Challenge
More and more municipalities and RES regions are struggling with congestion of the local power grid congestion. Due to this congestion, many sustainable energy projects are blocked, slowing down the energy transition. For these municipalities this is their first encounter with these congestion challenges and they do not know how to deal with them. A general framework for these challenges will help municipalities and other governmental bodies solve these challenges and connect more sustainable energy projects to the grid.
Approach
Together with the consulting firm Over Morgen, we developed a general framework for dealing with sustainable energy projects that are blocked due to congestion in the power grid. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the developed framework, a case study was conducted in the RES region Noord-Veluwe. This was a farmer planning a solar field but unable to realize it due to congestion problems. We quantified and presented several potential solutions based on the developed framework.
Outcome
The framework developed consists of a “menu” of congestion solutions, a decision tree, and an action perspective to help users deal with blocked sustainable energy projects due to congestion. The menu provides an overview of the various solutions that can be used to unblock the projects based on their effectiveness. The decision tree contains questions and steps to help the user select appropriate solutions. The action perspective provides an overview of the possibilities a policy maker has to support a blocked sustainable energy project.
Impact
The goal of this project is to inform and provide an approach and perspective for action to people who are unfamiliar with dealing with projects where there is congestion on the power grid, and who are unfamiliar with the operating principles of the energy grid and the latest developments.
