From the start of his business, one thing was clear to Henk Reder, founder and co-owner of Solar Panels North; if I want to be successful in the solar panel market, I need both software and knowledge. We are now in a brand new building, and every day about 40 employees work on making the north of the country and Spain more sustainable.

Company size: 40+ employees
Product group: Solar panels, air conditioners, batteries, charging stations and heat pumps
At Sollit since: 2019

He not only found the software at Sollit, but also the knowledge in the form of mentorship from Erik-Jan van de Worp, co-founder and CEO of Sollit. "I was looking for someone who could help on a business level and coach me on how to set up and run my solar company. In the role of mentor, Erik-Jan spent a lot of time with us growing our business." Thus was created the foundation for what would later prove to be a long-standing partnership.

Professionalism as the core of success

"It all starts with a good quotation. If you don't have one, you can't be commercially successful," says Henk. In the search for software in which he could make quotations and calculations, he ended up with Sollit at the time. In addition to the laying plan, quotation and crm modules, Zonnepanelen Noord now also deploys the planning module and makes frequent use of the mobile app. "At the time, Sollit was the first company I had an appointment with and I haven't regretted it for a moment."

Rapid growth

Although Henk was always interested in sustainability and the energy transition, the desire to start a solar panel company was not Henk's only business idea. "It was that, or a snack bar. But a combination of both would not even be that crazy in these days of high energy prices," Henk says jokingly.

In the end it became that solar panel business, and not without merit. Meanwhile, Zonnepanelen Noord, with three Dutch branches, 50 installations per week and 12 installation teams, has rapidly grown into an established name in the region. But the ambition doesn't stop there.

Air conditioners, heat pumps and other sustainable solutions

Meanwhile, Zonnepanelen Friesland, Zonnepanelen Oost and ZPN Installaties have also been added to the holding company. The latter company focuses mainly on the installation of air conditioners and heat pumps. "We also deploy Sollit for the sale of these sustainable solutions. We also use Sollit for our construction company Bouwend Noord, Zonnepanelen Overkapping and the other companies," Henk says.

Crossing the border with Sollit

As mentioned, the ambition is great. Besides broadening the range of sustainable energy solutions, Zonnepanelen Noord is also taking the step abroad. Partner Rutger is focusing mainly on internationalization towards Spain, under the banner Solar Costa Blanca. 'Besides the great opportunities for solar, Spain is also a pleasant country to spend more time in. Also not unimportant,' says Rutger. 'Since Sollit is now also available in Spain, we can quite easily set up the tight operation we run in the Netherlands in Spain.

Service through proximity

Despite Zonnepanelen Noord's rapid growth, it has never compromised on service or quality. Henk: "We just always want to be near our customers, so we can provide exceptional service. The 188 rave reviews on Google are proof of this. With an average of 4.9 stars out of 5, Henk and his people deliver excellent work.

Solar Panels North is far from outgrown. 'As you grow, it becomes increasingly important to be able to keep a grip, and Sollit helps us increase and maintain our span-of-control,' says Henk.