Project De Kwakel – Sustainable Home, Sustainable Solution
In De Kwakel, Bas and Linda built a fully sustainable barn-style home. The plot used to be farmland — meaning no grid connection was available. Voet Energy Solutions worked with the homeowners to find a green and reliable emergency power solution.
They are extremely proud of their home. “We’ve been living here since September 2021. It’s a wonderful place. The only downside is that we still can’t be connected to the main grid,” says Bas.
The required 3x40 ampere grid connection wasn’t yet possible. That’s why, since this summer, a Voet Energy Solutions emergency power unit has been in place. “When the house was finished, Voet installed a generator here. It was running 24/7,” Bas explains. This, of course, didn’t match the family’s vision: “We built a 100% sustainable, gas-free home with 34 solar panels on the roof. A generator didn’t quite fit that green ambition. And I was also worried about potential noise.”
In practice, the noise was minimal. Voet provided a super silent generator running on 100% HVO fuel — but it still wasn’t green enough. Bas wanted something even cleaner: “I shared my thoughts, and Voet came up with the idea to add a battery pack alongside the generator. They were incredibly flexible — thinking along, offering solutions, and providing the right equipment.”
The Voet Blue Battery Box reduces fuel consumption by 75%. Rick Voet explains how: “The energy from the 34 solar panels first goes to the house. Any excess power charges the battery pack. Once the battery is full, the solar inverter can be switched off. If the battery is empty and the sun isn’t shining, only then will the generator start.”
In the darker winter months, the generator naturally runs more often, as less solar power is produced. The generator and the LED lighting in the house respond to each other, which can sometimes cause flickering. To avoid this, Bas schedules switching and charging at night: “The software can be set that way. In summer, you barely notice it. A good example: last September, the air conditioning was running throughout the house, the kids were gaming, the induction cooktop with four burners was on — and yet the inverter still switched off.”
Even the house’s installers weren’t familiar with such a battery setup. Fortunately, as Bas notes, Voet explained everything in detail: “They contacted the head installer and here in De Kwakel they thoroughly explained how the battery works and its effect on frequency. Apparently, in other countries, this technology is used in many different ways.”
