At Ecorus, we help many companies use solar panels to generate their own energy. For many of these companies, using solar energy contributes greatly to their ESG goals. But sometimes the energy needs exceed what the installed solar panels can provide. In order to still meet ESG goals, we offer through a Corporate Power Purchase Agreement the opportunity to purchase solar energy generated elsewhere. Lidl Netherlands is the first food retailer in the Netherlands to enter into such a CPPA, thanks to the efforts of Ecorus.
A CPPA works very simply. Companies make an agreement to purchase solar energy for a period of 5 to 20 years at a fixed price. That solar energy is obtained from a solar farm or a large roof with solar panels. More and more companies are choosing a CPPA because it helps them keep control of their energy costs and achieve their ESG goals.
Lidl is one such company. The retailer has a clear sustainability strategy and renewable energy plays an important role in it. Marcel Ganzeboom, senior manager construction Lidl Netherlands, position at Lidl: “Already several Lidl roofs are or will be utilized with solar panels, our CO2 and energy neutral branch in Almere has a solar park and large solar carport and now we have also concluded our first Corporate Power Purchase Agreement in the Netherlands. For Lidl it is important that the energy we use is demonstrably sustainable and demonstrably generated in the Netherlands. Indeed, we believe it is important to make a direct contribution to making the Netherlands more sustainable.”
And Lidl is doing just that. Partly through a CPPA, the realization of Zonneweide Haghorst became possible. Construction work is currently being completed. From January 1, 2024, half of the solar farm, some 20.6 MW in total, will be used by Lidl for a period of at least 10 years. Philippe Vanhoef, CEO at Ecorus: “It is the first time in the Netherlands that a party like Lidl has signed a CPPA for this duration and such a volume (almost 20 GWh per year, an equivalent of some 7,000 households in electricity consumption). An important step for Lidl, but also certainly a milestone for the energy transition in the Netherlands. Because the more companies like Lidl make a long-term commitment to purchasing energy from renewable energy projects, the faster we can stop subsidizing wind and solar farms in the Netherlands.”
In addition to the certainty that the energy is sustainably generated, such a Corporate Power Purchase Agreement offers Lidl other advantages. Energy prices are quite unpredictable. That makes it difficult to pass on prices to customers, for example. With a CPPA, the energy price is fixed for a certain period of time, which means long-term price certainty for Lidl thanks to the CPPA.
