01/09/2016
Van Straaten BV
VAN STRAATEN CUTS ITS ENERGY EMISSIONS BY HALF THANKS TO SOLAR ENERGY
Van Straaten has had 750 solar panels mounted on the roof of its experience centre, production halls and offices near Schiphol Airport. The innovative visual communication specialist can now meet 48% of its energy requirements autonomously. The firm aims to completely transition to renewable energy supply and be totally carbon neutral by 2020. Installation of solar panels is the first step in this plan. This will yield 187,000 Kwh of energy per year for Van Straaten, amounting to 48% of the total annual energy consumed by the visual branding specialist. In phase 2, the rest of the roof will be kitted out and the full roof will then generate more energy than the Van Straaten plant uses and the surplus will be fed back to Green Choice, to bolster sustainability in the community.
Director Niels van Straaten: “Fitting solar panels is the logical next step in the sustainability drive that we have been on for a few years now. Our premises are already fully equipped with energy-saving LED lighting and our heating is carbon neutral: we use wood pellet stoves instead of those voracious gas boilers. Our goal is a net-zero carbon footprint by 2020. Sustainability is also a strategic factor in our investments: we ensure that the latest sustainable technologies, commodities and materials are added to our assortment as soon as possible. For example, our most recent acquisition, the largest sublimation printer in the world, is incredibly economical in terms of both printed textile and ink. The upshot is that each print job has the smallest possible impact on the environment. Our approach to our partners and suppliers is the same: the whole chain must be as green as possible. We aspire to be a trendsetter, not only in visual communication, but also in sustainability.”
Director Niels van Straaten: “Fitting solar panels is the logical next step in the sustainability drive that we have been on for a few years now. Our premises are already fully equipped with energy-saving LED lighting and our heating is carbon neutral: we use wood pellet stoves instead of those voracious gas boilers. Our goal is a net-zero carbon footprint by 2020. Sustainability is also a strategic factor in our investments: we ensure that the latest sustainable technologies, commodities and materials are added to our assortment as soon as possible. For example, our most recent acquisition, the largest sublimation printer in the world, is incredibly economical in terms of both printed textile and ink. The upshot is that each print job has the smallest possible impact on the environment. Our approach to our partners and suppliers is the same: the whole chain must be as green as possible. We aspire to be a trendsetter, not only in visual communication, but also in sustainability.”