The Netherlands faces the major task of becoming climate neutral by 2050. And that immediately creates new challenges. For example, our energy system must be redesigned. In this article you can read what role energy storage plays in this.
Our current energy system was made to transport energy from coal, oil and natural gas. But that is changing. Because to be climate-neutral in the Netherlands by 2050, we are increasingly using clean and sustainably generated energy. Such as solar and wind energy or the use of geothermal heat. And that requires a different way of transporting energy.
Our energy grid is being turned inside out. From a few large power plants, we are moving to a whole network of smaller, sustainable energy systems that are interconnected. A network where we don't think in 'cubicles' of gas, electricity or heat. But a network where generation, conversion, storage and delivery of energy come together.
Our energy grid is demand-driven: as soon as you push the light switch in the hallway or turn up your heating, the grid goes to work for you. You ask, the grid gives. With the advent of renewable sources such as solar energy, there is suddenly a new player on the market, namely "supply. After all, sun and wind are sometimes there even when we don't need it.
The arrival of local wind and solar farms therefore brings moments of energy surplus. But also periods when renewable energy production is insufficient for demand. Therefore, techniques are needed to temporarily store the surplus so that it can be used at other times.
We all know the form of storage where you put electricity into a battery and take it out later. But this is not the only form. It is also possible to store sustainably generated electricity and convert this energy into heat or hydrogen at a later time.
Electricity
Battery deployment is often a very nice coupling opportunity in sustainable projects. At the Bontepolder solar farm, for example, we connected a 5 MW battery. The link between the power grid, the battery and the solar farm creates a more stable electricity grid.
"By installing the battery, we can support the power system in several ways. The battery can reduce losses of generated electricity, compensate for deviations between predicted and actual electricity generation at the national level, or contribute locally to solve grid congestion," says Gerke Schaap | Project Manager Storage, Novar.
Heat
Another form of storage, is heat. Abroad, thermal storage is a widely used technique. In the Netherlands, it is still hardly used. That is why we are currently building the largest solar thermal park in the Netherlands. Solar thermal energy is an innovative way to generate sustainable energy, in which solar collectors convert sunlight into heat, which is used to heat water. This heated water is then stored to heat houses in the area in winter, for example.
"A frequently asked question is how the park works when the sun is not shining or when it is winter. For this we are working with a buffer tank twenty meters high, in which 6,000 cubic meters of water of heat storage can be stored," explains Emile Janssens | Project Director, Novar.
Green hydrogen
One innovative technology that is booming is converting renewable energy into hydrogen. There are also great coupling opportunities here. At solar park Vloeivelden Hollandia in Nieuw-Buinen, an electrolyser is being developed that converts excess power into green hydrogen. Which can later be used as fuel for the local energy transition.
"An advantage of the combination of hydrogen and solar, is that the solar farm and the electrolyser use the same grid connection. This allows a storage option for renewable energy to be created cost-effectively. The grid is used efficiently in this way." Jan Martijn Buruma, | Director Storage, Grid & Infra, Novar.
So electrification, geothermal and other forms of renewable energy, are increasing rapidly. The infrastructure of our grid must grow with it, from cables to transformer stations. But we are not there yet with only old-fashioned adaptations. To achieve the climate goals in 2050, we need to make smarter use of our current network. And that can be done through energy storage.
Wondering what energy storage can do for you? Then get in touch.
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