The day itself will be free for all residents of the municipality of Groningen. The idea behind the project, according to the Gemeente Groningen, is to inspire residents of the municipality to incorporate aspects of sustainable living into their own homes.
With this goal in mind, visitors will have the opportunity to learn about renewable energy sources, such as solar panels which are powerful enough to provide electricity for an entire household.
“We started a few years ago with 3 homes and dozens of visitors. Now, 26 homes are participating and there is room for 300 visitors,” says Phillip Broeksma, alderperson (GroenLinks) for Energy Transition. Broeksma says the project is a great way for the people of Groningen to learn from each other, noting that “sustainability is innovation.”
The project is a collaboration between Duurzaam Groningen (Sustainable Groningen, an initiative of the municipality of Groningen), and local energy cooperative Grunneger Power. The Geemente Groningen also notes that a number of sustainable energy initiatives from throughout the municipality are also involved in the project.
With projects such as this one, Groningen seems to be on track to hang onto its title as the greenest city in the Netherlands. Check out our previous coverage to learn more about why the city was honoured with the title in 2021.
