The sustainable suburb of Nieuwland, in Amersfoort, is using photovoltaic solar energy on a large scale. In one part of the neighbourhood, in an initiative supported by the energy company REMU and the Netherlands agency for energy and the environment (Novem), solar panels have been mounted on the roofs and gables of 500 houses and several utility buildings. This covers more than 12,000 square metres with a total capacity of 1.3 MW at peak times. This is a unique project: it is the only residential area in the world using solar energy on this scale.