ION replaces diesel generators in yards with batteries
03/01/2023
The future is electric, including in real estate development. Property developer ION will electrify its construction sites next year. Cranes and other heavy construction equipment will no longer be connected to diesel generators but to yard batteries. "With this commitment, we want to maximize our ambitions in terms of sustainability," say CEOs Kristof Vanfleteren and Davy Demuynck. "A battery makes no noise, has no emissions and is a lot more efficient." The project developer is joining forces with Bright Energy, a young family company from Ghent that is developing the special batteries and the entire technology around them.
By choosing circular building materials as much as possible and making full use of heat networks and geothermal energy, we always try to achieve the most climate-friendly result. But we also continue to see how we can do our part by minimizing the impact of the construction process. Diesel generators are very polluting and one of the least efficient ways to generate energy. Now we have found an alternative that is sufficiently reliable. Thus, not only will the buildings we develop become fossil-free, but also our construction sites.
The property developer, which has 3 billion euros of real estate in the pipeline, will make a commitment with the contractors they work with to switch to batteries on all sites. It will be included in the specifications, while consumption will also be monitored in great detail to reduce standby consumption to an absolute minimum.
No emissions, no noise
Batteries work in the same way as home batteries and have the same advantages we know from electric cars: soot and particulate emissions are reduced to zero, batteries make no noise and operate much more efficiently. An additional plus of the yard battery is that it will have a positive impact on the sustainability scores calculated when certifying buildings, such as the renowned BREAAM certificate.
Cutting energy costs is done by tailoring a system, choosing the right time to charge and consuming less. We use dynamic tariffs and smart algorithms that ensure batteries are charged during off-peak times. Through the use of timers, we also manage to reduce standby consumption by 40%. That way, in some scenarios, our battery-powered system becomes cheaper than diesel generators.
Made in Ghent
Brain behind the sustainable solution is Bright Energy, a young family business from Ghent. Entrepreneurs Arne (29), Sam (27) and Lisse (25) Van Acker, two brothers and a sister, started working with the home battery their parents had installed at home three years ago. The trio - then still students - soon realized that there was more to be gained from it and turned to programming. They developed a self-learning software program that monitors electricity consumption and optimizes the performance of the home battery. That technology formed the basis of their system for powering construction sites in the most efficient way possible.
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