Sustainable renovation and innovation at Leertouwer

Leertouwer helps to realize business objectives by sustainably connecting processes, information and technology within system integration. The company has an innovative DNA and the need to tackle sustainability issues within technology in a future-oriented way. Commercial manager Christian van Os and Manager marketing and communication Nieko Versteeg take us into the changing market and share their insights to respond to this on a daily basis.

“Sustainability has become future-proof,” Christian believes. “There is no structural policy or customized solution to function more sustainably as a company. Every building, every customer and every form of energy use is different. In addition, technology is consistently ahead of government measures. By pioneering with existing technologies and making the sustainability portfolio an investment item, you remain ahead of the market.

We like to look ahead with our customers. Even further than the desired situation at the moment. This could mean that we are already building infrastructure for a larger electric fleet in a few years. Or that we are already taking into account the energy transition that has yet to take place.”

The future of innovation

“We work for a healthcare organisation that wanted to expand, but was unable to do so. The contracted capacity with the grid operator was insufficient for this. Our energy measurement showed that there was a skewed load across the phases. This means that some power lines receive more current than others, which leads to inefficiency of the available capacity. By installing an energy distributor, we created space that was already there, but could not be used before. We also installed an energy storage system to absorb incidental peaks. The healthcare organisation now has room to grow and become more sustainable within the limits of the available energy capacity.”

“We work for a healthcare organisation that wanted to expand, but was unable to do so. The contracted capacity with the grid operator was insufficient for this. Our energy measurement showed that there was a skewed load across the phases. This means that some power lines receive more current than others, which leads to inefficiency of the available capacity. By installing an energy distributor, we created space that was already there, but could not be used before. We also installed an energy storage system to absorb incidental peaks. The healthcare organisation now has room to grow and become more sustainable within the limits of the available energy capacity.”

The advantages of this example:

1. Existing assets are being used better.
2. The energy storage helps to absorb peaks so that they remain within the contracted capacity. This saves an expensive expansion of the network management.
3. There is room for further growth and sustainability because they can connect new devices and installations without running up against capacity limits.

The path to sustainability

There is no fixed route to sustainability, but there are plenty of custom solutions. For example, you can think of automation: the use of smart technology such as motion sensors for light. By applying this in a distribution centre, for example, you save a lot of energy. The lights then only illuminate the parts where the reach truck drives, for example. And even CO2 detectors do not have to be on all the time, only when there are people. This can be arranged with technology.

Long-term thinking and collaboration

By making smart choices and acting proactively, you not only become more sustainable, you also remain future-proof. For example, there is the example of a customer for whom Leertouwer already prepared the infrastructure in 2010 for the electric fleet of cars in a few years. The number of electric cars in this parking lot can still grow considerably for the time being without having to incur additional costs.

The men also see opportunities in collaborations. Look for partners and governments to develop and implement sustainable solutions, they advise. For example, you can set up a HUB together. This can ensure that diesel vehicles stay outside the city, because electric transport is efficiently arranged within the city limits. Or the residential area around the company building can do the laundry in the evenings on the electricity generated by solar panels, which is not used by the company after closing time.

Renovation of our own building

Leertouwer sees his own company as a testing ground. The renovation twenty-five years ago already provided mountains of insight and the one from last year again. Nieko: “Our building from 1999 was very modern at the time, but due to hybrid working and the expectations of colleagues, the function of an office is changing. It is increasingly becoming a meeting place for consultation and direct collaboration, rather than a place where you sit down at your own desk. We have adapted the design and layout to that.”

The renovation also brought many innovations on a technical level. “For example, we now have LED lighting that takes natural light into account. For example, at the windows they give no light or less light than in a centrally located meeting room. Our climate control systems now only heat and ventilate the different rooms when necessary. Our building is fully integrated with the latest technology and is flexibly designed for future use in terms of space,” says Nieko.

According to Nieko, there were certainly challenges during the renovation. “We remained open during the work. That requires a lot of communication and flexibility in working together. And we learn a lot from that too and we take these insights with us to customers. For example, we work with the same ease at schools, where we adapt our technical services to the timetable. That way, the students and teachers are not bothered by us.”

Continue to pioneer in sustainability

Leertouwer continues to pioneer. Christian: “We are already working on making our fleet more sustainable and are preparing for zero-emission zones in cities. We also want to renew our solar panels and continue to renew smart energy management systems, such as CO2 detectors on sensors.”

Nieko adds: “Sustainability is not only about technology, it is also about awareness. We actively involve our customers and our own team in the change.”