June 6, 2025
The construction of Solar Park Kriekampen in the municipality of Oirschot has been completed. In May, the electrical connection was put into operation. As a result, the solar park is now officially generating green electricity. In about six months, the construction of the solar park was completed and nearly 47,000 solar panels are in place. This makes the solar farm at Kriekampen the tenth solar farm built by TPSolar. A festive, official opening will follow on Saturday, September 20, during the national Open Energy Day.
Sustainable energy with an eye for nature
The solar park is located in the Kriekampen area and along the A58 freeway. The total planning area is 25 hectares, of which 19 hectares within the fence will be set up for the technical installation. The remaining area will be used for green spaces, including kilometers of new hedges and trees. About 13,000 new plants and trees have been planted. There will also be a new walking path, and wildlife in the area will be taken into account in various ways. For example, a beetle bank has been constructed at the edge of the solar park and wide strips of flowers and herbs have been sown.
Contribution to energy goals
The solar park has a capacity of 35 MW and generates green electricity for nearly 10,000 households. With this, it constitutes an important step in the further sustainability of the province of North Brabant. The goal of the municipality of Oirschot is to be energy neutral in 2040. To achieve this, the municipality is committed to energy conservation and solar panels on roofs, as well as a number of large-scale sustainable energy projects such as solar parks. In early 2020, the municipality of Oirschot published a policy framework with ground rules stating how, where and how much solar and wind energy can be generated. In 2021, the Kriekampen area was designated as a site where a solar park could be developed under certain conditions. Based on this, TPSolar created a plan for a solar park.
Cleverly designed and grid-friendly
Because of the increasing pressure on the electricity grid, the solar park was designed with grid-friendliness in mind. For example, there are two types of panel arrangements: a south-facing arrangement and a so-called “butterfly” arrangement. This is to limit the load on the solar park’s cable and distribute generation more evenly throughout the day. An energy storage system will also be added to the solar park in the future. Simply put, the battery stores electricity when it is not needed and provides power at times when it is needed.
Cooperation with local and regional companies
TPSolar works with local and regional partners whenever possible. For construction, management and maintenance, Oirschot-based companies Heerebeek Cultuurtechniek (landscaping) and Jan de Kroon (earthmoving), among others, have been brought in. Even the sheep herd that grazes the site comes from the region (Rob Adriaans Schapenhouderij, Eindhoven). In this, TPSolar always looks for partners with whom it can enter into a long-term collaboration. After all, the solar farm will be there for 25 years and during the operating period it is nice to be able to quickly connect with companies in the area.
Eight landowners
A crucial role in the realization was played by eight local landowners. They used part of their land for the solar park in order to invest in the future of their farming business. One of these landowners is Van Gerven Asperges, a stone’s throw from the solar farm. About their rationale for dedicating part of their land they say the following: “The idea of a solar park on our land came about 8 years ago. We saw opportunities; they are dry lands, not high-value fields. They are unsuitable for growing asparagus, for example. They are also located in a blind spot, between the highway and the Wilhelmina Canal. Nobody lives there, hardly anyone comes here and the land is difficult to reach for agricultural machinery. With this solar park we are investing in the future.”
