The Green Box Cleantech Campus: Innovation and Growth in Q4
The Green Box Cleantech Campus: Innovation and Growth in Q4
Welcome to the latest quarterly update from The Green Box Cleantech Campus. Every day, we strive, together with our tenants and partners, to make our campus a great home for clean tech experts and other sustainable energy enthusiasts.
With a mix of talented cleantech experts, scale-ups, and established companies, The Green Box provides businesses with ample space to accelerate the energy transition. On our campus, you'll find not only office spaces but also numerous meters of laboratories and production space where the energy transition comes to life.
Furthermore, we actively promote knowledge sharing, not only among companies but also with students, schoolchildren, and anyone interested in learning more about the energy transition. Last but not least, we are committed to making The Green Box Campus itself even more sustainable. With an impressive array of 18,000 solar panels, 40 intelligently controlled charging points, and a green environment for people and animals, we are well on our way to setting an example for others.
In the fourth quarter, a lot has happened again. We categorize these events into the following three areas:
- Large-scale relocation of Super B.
- Further sustainability efforts on our campus: EF charging and green roofs.
- Connecting and sharing knowledge: AI, the fire department, and Twente goes Techno at The Green Box.
Large-scale relocation of Super B
With a staff of over 80 employees, Super B has grown into a significant player on our campus. Although Super B's office has been present at The Green Box for some time, production was previously conducted elsewhere. It was high time for Super B to establish the necessary storage and production space on our campus. As The Green Box, we are proud to offer our tenants the opportunities for further growth and development.
In early 2023, the first steps were taken to provide 4,125 m2 of production and storage space. Following a thorough renovation, the time had finally come. Both the production, storage, and office spaces are now located close to each other.
"We feel at home at The Green Box cleantech campus. It's great to be part of the energy transition. Not only on paper but also by being physically present at The Green Box. Here, we have the space to grow, and the facilities and environment provide the ideal setting to achieve our ambitions," said Lennart Bolderick, CFO of Super B.
In early December, Super B opened its doors for a festive inauguration in the production space. With over two hundred enthusiastic visitors, including family and cleantech experts on our campus, it was a highly successful event.
Further sustainability efforts on our campus
In addition to rewarding electric car drivers, we have recently started rewarding electric bike riders on our campus. Furthermore, we have created a literal greening within the energy transition at The Green Box: recently, sedum has been adorning the roofs of our transformer houses. And that has proven to be a 'green' starting shot for the other 100,000 transformer houses in the Netherlands: Batenburg Energietechniek recently also installed a sedum roof on a transformer house.
Free solar power for your electric bike on our campus
In addition to our 40 AC and DC charging points with favorable charging rates near the main entrance, we have recently started rewarding electric cyclists on our cleantech campus with comfort and solar power.
In our new central bike shed, E-bikers can now charge their bikes for free with solar power. This is made possible by 59 solar panels installed as walls along the bike shed. Mark Boon from Koolen Energy Project, who realized the project, explains: "The old bike shed was relocated, and the old wooden sides needed to be replaced. We saw this as a great opportunity to use solar panels with a dual function. A solar panel is no longer just a product that can only be placed on a roof. It is a fantastic replacement for other materials that do not generate sustainable energy and gives a beautiful appearance to the outside world."
The 59 solar panels of the bike shed have a total capacity of 25,370 Wp and are expected to generate more than enough solar power to charge dozens of E-bikes daily.
Exclusive: Sedum roofs on our transformer substations
The Netherlands counts 100,000 transformer substations, and due to our increasing demand for energy, this number will double in the coming years to 200,000. Normally, these transformer substations are made of gray concrete, but recently, two transformer substations on our cleantech campus have been adorned with beautiful green sedum roofs.
The Green Box, NatureGreen, and www.groentrafohuisje.nl joined forces to come up with a literal greening within the energy transition. The transformer substation sedum roof was born, and the exclusive debut can be witnessed on our cleantech campus. The sedum roof offers many benefits, as explained by Raymond Blankenstijn of NatureGreen during the market consultation held on our campus.
- The indoor climate of the transformer substation remains more stable thanks to the sedum roof: 5 degrees cooler in the summer and 2 degrees warmer in the winter.
- The green roof provides food and shelter for birds and insects, thus benefiting biodiversity.
- Last but not least: It allows for the preservation of green surfaces during the installation of electrical systems and cables, which is an important prerequisite in many municipalities in the Netherlands.
During the market consultation meeting, major players such as Kenter, Fudura, Alliander, NL Greenlabel, Krinkels, and the Municipality of Hengelo could see with their own eyes how easy to install and effective the sedum roof is.
As a result of this market consultation, Fudura and Kenter decided to conduct further research together on the indoor climate in transformer substations. A sedum roof has also been installed at a Batenburg energy station in Twello.
At The Green Box, we facilitate such Proof of Concepts and market consultations that accelerate and promote the sustainability of the energy transition! Together we are stronger.
Connecting and sharing knowledge
At The Green Box, we strive to facilitate encounters and share knowledge about the energy transition. Over the past period, we have successfully organized various events. From engaging 120 young talents in understanding the energy transition to learning how to handle and apply AI to real-life cases.
Learning to apply the AI revolution in daily tasks
In our modern society, AI has become indispensable. We can already experience how AI optimizes energy consumption, enables predictive maintenance, and intelligently utilizes innovation processes. This results in revolutionary solutions that promote the energy transition. However, effectively managing this rapidly evolving technology requires some expertise.
That's why we at The Green Box have opened our doors to anyone who wants to responsibly learn how to use AI applications. Marieke Schoenmaker and Annemieke Gotzsch, experts in AI innovation, immersed 13 talented individuals from 8 different companies in the possibilities of AI during the AI School On Tour course, held for two days. Participants worked hands-on with real-life cases, allowing them to apply the acquired knowledge directly in their daily tasks.
The AI School On Tour aligns perfectly with our mission to provide our talents and entrepreneurs with all the necessary tools to contribute as efficiently as possible to the energy transition. Together, we accelerate the transition to sustainable energy and mobility.
Fire department ablaze at The Green Box
In almost every sector, the energy transition is a concern, including for the regional fire department of Twente. With a sustainability project on the horizon for the regional barracks, involving energy generation, storage, mobility, and congestion, the fire department faces significant challenges and decision-making stress. For this reason, The Green Box had the honor of welcoming Brandweer Twente. Under the guidance of Mark Schat from Koolen Energy Projects, the firefighters received a crash course on all sustainability options within the energy transition. Moreover, the men could see firsthand how cleantech comes to life at tenants Super B, SmartGrid, and Vigor Charging, with experts from these companies on hand for additional explanation.
"The visit to The Green Box was an enlightening experience. Together with Koolen Energy Projects, we discovered the sustainability opportunities for our regional barracks. There is no better location than The Green Box to explore this, with so many cleantech companies centered here," concluded Henk Brunink, coordinator at Brandweer Twente.
Twente goes techno - 120 students visit The Green Box
Twente Goes Techno is a wonderful initiative that allows high school students to take a look at technical companies in the Twente region. The cleantech companies on our campus were eager to take the future technicians on a journey of how they accelerate the energy transition. Super B, SmartGrid, Vigor, and Koolen Industries joined forces to inspire this upcoming technical talent with practical examples.
After the introduction to The Green Box by our colleague Gerard Nijsse and explanations from several companies at The Green Box by Gerben Hilboldt, the focus shifted to exploring the connection between the curriculum and studies at SuperB, SmartGrid, NieuweWeme, and Vigor Charging. Specific attention was given to VMBO & VWO education, with explicit discussion of MBO and WO studies.
During the tour of the workplace, our young guests could see cleantech in action. Paul Beunk from Super B showcased futuristic Project 2030 batteries and the new laser welding machine. Nieuwe Weme engineering, represented by Thobias Reerink, provided a visual story about the design and development process, using images, drawings, and videos. Joost Groothuijs from Vigor Charging impressed with a promotional video of Vigor and insights into V2G technology. Finally, Rob Engelen and Remco de Wit shared impressive statistics and practical examples, giving a glimpse into the workplace at SmartGrid.
We are convinced that the new generation will play an essential role in accelerating the energy transition. Therefore, sharing knowledge, making connections, and inspiring young talent is essential.
More to come...
The Green Box cleantech campus is a bustling hub full of activity where innovation, design, production, and testing of cleantech equipment take place, with a strong emphasis on connection and sharing cleantech knowledge. We achieve this by organizing events, together with our tenants, for anyone who wants to learn more about the energy transition. Furthermore, we facilitate tenants in their efforts to relocate production and reward electric driving, whether by car or bicycle. A cleantech campus goes hand in hand with a green environment, which is why we continue to tirelessly promote biodiversity. Follow us on Linkedin to stay updated on all developments at The Green Box.
Are you inspired and motivated to contribute? Do you want to learn more about our sustainability efforts? Are you looking for a location to host an event? At our cleantech campus, we offer various meeting rooms and flex spaces where you can also enjoy a tasty lunch prepared by our own caterer.
Feel free to contact us for more information. We would be happy to tell you more.
