Elektro VV - The right expertise in the right place

Elektro VV, based in the Belgian province of Antwerp, carries out general electrical work and solar panel installations for both companies and private individuals. For complex projects, the company calls on Breemes, which brings expertise such as low-voltage studies. “The challenge is to design a panel that can be built quickly and efficiently, and is future-proof.”

Partners Wim Vingerhoets and Dirk van Loey collaborate with subcontractors at Elektro VV and have been working with Breemes since 2019. The first contact was for a job at metal wholesaler Testas, involving electrical work in a warehouse intended for storage. More recently, Elektro VV turned to Breemes again for another project in the same hall. Due to the installation of processing machines, the power supply had to be expanded, says Vingerhoets. “A specialist supplier installed a second high-voltage cabin, and we were responsible for all electrical work beyond that cabin. We took on this challenge together with Breemes. Even during the planning phase, exploring how we would approach it and which materials to use, they were already very important to us.”

A difficult puzzle

From Breemes, electrical consultant Gert Vanwezemael was the first point of contact.

“Many companies like Elektro VV can use support when it comes to power distribution. We have the software to develop a design and the knowledge to create a solid proposal that meets regulations and client needs. At Testas, we examined what machines would be installed and how they needed to be powered. I carried out the complete low-voltage study, meaning short-circuit calculations, cable section calculations, and configuration of two low-voltage distribution boards.”

“We don’t build ourselves, but we share our expertise on how such a board should be constructed"

Next, Breemes supported the assembly of the panels, Vanwezemael explains. “When you're assembling a Siemens Sivacon S4 for the first time, it’s quite a tricky puzzle. You can lose a lot of time trying to finish such a project properly within the given timeline.”
Director Kurt Colin adds: “We don’t build the boards ourselves, but we do share our expertise on how to build them. Wim and Dirk are technical guys, which was a plus here, but assembling such large boards was new territory for them. It was basically a blank canvas with a few conditions from the client, and our challenge was to design a board that could be built quickly, efficiently, and future-proof. Through discussions with the client, Gert, Wim, and Dirk together came up with a board that is ready for the future. In ten years, it will still meet the requirements and offer room for expansion.”

Support under pressure

“What Breemes says is 100% true,” Vingerhoets confirms. “There were two key elements. First, the time pressure. That’s important because labour hours have become quite expensive. But the project timeline also mattered. Testas wanted that hall to be operational very quickly. So Gert’s support was worth double, really. Second, we were working with fairly expensive components. Without the right support, while making this puzzle for the first time, we could have made serious mistakes. We couldn’t look everything up ourselves. You have to compare it to assembling an IKEA wardrobe—except 100 times harder. There were so many different components involved. Even a layman struggles with IKEA furniture. We are technical and have a good sense for it, but a panel with so many different parts would be a challenge even for the best technician doing it for the first time.”

“Expansions came quickly and were easy to integrate”

The electrical installation at Testas is now operational. Elektro VV will return for fine-tuning and to integrate recent expansions with new machines. Colin: “That’s why making the boards future-proof was so important—by leaving space open. The expansions could then be integrated quickly. Otherwise, we’d have had to solve a new puzzle, and it would no longer be a coherent whole.”

A next challenge for Elektro VV is installing 300 solar panels for another company, Vingerhoets reports. “That’s quite a large job for us.” Breemes can also offer support here, says Colin. “Thanks to our recent acquisition of LightElec in Wallonia, we can now offer a complete package. Gert handles the low-voltage studies up to the disconnection cabinet; that’s his specialty. LightElec takes care of the solar installation, which they specialize in alongside residential lighting. We are a technical wholesaler for industry and have knowledge of electrical work up to the disconnection boards. For us, it’s crucial that every expertise is in the right place.”

A valuable learning experience

Vingerhoets is very satisfied with the cooperation with Breemes. “Communication is clear, and you can always rely on them. Even when Gert wasn’t on site at Testas, they were perfectly reachable and always gave the right support. What Kurt said earlier is true: you can’t be an expert in everything. That applies to us too. You can’t know it all. That’s why we ended up with Breemes—they’re especially specialized in industrial applications. That’s very important to me.”

On the flip side, Elektro VV, though modest in size, is a key client for Breemes, says Colin. “To us, every client is equally important. There’s a problem, and we solve it—regardless of the client’s size.” Vanwezemael agrees. “It was a great project with fantastic people who were open to our advice. And I have to say, I even learned things from Elektro VV—things I didn’t know yet. So it was a great learning experience for both parties.”

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