Van Happen - Solarix | Kuijpers

The world of waste processing is continuously developing, with a growing focus on sustainability and circular thinking. For Van Happen, a prominent player in this sector, it was important that their facade not only reflected their environmentally friendly vision, but also made an active contribution to energy generation. The result is an innovative solar facade that symbolizes the principles of sustainability and waste management.

The facade design contains arrows that visualize the process of waste collection and sorting. These arrows consist of colored and lightweight circular solar panels from Solarge. The project serves as an inspiring example for the beautification and sustainability of industrial estates. According to Van Happen, the solar facade at their head office is not only an aesthetic improvement, but also a statement for sustainable entrepreneurship.

Solarge's innovative, 100% circular lightweight solar panels were chosen for this project. The facade contains two shades of gray in an enlarged dot pattern, which meets the aesthetic requirements of the area. In addition, green circular Solarge solar panels with a similar pattern have been used. Terra and ocher-colored panels have been added at the entrance for an extra visual accent.

A challenge within this project was the mounting system, because the substrate consisted of corrugated sheet sandwich panels and different types of panels were used. Thanks to an adjustment in the mounting system, this challenge was successfully overcome. This project has stimulated Solarge to think further about the development of circular solar facade panels and to take an important step towards a fully circular product.

The initiative for this special project came from Solarix and Van Happen. The research and development process was made possible in part by the “Brabant gives Energy” subsidy from the Province of North Brabant. The final realization was a collaboration between Kuijpers, Solarge, Avery Dennison, Omnimark, and Solarix.

Thanks to this collaboration, an innovative solar facade has been created that is expected to generate 13,500 kWh annually, which is equivalent to a CO2 reduction of 10,029 kg per year, comparable to the absorption of 432 trees. This project shows how sustainable technology can contribute to the circular economy and inspires other companies to take similar steps.