At Group Van Vooren, one integrated energy system brings together solar panels, battery storage, charging infrastructure and smart control.
Group Van Vooren
Zelzate
Realisation · Zelzate
From environmental specialist to energy pioneer
At Group Van Vooren, Powerland brought solar panels, battery storage, charging infrastructure and energy management together in one integrated energy system.
Client
Group Van Vooren
Location
Zelzate · Canal Zone
Sector
Soil and environmental research · TIC
Solution
Solar panels, battery storage, charging infrastructure and energy management
Key figures and installation
2,500
Solar panels
696 kWh
Battery storage
42
Charging points
300 kW
Alpitronic HYC 300
Sustainability as a business ambition
Group Van Vooren is an all-round TIC specialist: it tests, inspects and certifies, and investigates soil, water and air quality across Flanders. With around 80 employees, four locations and a new office building in Zelzate, it has become a reference in its sector.
The company has invested in heat pumps, solar panels and smart energy control, combined with an energy contract. Its ambition was to run its entire operation on self-generated renewable energy and make its fleet fully electric by 2026.
The new office building also has a distinctive indoor climate designed to aim for air quality comparable to the Black Forest. In time, Group Van Vooren aims to use the air system to improve air quality in the surrounding area.
One energy system for the entire site
The ambition covers the offices, laboratories, charging infrastructure and vehicle fleet. That requires energy generation, storage, consumption and charging to work together. The installation also had to be prepared for future expansion.
The charging points are publicly accessible 24/7 for employees, visitors and passers-by. The site at Industriepark Rosteyne also accommodates larger vehicles such as trucks and buses, on the Antwerp–Knokke and Netherlands–Ghent route.
What Powerland delivered
Powerland integrated energy generation, storage, charging points, electrical infrastructure and control. This gave Group Van Vooren one integrator for the different parts of the project.
Solar panels and battery storage
The 2,500 solar panels generate renewable electricity for the company’s operations, including its offices, laboratory and charging infrastructure. Three liquid-cooled Elecnova battery cabinets provide a total storage capacity of 696 kWh and 315 kW of power. The system is designed to store surplus solar energy and use it later when demand peaks, rather than feed it back to the grid at lower rates.
Public charging for 42 vehicles
Powerland installed 40 smart ETREL AC charging points and an Alpitronic HYC 300 fast charger rated at 300 kW, with two CCS connectors. Together, they provide 42 charging points. Battery storage and smart control are designed to help absorb demand peaks and manage the available energy.
Electrical infrastructure and room to expand
A 1,000 kVA medium-voltage substation forms the basis of the electrical infrastructure, together with a low-voltage distribution board and grid disconnection. The installation is prepared for future expansion.
Smart energy management
The Phoenix Contact MINT platform with Advanced AI functionality coordinates energy sources and consumers and monitors the balance on the electricity grid. Its control takes account of generation, consumption and grid conditions.
One partner for the full project
Powerland is Vandotec Group’s energy and charging infrastructure division. For Group Van Vooren, its team integrated solar energy, battery storage, charging infrastructure, grid connection and energy management, from engineering and installation through to control. Powerland brings experience in residential, commercial and industrial, and utility-scale projects, supported by its own installation team.
