Demand for renewable electricity is growing faster than ever. But while businesses, councils and developers all work to become more sustainable, they are increasingly running into a hard constraint: the electricity grid is full. This grid congestion – a shortage of transport capacity on the electricity grid – leads to delays, higher costs and missed opportunities.
Serving as their guide through the energy transition, Ventolines helps clients bridge the limits of the electricity grid by making better use of energy, creating new connections, allocating capacity more efficiently and making smart use of grid congestion measures.
One example of this is energy hubs. These are local nodes where the generation, storage and consumption of energy are coordinated in a smart way. Different energy flows come together in these hubs, such as solar and wind energy combined with battery storage, keeping supply and demand in balance locally. Other energy technologies, such as electric vehicles or heat, can be incorporated to make the system even more flexible. A good example is an industrial estate managing its own sustainable energy supply, with surpluses stored or shared with neighbouring businesses – allowing companies to keep operating even when grid capacity is tight.
Using a comprehensive approach, we combine technical knowledge, market insight and collaboration. We explore alternative connection strategies and smart combinations of wind, solar and storage, and manage the multi-asset development of integrated projects. By intelligently managing supply and demand, we make more efficient use of available grid capacity and keep projects moving forward rather than stalling.
Would you like to know more about how we deliver sustainable projects in spite of grid congestion? Our experts will be delighted to assist you with ideas and solutions. Explore our areas of expertise below to find out what we can do for you.
For project developers, grid congestion can mean that new wind farms, solar parks or battery storage projects cannot be connected to the grid when planned. For investors, delays and uncertainty around grid capacity can put returns under pressure. Businesses and municipalities looking to electrify or expand are also increasingly being told they must wait – sometimes for years – for grid capacity to become available. For businesses, this can mean postponing or adapting their decarbonisation and growth plans.
In practice, projects may need to be scaled down or developed in phases, while negotiations with grid operators are becoming more complex and time-consuming. Changing regulations also create greater uncertainty for business cases. At the same time, curtailment – temporarily reducing renewable energy generation when the grid is constrained – poses a growing risk to project returns. Ventolines supports clients with analyses and system solutions designed to minimise curtailment and maximise the availability of renewable energy generation. We also help businesses find smart ways to continue their decarbonisation and growth plans despite grid constraints.
Grid congestion not only restricts the growth of renewable energy, but also affects the pace at which the Netherlands can achieve its climate targets. That is why Ventolines takes an integrated approach to developing solutions that keep renewable energy projects moving forward – through smarter design, more effective collaboration and a more stable energy system.
Call + 31 6 51 87 44 37 or email sachaschmitter@ventolines.nl
