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In more and more places, the power grid is congested. New or larger connections are no longer a given, whereas construction projects require them. How do you build grid-friendly? Enexis, Municipality of Utrecht and Essent shared their vision during real estate exhibition Provada.

Grid operator Enexis knows all too well that the electricity grid is bursting at the seams. On the one hand because we are increasingly using renewable energy sources such as wind and sun. When the wind blows hard or the sun shines, all that generated power has to be fed into the grid at the same time. On the other hand, electricity is the main source of energy for more and more citizens and businesses. We require a lot of capacity from the grid. And that capacity is simply not there, says Ton van Cuijk of Enexis. "We are working hard to expand our grid, but that takes time. That's why we are also deploying temporary solutions until the grid is reinforced."

Congestion management

Congestion management, he calls it. It involves companies with a heavy connection scaling back their production somewhat during peak times. "We now start from the peak moments to determine whether there is still room to connect new customers. Because even at those peak moments, the grid has to be reliable. If those peak moments become lower, more capacity becomes available. That can lead to other parties still being able to get a connection."

Companies that temporarily lower their production process receive compensation for this. "With wholesale customers we agree on how often and for what fee they will help reduce the peak. Then we draw up a contract."

Energy hubs

Van Cuijk also points to energy hubs. Companies are connected to the grid collectively rather than all individually. "Several parties share the contracted capacity with each other. The capacity is shared between them. That way, fewer connections are needed."

Although setting up such a hub is often still difficult in practice. "It requires a lot of knowledge and it also requires mutual trust. Companies have to ensure together that they stay within the agreed grid capacity. If company X goes over it, company Y also has a problem. Companies also often find it difficult to determine what their energy needs are. This is often not clear now, let alone how it will be in five years. So parties are needed who can mediate in this. There is a task for us as a grid operator."

The Utrecht Merwede

Grid congestion is also a problem in Utrecht. It brought the construction of the new urban district of Merwede in trouble. That sustainable district on the Merwedekanaal canal will be green, car-free and completely gas-free. There will be 6,000 homes and various commercial and social spaces. Buildings that all need a connection. That is easier said than done, says project manager Finn van Leeuwen (Municipality of Utrecht). "Grid congestion makes it especially difficult for large consumers to get a connection. But without supermarkets, stores, schools and sports halls, a neighborhood is not livable. Those facilities are simply necessary."

Trick box

A capacity of 5.2 megawatts is available for the Merwede neighborhood. "But including the peak moments in the mornings and evenings, we ended up with a required capacity of 8 megawatts. So there's a gap there." To still be able to realize connections, a set of measures was devised. Van Leeuwen: "The whole box of tricks was opened."

For example, the neighborhood is going to use solar panels and neighborhood batteries in which the generated energy can be temporarily stored. It is also going to benefit from thermal energy thanks to water from the adjacent Merwedekanaal canal. Heat pump stations will bring the water up to temperature for building heating and hot water. Another measure is that charging stations will automatically not run at full power during peak times.

Heat grid

It is up to Essent to keep all the initiatives on track. It will do this, among other things, with the heat network called ectogrid, says Minke Goes, employed by Essent. "Ectogrid is an energy system that utilizes heat and cold from external sources," she explains. "The system consists of a hot tube and a cold tube. Pumps are used to pump the cold or hot water in the right direction. Each connected building has a system that raises or lowers the temperature depending on the need."

According to her, it is an efficient system. "Because buildings are connected, as much energy as possible is exchanged. This can save a lot of energy, up to 75 percent. Another advantage is the digital layer. Our data platform continuously looks at the smartest way to distribute heat and cold and use energy. It also predicts when the sun is shining and thus when it is smart to store or release energy into the neighborhood battery."

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