Dutch clean energy conglomerate Koolen Industries has acquired solar panel company Energy Experience Group, which owns BonGo Solar and other brands.
The deal reunites two of the original investors in Booking.com, one of the most successful companies ever created in Europe.
“This deal will add considerable industrial weight behind our operations, which enable ordinary people to install solar panels on their roofs. This means they become ‘prosumers’ – that is, they become both consumers of electricity generated by themselves, as well as producers of electricity that they can sell,” said Alfred Breggeman, CEO Energy Experience Group.
Kees Koolen, CEO of Koolen Industries, said: “Solar panels on the roofs of houses has become mainstream. Ordinary people can now afford to vote with their wallets, and by taking part in the global transition to renewable energy, many people will even see their electricity bills fall.”
Rapid expansion
Beyond BonGo Solar, Energy Experience Group also includes BonGo Solar Projects, Duurzaam Besparen and Energie Experience Installatie Service as subsidiaries.
“BonGo Solar is installing more than 100 solar panel systems per week. As we join Koolen Industries, we will expand both beyond the Benelux and into new business areas, so we expect a surge in business that will bring green growth to all the markets we operate in,” said Breggeman.
“During peak hours, more solar energy is generated than our customers can use. By temporarily storing energy in batteries or other forms of storage, this energy can be used at a later point in time. Moreover, more and more people want to charge their electric car with energy from solar panels. With Koolen Industries as a partner, we have access to several forms of energy storage and charging infrastructure”, Breggeman continues.
Koolen adds: “Obviously, clean energy needs to be generated before it can be stored. Acquiring Energy Experience Group brings considerable expertise to Koolen Industries as we move closer to the source of renewable energy.
“BonGo Solar also distinguishes itself by having customer satisfaction as their number one goal, which fits well into our vision.”, Koolen continues.
Breggeman and Koolen have known each other for some time. From 1999 onwards, Breggeman was an informal investor in Booking.com. In 2003 both he and Koolen, were part of a group of shareholders who took over Booking.com, where Koolen was Chief Operating Officer at the time. Later, he became Chief Executing Officer of Booking.com. In 2005 they sold Booking.com to the listed American company Priceline. Koolen stayed with booking.com until 2014 to make it the largest tech company of Europe.
Breggeman joins the solar branch of Koolen Industries as a co-investor and director. “Alfred has been involved in the solar energy market for five years and has built the right relationships and knowledge to help Koolen Industries expand dramatically in this area,” said Gerben Hilboldt, Chief Technology Officer, Koolen Industries.
About BonGo Solar
BonGo Solar is an ISO and TÜV certified company, which has successfully installed thousands of solar panel installations in the past few years.
In November 2018 they successfully installed 1.750 solar panels at heating manufacturer Remeha in the Netherlands. Next to installing solar panels, BonGo Solar is able to give thorough and appropriate advice. BonGo Solar exclusively works with A-brand solar panels, inverters and substructures.
Their regular brands are AEG-panels and SolarEdge inverters. All installers that work with BonGo install according to NEN1010 norms and in general BonGo Solar installs solar panels within six weeks.
About Koolen Industries
The mission of Koolen Industries is to enable everyone to contribute to the energy transition. By using clean energy from wind and the sun, and making sure it is there whenever you need it, they will provide consumers with an autonomous life, independent of the grid.
Koolen Industries builds and invests in a group of companies that together will make sure renewable energy will always be available, whenever and wherever it is needed. Reliable and safe. Made possible by ingenious software
Earlier this year Koolen Industries announced investments in Super B (lithium batteries), Floading Energy (charging infrastructure), Skoon Energy (cloud platform for renting mobile energy storage and mobile energy storage containers), Elestor (flow batteries) and Hardt Hyperloop (hyperloop technology).
Media Relations
Anne Koolen
Koolen Industries
anne.koolen@koolenindustries.com
+316 57 58 75 74
Marlies Vringer
Energy Experience Group
m.vringer@eegroup.nl
+316 113 119 81