ING and the Kroonenberg Group donate 5,500 solar panels to Amsterdam
To mark Amsterdam's 750th anniversary, ING and Amsterdam real estate company Kroonenberg Group are donating over 5,500 solar panels to the city. With this, the two companies, both of which have been associated with the capital for decades, want to contribute to making the city more sustainable.
The solar panels, worth a total of four million euros, could generate 2250 MWh of electricity per year, the equivalent to the annual consumption of 900 households. The aim is to put them on the roofs of about 30 buildings with a social function, such as welfare institutions and community centres. The intention is that the energy savings realised by the social organisations will benefit the Amsterdam residents who need it the most.
The solar panels will be distributed to buildings in all districts of Amsterdam, including Weesp (an urban area within the municipality of Amsterdam). In this way, every part of the city will reap the benefits of the gift including buildings of sports clubs, cultural and social institutions, care institutions and community centres. In doing so, the initiative contributes to sustainability and generates savings for social organisations.
The initiative was set up so that the savings realised by social organisations can be passed on to the people of Amsterdam, especially those who could use a helping hand. This could be in the form of discounted tickets to cultural institutions or free memberships to various Amsterdam sports clubs, for example. This will be done in cooperation with the City of Amsterdam and social institutions that rent the buildings from Gemeentelijk Vastgoed on which the panels will be placed.
Steven van Rijswijk, CEO said: “Since the establishment of Rijkspostspaarbank in 1881, our head office has been located in Amsterdam. ING is one of the city's largest employers and we count many Amsterdam residents and Amsterdam-based companies among our customers. With this gift, we are expressing our close relationship with Amsterdam and want to contribute to a more sustainable city."
Lesley Bamberger, CEO and owner of Kroonenberg Group said: “As a committed Amsterdam company, we support good initiatives that move the city forward. For this special anniversary, we looked for a gift with which we could make a big impact for the people of Amsterdam. Among other things, these solar panels contribute to making the buildings in question more sustainable, something we are also always striving for in our daily work."
With a quip to the Amsterdam accent, the project has been christened “Amsterdamse Maatschappelijke Sonnepanelen” The first panels are expected to be on Amsterdam’s rooftops by the end of this year. The aim is for the entire project to be completed by the end of 2027.
Mayor Femke Halsema received the gift from the CEOs of ING and Kroonenberg Group. This took place at the Provada, the annual real estate fair.
Mayor Halsema said: “This gift to the city is a wonderful example of social commitment by the Amsterdam business community. It benefits Amsterdam’s residents and social organisations who most need a lower energy bill. It fits within the initiatives of the New Amsterdam Alliance in which companies, residents and government contribute to the liveability of the city. Not a one-time gesture but a real investment in the future. I would like to thank ING and Kroonenberg Group for that."
ING and the Kroonenberg Group encourage other companies to follow in their footsteps and also donate solar panels to the city.
See press release in Dutch.
Society is transitioning to a low-carbon economy. So are our clients, and so is ING. We finance a lot of sustainable activities, but we still finance more that’s not. See how we’re progressing on ing.com/climate.