Shell solar panels power world’s largest solar powered housing site

Nieuwland is a new suburb of Amersfoort in central Netherlands. The town is a transportation and manufacturing centre with restricted development in the old section of town. As a result, Amersfoort has developed several suburbs to its north. Nieuwland is of particular importance because the town council set itself the objective of constructing more than 500 of the total 5,000 homes to be as environmentally sustainable as possible.

Shell Renewables solar panels have been incorporated into:

• 69 houses
• two primary schools
• six weirs which control water levels in streams and other waterways
• a sports centre

“It is a visible demonstration of how solar power can be used to meet energy needs across a wide range of buildings, for example Europe’s solar powered sports centre,” said Willem-Jan van Wijk, CEO of Shell Solar.

Nieuwland is expected to have a population of more than 13,000 by 2008.