More and more wind and solar farms are on the way. This growth in sustainable energy is taking the electricity grid to full capacity, with the result that sustainable energy is sometimes being curtailed out of necessity. That’s a lost opportunity, since what we actually want is to accelerate the energy transition. SemperPower has the solution: energy storage systems. Safe and reliable.
Our electricity grid can no longer rely on gas and coal plants
The Netherlands is in the middle of transitioning to a one hundred percent sustainable energy system. Fossil fuel power stations must be closed down more quickly due to the large quantities of CO2 they emit. Challenges such as balancing supply and demand, and handling peaks in generation and consumption, have until now been managed by these gas and coal power stations. But now we have to wean ourselves off these fossil fuel power stations, we face a new challenge.
These are the four greatest challenges in the Dutch energy transition
- A new energy mix results in a discrepancy between supply and demand.
- Grid imbalances produce large swings in electricity prices.
- Sustainable energy is wasted because of lack of grid capacity.
- Long lead times for new business electricity connections.
The stability and affordability of the Dutch energy system are under threat, as a result of which energy storage in our electricity system has become indispensable.
Challenge 1: Discrepancy between supply and demand due to new energy mix
We’re making good progress; the energy mix is changing. There are ever more electric vehicles, wind and solar farms are popping up everywhere, roofs are full of solar panels and households increasingly are turning away from gas. Unfortunately, generation from wind and solar power isn’t easy to predict. Peaks in production and consumption, and discrepancy between supply and demand, are set to increase even more in future.
Challenge 2: Grid imbalances produce large swings in electricity prices
The discrepancy between supply and demand makes the grid more difficult to balance, and the supply of electricity more uncertain. This creates sharp fluctuations in electricity prices, adversely impacting the whole population and bringing all of the attendant economic consequences.
Electrification is overtaking us and the Netherlands badly needs an answer. Coping with these major challenges demands flexible power solutions.
Challenge 3: Sustainable energy is wasted because of lack of grid capacity
Ever more wind and solar energy is being generated. But this rise in simultaneous generation of green power results in sharp spikes in production. The result? Generated sustainable energy has to be wasted. There is simply no capacity to transmit this over the high-voltage grid. For a successful energy transition, generated sustainable energy needs to be fully and better utilised.
Challenge 4: Long lead times for new electricity connections
The congestion in the Dutch grid means that businesses are unable to obtain new electricity connections. In fact, supply and stability can no longer be guaranteed by the grid operators. This means long lead times! The Dutch economy is growing but long lead times for a connection mean that not every business can share in this growth. One temporary solution for the planned grid expansion is the construction of an energy storage system.
The generation of solar energy was just the beginning, the real star of the show is energy storage. Storage is needed to accelerate the energy transition.
Large-scale energy storage is the future
Flexible energy storage is needed by wind and solar farm developers, grid operators (DSOs and TSOs) and industrial consumers. SemperPower has the solution, by deploying ‘large batteries’ - also known as battery energy storage systems (BESS) - with which we can store sustainable energy during times of oversupply, releasing it again when demanded by the market.
Only by working together can we can accelerate the energy transition
Large-scale energy storage is needed now. So that we can fully utilise sustainable energy. So that together, we can contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). So that SemperPower, together with the grid operators, authorities, landowners, wind and solar farms and industrial consumers, can get on with accelerating the energy transition in the Netherlands. We all have to work together on the road to a fully-sustainable energy system.
Game changer in energy storage.
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