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Solar panels are usually installed on the roof. But if the rooftop system doesn’t generate enough power, you’ll need to look for an alternative. For the Water op Park 20|20 building in Hoofddorp, a second location was therefore considered: the facade. Wattco, based in Maasdijk, engineered a comprehensive plan featuring solar panels on both the roof and the facade, which complements the building’s design.
Normally, Wattco installs solar panels on sloped and flat roofs, but for this building, the client asked for more. “Generally, we install solar panels on roofs. Here, the client wanted to incorporate something into the facade because the power generation requirement couldn’t be met by the roof alone,” explains Daan van der Valk of Wattco. From that point on, Wattco collaborated on the design of the unique wing-shaped panels. This resulted in a system of custom-made solar panels. Every few meters on each floor, a wing protrudes from the facade, incorporating the solar panels. This allows the building to meet building code requirements while maintaining a sleek overall appearance. “That makes it a very special building for us.”
A total of 550 solar panels will be installed on the roof and 300 operational panels in the facade wings. This requires more than a standard installation plan, as wind loads, technical considerations, and the building’s structure all play a role. “As an installer, you need to have patience and in-house engineering expertise for a project like this,” says Van der Valk. Wattco has that expertise. The company works with facade panels, roof systems, and all types of solar panels, and joined this project early on to contribute that experience. “We got in touch with our client, Kondor Wessels, early on and were already at the table during the initial discussions.” Since the summer, Wattco has been handling the engineering for the facade wings and the rooftop system. That requires a great deal of coordination, expertise, and patience.
Van der Valk notes that this kind of role fits a changing market. Installing solar panels requires more and more expertise and consultation, which means that professional installers are being brought into the construction process earlier and more frequently. “Like us, so that we can truly contribute ideas for the most innovative solutions.” To stay ahead of the curve, Wattco maintains close contact with clients, business partners, and suppliers, and the company prioritizes quality and long-term relationships. “The visible satisfaction among our colleagues when a project—after all that preparation—finally gets underway and proceeds successfully is truly wonderful.”
In the summer, a solar panel system usually generates much more electricity than it consumes. To prevent all that electricity from feeding back into the grid, Wattco chose an inverter that is designed for smart control and expansion with energy storage. The system measures the building’s energy needs—from constant demand to peaks caused by charging devices or heat pumps—and can activate or deactivate the solar panels accordingly. The next step in self-consumption is energy storage. Through its sister company Battco, Wattco has been active in the battery market for years. “What’s stored during the day can be used in the evening. In the long run, that will be essential.‘ An energy management system (EMS) ensures that you make the best possible use of your own solar energy.
Behind all of this lies a single idea: making customers as independent as possible from the power grid, using smart systems that generate, utilize, and store their own electricity. Wattco and Battco work together with the customer to take that next step—such as controlling a water heater or heat pump. “Solar panels, energy storage systems, and charging stations all speak the same language. A water-based appliance, such as a heat pump, speaks a different one. Development is moving quickly in this area, so heat pumps and water heaters will soon become part of an EMS as well.”
