Case · 2024
Leiden: a construction site with no grid connection
What changed
- 42% cheaper than diesel
- Close to 100% CO₂ reduction
- Permit approved
Situation
Civil contractor De Vries Stolwijk was replacing sewers and redesigning streets in Leiden's Vogelwijk, a dense residential area, for 1.5 to 2 years. No temporary grid connection could be had in time. Diesel was noisy, polluting and hard to get past the municipality.
The decision. Diesel, a temporary grid connection that wasn't available in time, or a hybrid set-up that could meet the municipality's noise and emission rules. The hybrid only made sense if it was sized to the real load of small equipment and welfare facilities, not to a worst case.
Our role. Energy planning, permit support and monitoring for the contractor.
What we did
Understand
Simulated the site's energy demand across the working day.
Decide
Chose a 15 kVA hybrid set-up: battery, foldable solar and an HVO backup generator. At the time we also supplied the equipment; today we advise on sizing and supplier choice only.
Implement
Supported the permit application; the municipality of Leiden approved the system.
Manage
Monitored the system live and reported monthly.
What it taught us
Sized to the real load, the right set-up is often smaller and simpler than a worst-case design, and a municipality says yes to a plan that is properly argued.
Partners
- De Vries Stolwijk
- Volta Energy