Solar Power to the people

“We are carrying out a unique energy system in Nieuwegein- Utrecht. Nine hundred homes, equipped with solar cells and rainwater harvesting systems, and a solar farm of 8.6 megawatt peak (MWp) and rain harvesting, will together produce 10 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity and 60,000 cubic meters of
rainwater every year. This will allow us to meet all of the energy needs of these homes – for heating and electricity as well as transport. We will also meet the
needs for demiwater, which is ultra-pure water, for the production of hydrogen. The demiwater will moreover be used in dishwashers and washing machines in
the homes, with the added benefit of decreasing detergent use. Thanks to subsurface storage, the system can satisfy the demand for heat and demiwater at any time of the year. This is how we will bring Solar Power to the People!
Solar Power to the People, bringing the energy of the sun to the people: that is what a sustainable energy and water system is all about. In one hour the sun
gives us more energy than the world consumes in one year. There is enough sustainable energy, the issue is how to make use of this energy in the right form, at the right place and at the right moment.”

(Citaat: van Wijk, A., van der Roest, E., Boere, J.A. – Solar Power to the people – ISBN:978-90-827637-0-6 (2017))