Biscuiterie Seghers is an established company in Temse and a trusted name within the Belgian food sector. For decades, the family business has been producing a wide range of cookies and pastries, which find their way to both domestic and foreign markets. With a focus on quality, craftsmanship and sustainability, it was no surprise that Biscuiterie Seghers also wanted to lead the way in terms of energy.
As part of their ambition to maximize sustainability, Biscuiterie Seghers commissioned a preliminary study to install solar panels on the roof of their production hall. However, the stability study quickly showed that only one-third of the roof was suitable for conventional solar panels.
That limited the potential to only 185 kWp, a relatively low yield given the high electricity consumption of the generating plant.
The reason? Classic solar panels with substructure and ballast quickly bring an additional load of 15 kg/m², which Seghers' roof could not handle in large parts. Reinforcing the roof was theoretically possible, but practically unfeasible: the roof is located above a production area full of machinery, so a structural intervention would lead to significant downtime and high costs.
The search for a lightweight alternative eventually brought Biscuiterie Seghers to EcoBeam.
We scheduled an on-site visit to thoroughly analyze the situation. During the technical tour and roof inspection, we collected all the necessary data to conduct a detailed study.
Based on the input and satellite images via Google Earth, we developed a detailed laying plan and simulation with lightweight solar panels from DAS Energy (Austrian made). These 330 Wp panels weigh only 3.3 kg/m², including glue.
The results were impressive: as many as 695 additional panels could still be installed, accounting for an additional output of 230 kWp. The total plant thus doubled in capacity without the need for any roof reinforcement. Moreover, the Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE) decreased by nearly 50%, which made the investment extra attractive.
Consequently, choosing lightweight solar panels proved to be the right move both technically and financially.
For this project, we used lightweight solar panels based on fiberglass-reinforced polymers. This technology allows us to work without heavy substructures or ballast.
The panels were glued directly to the roof skin, using specially developed adhesives from Innotec. This method allowed the installation to be perfectly secure and firmly fixed, with a minimum additional load of only 3.3 kg per square meter.
Prior to installation, the roof was carefully cleaned and degreased to ensure optimal adhesion. Then the adhesive strips were accurately applied at a thickness of one centimeter, leaving a small gap between the panel and the roof surface. This allows rainwater to flow freely and natural cooling remains possible under the panels. At least three centimeters of space was left between each of the solar modules to ensure water drainage.
This innovative approach made it possible to install the panels quickly and efficiently, without additional structural adjustments. Our installation team was able to install up to one hundred panels per day in this project. The electrical connection was done in the same way as for conventional panels, with identical inverters and wiring.
After complete installation, an as-built file was prepared by EcoBeam and we organized the inspection, which was approved smoothly and without comments.
Das-Energy's lightweight solar panels were bonded directly to the roof with special adhesive. This results in a minimum roof load of 3.3 kg/m2.
Thanks to EcoBeam's lightweight technology, Biscuiterie Seghers has succeeded in utilizing three times the roof area, without structural works or production interruption. Within the Temse industrial park, this makes Biscuiterie Seghers a pioneer in sustainable energy generation, and we are convinced that other companies will soon follow.
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