Solar and wind energy at ZEST: the college is looking for space

Zest – In addition to the ongoing exploration in the A12/rail area, the municipal executive wants to investigate solar or wind energy potential in two other areas. The college wants to explore parts along the A28 motorway in Zest as a site for solar panels. The commission also wants to check whether the parties active around Camp van Zest are open to exploring wind energy at that site. The Municipal Executive is proposing to the Municipal Council to include these explorations in the Regional Energy Strategy (RES) at U16. After the summer recess, the city council will decide on the contribution of RES and Zeist to it.

The municipality is looking for spaces

Aldermann Wouter-Katzburg: “We don’t think it’s realistic to record firm commitments in the RES about the number of wind turbines and hectares of solar fields. After all, we are very dependent on other parties in the three areas. For example, we don’t own any land there. So It is a common task that we face.”

road map

At the national level, it was agreed that municipalities would use regional energy strategies to explore possibilities for sustainable electricity generation in their municipality through solar fields and wind turbines.

The Municipal Council decided Zeist’s goals in 2019 and 2020 in the new energy roadmap, the vision of a solar energy field policy and a sustainable electricity approach. Katzburg: “Energy saving is critical. Because what you don’t need, you don’t need to generate. In addition, we will increase the number of rooftop solar panels dramatically: from 55,000 to 330,000 in 2030. And if that works, then 60% of the energy will be used. All rooftops suitable for solar panels by 2030. We are also looking at solar and wind energy opportunities at Zest.”

Three search areas

“Zest has a small open space, but we have to look seriously at what we can contribute to that space,” says Katzberg. The area between the A12 motorway and the rail seems to be the most promising. Here we set out to explore the question of whether wind and solar energy Possible there or not.

Solar and wind energy

The city council also asked if we’d like to take another look at Camp van Zest in particular as a potential wind farm site. Agreements on the development of nature were concluded in the context of Hart van de Heuvelrug around Camp van Zest. Together with other parties with a role in Camp van Zest, the commission now wants to examine to what extent this natural development corresponds to one or two windmills in this area. The question is whether these parties are willing to cooperate in such exploration.

In addition, the municipal executive sees the noise barrier at Vollenhove and the ramp along the A28 in Soesterberg as a potential site for solar panels. Together with other municipalities along the A28, the municipality of Zest has asked Rijkswaterstaat to develop options for this.

The municipal executive is proposing to the council to include these three sites as a research area in the RES. It is not certain whether space will actually be found there for solar fields and wind turbines.

Take responsibility

“There are no easy solutions,” Katzberg concludes. But we have to take our responsibility seriously and explore the possibilities carefully. After all, it is about maintaining a healthy and enjoyable living environment, for ourselves and for future generations.”

RES U16 is a partnership between 16 municipalities, the county of Utrecht and the Water Board De Stichtse Rijnlanden. RES 1.0 is running: energieregioutrecht.nl