Plant nursery opts for Pon Cat PV solar system
The P. van Geest plant nursery is a modern plant nursery dedicated to the production of vegetable plants, especially the cultivation of tomato and pepper plants. Pon Power installed a PV solar system of almost 1,000 Caterpillar solar panels at this beautiful enterprise in Maasland.
Sustainable cultivation and energy saving
Van Geest has been working on sustainability and energy saving for many years now. A great example is its connection to a geothermal heating system. Warm water at a depth of 2,800 metres is used to heat eight horticultural enterprises in a renewable fashion through heat exchangers. A huge amount of gas has been saved as a result. Another example are the advanced screens used to retain heat even better in the greenhouses.
General Manager Thijs Hermans of Plantenkwekerij P. van Geest has this to say: ‘It's not only us who think sustainable cultivation and energy savings are important. The entire greenhouse sector is already doing a huge amount in this area. In addition, the self-generation of sustainable energy is becoming increasingly important in our sector. Investing in a PV solar installation was therefore a logical step for us.’
“Pon Power's approach is very serious and precise. We went through all possible configurations together and then the quotation was explained in detail here at the table. That made it easy for us to make a quick decision.”
Identifying what is required
“First of all, we identified what was needed and what we found important,’ Thijs Hermans continues. ‘Our list of requirements included, amongst other things, that the solar panels should have a minimum capacity of 375 Wp per panel. We also wanted a product warranty of at least 10 years and guaranteed power of at least 80% after 25 years based on a linear power drop. The solar panel brand had to have been in production for at least five years, so that one has some type of track record at any rate. We also wanted a monitoring system for the remote reading and storage of system performance and for notifications of failures or errors involving specific components.”
“Pon Power supplied and installed the Caterpillar PVC430-460 MP03 H business solar panels, including the monitoring system. Cat solar panels are built in a special way, which ensures that the yield remains high.”
The Pon Cat PV solar system proved to be the most cost-effective
“After determining our needs and requirements, we entered a quotation process and compared a number of providers side by side,’ says Thijs. ‘There was a significant difference between the power that could be delivered and the price of the solar panels. Pon Cat's PV solar system turned out to be the most cost-effective and they were also able to give us the guarantees that we had requested . Yet that is not the only thing that determined our choice."
“We also find it very important to work with a major party that has both the knowledge and the components in-house. In addition, Pon Power's approach is very serious and precise. We went through all possible configurations together and then the quotation was explained in detail here at the table. That made it easy for us to make a quick decision.’ This was really good, as we wanted to execute this project at short notice, which Pon Power was fortunately able to do.”
“The Van Geest sandwich deck roof is south-west oriented, with a pitch of 21.7. The anticipated annualised yield of the PV solar system which we installed on this roof is around 407,000 kWh.”
Good collaboration
Marcel Ameling, the Cat Solar Account Manager at Pon Power, puts it this way: ‘It was great working with Thijs and Van Geest from the outset. We got off to a flying start and were then able to move on quickly. Our team delivered and installed the Caterpillar PVC430-460 MP03 H business solar panels, including the monitoring system. These solar panels have an output of 450 Wp per panel and are built in a special way, with the result that the yields remain high.
Gerdo Rutten, the EPG Project Manager at Pon Power, adds: Of course, the amount of electricity you can generate with solar panels also depends on the available roof area, the location of the business premises and the slope of the roof. “The Van Geest sandwich deck roof is south-west oriented, with a pitch of 21.7. The anticipated annualised yield of the PV solar system which we installed on this roof is around 407,000 kWh.”
A single professional party that rapidly takes care of everything
“Pon Power quickly took care of everything," Thijs Hermans concludes, "from the assessment to the handover. Absolutely everything about process went smoothly. Only the heavy rain caused some delay. It should be clear that we are very happy with our PV solar system and with Pon Power!”
A few figures at a glance
80%
Van Geest wanted guaranteed power of at least 80% after 25 years.
10 jaar
In addition, Van Geest wanted a product warranty for at least 10 years.
5 jaar
The solar panel brand had to be in production for at least five years, so that one has some type of track record.
430-460
Pon Power supplied and installed the Caterpillar PVC430-460 MP03 H solar panel
450 Wp
The Caterpillar solar panels which we supplied have an output of 450 Wp per panel.
407.000
The anticipated annualised yield of this PV solar system is about 407,000 kWh.