The opportunity
Partly driven by the ambition towards sustainability, companies continuously require more electricity. Preferably sustainable energy generated by the sun, wind, water, or heat. This is also – perhaps even more so – applicable to the logistics (real estate) sector, which is going through a major transition towards sustainability. For example, electric trucks are on the rise and electric vans are increasingly used for last-mile deliveries in cities. In addition, more and more distribution centers are being provided with LED lighting and heat pumps, and logistics companies are working around the clock automating and digitizing their processes. Prologis saw this increasing demand for renewable energy as an opportunity to develop innovative solutions that would stimulate the industry to become more sustainable. Placing solar panels on the roofs of warehouses, such as on the roof of Prologis Park Tilburg DC5, was the direct result of this.
The challenges
Prologis Park Tilburg DC5 is a leading example of a warehouse that breathes sustainability and innovation. The building is built based on a circular design, using a high percentage of cradle-to-cradle and recycled building materials, and is fully equipped with LED lighting. The project also pays a lot of attention to the health and well-being of the employees on site. The sustainable picture was complete with the installation of nearly 10,000 solar panels on the roof of the distribution center (approximately 41,000 square meters). However, the solar panels generated three times as much energy as could be consumed by the tenants of the distribution center for, among other things, lighting and charging electric forklift trucks. Returning excess energy completely to the power grid was not an option without overloading the limited capacity of the grid connection (1.75 megawatts). Security of supply was another challenge offered by using sustainable energy. Was there any other way to optimally use the generated solar energy without losing even a fraction of the energy? And how can you use sustainable energy all year round for on-site activities, even when the sun is not shining?
The solution
In collaboration with project developer Sunrock, Prologis started searching for a solution. This was soon found: a mega battery from iwell. This mega battery – with the size of a sea container that is located next to the distribution center – is able to store excess energy generated by the solar panels. Thanks to intelligent battery systems, both power storage and solar power generation and the consumption of heat pumps, electric vehicles and machines can be coordinated much better. For example, every 15 minutes it is checked whether the stored power, and power that cannot be used for the next 24 hours, can be supplied back to the electricity grid. A win-win situation: local power consumption (generated by the sun) and friendly to the environment that benefits from reducing gas consumption.
Learnings
Given the expectation that the demand for sustainable energy will continue to increase, the investments in the large number of solar panels and the mega battery were a future-proof decision. Prologis has already installed solar panels on the roofs of many other distribution centers and – together with customers – has been assessing each situation on how to optimally use the sustainably generated energy. Soon, the energy grid will not be equipped to handle the generated solar energy. That's why Prologis continues to celebrate sustainability with other innovative solutions.