The SolarWind Project

The SolarWind Project

is a carefully designed administrative building that showcases the “4Ps” concept: People, Planet, Profit, and Pedagogy, i.e. it supports occupants’ well-being, protects the planet, creates return on investment, and offers educational tools.

Features include:

• The first urban wind turbines in an administrative building
• Photovoltaic solar panels
• Ground source heat pumps
• A biomass boiler
• Solar thermal system

SolarWind is designed to reduce CO2 emissions from traffic congestion, as over 80% of tenants will be cross-border (Belgium and northern Meurthe-et-Moselle, France). The building itself is CO2-emission neutral. The project has three environmental certifications—BREEAM, HQE and DGNB—a World first.

The building spreads over four floors above ground, in an L-shape on 10,000 m2 gross floor area, with a roof terrace to be operated by an activities group. The roof and technical facilities can be visited and used for demonstrations and training. The fourth floor is dedicated to meeting rooms for tenants’ use, free of charge for approximately 32 hours per month per tenant and chargeable for time above that allocation.

The Location

SolarWind is in the heart of the Windhof Ecopark, 13, rue de l’industrie, L-8399 Windhof. This business park is managed sustainably by the ECOPARC WINDHOF EIG (Economic Interest Group). It was developed, with the support of municipal and other local institutions, to meet the needs of an area changing towards administrative and commercial activities. It is a response to Agenda21 of the Rio Summit 1992 which requires sustainable development to encompass environment, society and economy. Agenda21 projects must include basic functions such as an ATM, a nursery, a purchasing centre, walking paths, rest areas, cycle paths, improved overall infrastructure, and management of space, energy, waste and water. Shopping centres, hotels, restaurants, gas stations, nurseries and schools provide complementary facilities. Windhof is already used by a wide variety of ICT services companies for operations or head offices.

Located near the Belgian border (4 km) and along the A6 serving Belgium, Windhof benefits from exceptional accessibility.

By car, it is:

• 20 min from Luxembourg-city
• 18 min from Arlon, BE
• 35 min from Thionville, FR
• 25 min from Esch-sur-Alzette, LU
• 20 min from Findel Airport.

Bus routes 222, 248, 249 and 250, from Luxembourg, serve the area at regular intervals.

The Kleinbettingen and Capellen railway stations are less than 2 km away.

Further Information