Solar Park Meerdorpen
In April 2021, we contributed to the funding of a new community owned solar park developed by local energy cooperative Grunneger Power.
Solar Park Meerdorpen was completed in 2020, and at the same time Grunneger Power ran a community funding campaign to find residents willing to help fund the park.
A group of 100 private citizens and local small businesses ended up providing the funding for the park. Electricity generated here is sold to the regional non-profit energy company Energie VanOns, and it is used to power approximately 250 homes in the direct vicinity of the park.
Due to measures related to the Corona pandemic of 2020 and 2021, the official opening ceremony of the new park had to be postponed for some time. On April 21, 2022, Erik Geurts was invited to represent all investors in a modest but joyful ceremony, marking the completion of the park and start of production. He joined junior mayor Samuel of the city of Groningen, Grunneger Power chairperson Barbara Huneman, and councilman Philip Broeksma of the city of Groningen, to mark this occasion.
“Generating energy locally, for your own region, is a necessity to speed up the transition to sustainability and renewables. It makes us all less dependent on fossil fuel that has to be imported from far away.
I’m proud to have been able to contribute to this project. And besides, it’s a very good investment with a stable long term return. Everyone wins!”
Zonnepark Meerdorpen, marked here at the top right corner in the photo, is part of a much large park called Roodehaan, owned and operated by a commercial for-profit developer.
Meerdorpen itself boosts approximately 2,250 panels. Our investment represents an estimated annual electricity production of 63 MWh, which is around 15% of the total annual production of solar park Meerdorpen.