Challenge
Greenchoice desired that this Ecowijk would transition to an ‘Altijd Groen’ neighborhood, meaning that at any time, the energy consumed is produced by renewable energy sources. This requires technical analysis to provide insight into a system that can meet this desire. Within this feasibility study, several possibilities for this were considered. Amongst them was the aggregation of energy on a neighborhood level, the utilization of smart charging, and the integration of battery energy storage.
Approach
This is a Grid Edge Consulting project. The current situation is assessed on its mismatch between supply and demand, followed by an enumeration of all possible energy-saving possibilities. The possibility for demand-side management is explored by defining prospects for flexibility such as EV chargers, heat pumps, and other devices. Then the potential for battery storage is investigated and suitable locations. Based on the latter two, the ‘Altijd Groen’ gains are assessed.
Outcome
The combination of wind and solar energy production increases ‘Altijd Groen’. The integration of an energy management system on a neighborhood scale will increase the use of renewable energy consumption by aggregation of energy profiles. Demand-side management solely can increase ‘Altijd Groen’ by 5%, yet, many of the formerly installed heat pumps might not be suitable for this type of smart control. Integration of a 2.5 kWh battery increases ‘Altijd Groen’ by 20%. Smart charging has low ‘Altijd Groen’ potential. A demand-side manageable boiler in combination with a neighborhood battery results in the highest ‘Altijd Groen’ levels. (up to almost 80% when combining wind and solar!)
