The Walas team was concerned about the electrical energy use of the nearby Carbon6 complex. Leveraging the spacious parking lot, the CarbonBlue urban solar project was created to offer a solution to further reduce the energy costs and reliance on the energy grid, and to transition to cleaner energy sources. Parking is required for the local community and to meet the demands of commuters using the nearby train station. While the parking spaces could not be eliminated, mounting solar panels on an elevated structure not only solves the problem of the panel placement, but also provides filtered light during the day, captures rain water, cleans the surrounding air and water, creates jobs, and provides a green retreat for the community.

The CarbonBlue solar park will feed the solar energy (with an estimated production of 900,000 kWh each year) into the building as well as charging stations for electric vehicles, meeting an expected 35% of the energy demand of the Carbon6 complex. The total investment of € 2.7 million has an expected payback period of 6 years and new business models include a car wash and energy storage will add to the final success. The project is the result of a close collaboration of partners from The Netherlands, Germany, Nigeria, Austria, and Canada.