to wind farms means that the existing infrastructure and grid connection can be shared and both make best use of the opportunities and what little space is available. 

The crowd funding programme means that customers and others can invest in solar energy and contribute to the installation of a solar farm. This initiative is part of Vattenfall's aim to be fossil-free within one generation and allows people without a roof or other suitable area for solar panels to contribute to more sustainable electricity production.

To begin with, shares can be bought in a solar farm that will be developed at the Dutch Velsen-Noord power plant, but the intention is that this facility will be followed by solar farms in Eemshaven and Amsterdam. Vattenfall subsidiary Nuon wants to use this crowd funding initiative to take another important step towards sustainable energy production along with customers.

Active contribution to sustainability

Some time ago, Nuon employees received a similar offer to contribute to sustainable energy production through the "ZonSamenproject" (SunTogether project) that placed solar panels on the roof of the company's head office in Amsterdam and on the Hemweg power plant. Following on from that success, Nuon now wants to invest in solar energy with customers and other environment conscious people in the Netherlands.

Vattenfall Head of BA Customers and Solutions, Martijn Hagens, is pleased with the offer: "We increasingly experience that our customers want to actively contribute to sustainability. "Nuon Samen in Zon" is perfect for consumers and small businesses who don't have the opportunity to buy or rent solar panels themselves but still want to enjoy sun generated electricity with us."

Invest in solar energy

Nuon is, among other things, active in the field of solar energy. Recently, an SDE+ Subsidy (Stimulating Sustainable Energy Production) was awarded for the Haringvliet solar farm in South Holland. Over the next two years, Vattenfall will be investing 100 million Euro in solar panels and in developing decentralised solar power generation, both for private individuals and on the roofs of businesses.

Existing facilities

Now "Nuon Samen in Zon" is taking off. The big advantage of constructing a solar plant at an existing energy site is that the existing infrastructure and grid connection can be used. Energy production is already part of the land-use plan for the site, which means that the wind farm can make best use of the opportunities and what little space is available.