Roof of Rotterdam Ahoy is source of sustainable energy
Ahoy’s solar roof has been extended and from now on will be a source of solar energy. Alderman Arno Bonte, Eneco CEO As Tempelman and Ahoy director Jolanda Jansen inaugurated the solar roof. This was done by placing the last solar panel on the roof of the new Rotterdam Ahoy Convention Centre (RACC) and music/theatre venue RTM Stage. In total, there are now 5,200 solar panels in place. That is the equivalent of almost two football pitches of solar panels.
Making real estate more sustainable is one of the action points in the Rotterdam Climate Agreement that was concluded in 2019 between the municipality and more than 100 businesses and social organisations, including Eneco. The joint ambition is for Rotterdam to be CO2 neutral by 2050. The city will then obtain energy from clean, renewable sources such as solar energy. The growing Hart van Zuid district is looking upwards for this.
“In a densely populated city like Rotterdam, we can make good use of the space on roofs to generate renewable energy,” explains alderman Arno Bonte (Sustainability). “Our ambition is to have at least one million solar panels on Rotterdam roofs within five years. We are therefore helping homeowners and businesses to realise as many solar roofs as possible. And of course, as a municipality, we are also setting a good example with solar panels on our own buildings. The Ahoy roof with its 5,200 panels is a fantastic showcase for this.”
“This project is an excellent example of successful public-private collaboration aimed at achieving Rotterdam’s climate targets,” said As Tempelman, CEO of Eneco. “With an annual production of 1,755 MWh, the solar roof on Ahoy contributes significantly to the transition of making the energy supply of the city sustainable.”
For Ahoy director Jolanda Jansen, sustainability is a must: “Ahoy is a business with a long-term vision; we want future generations to also be able to enjoy all the beauty that we and the world have to offer. We are taking our responsibility for this. We can use the sustainable energy that is now being generated to supply large-scale events such as De Vrienden van Amstel LIVE!, the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament and North Sea Jazz with sustainable energy 195 days a year.”
Sustainable Hart van Zuid
In Hart van Zuid, solar energy is now being generated at various locations. Besides the Ahoy solar roof, the municipality has also invested in solar panels on the new Zuidplein Theatre (1,630 panels), which opened in September, and the pumping station along Zuiderparkweg (30 panels). RET has installed 518 solar panels at the Zuidplein metro station. Together with the solar roof on Ahoy, a total of 7,392 panels are now in place. And that's not including the panels of private individuals. The sun is providing Hart van Zuid with more and more energy.