As a thriving hub for business and tourism, Amsterdam is known for its blend of innovation and tradition. However, like many major cities, Amsterdam is facing challenges managing the growing demand for electricity, leading to grid congestion.
Grid congestion occurs when there is a mismatch between supply and demand for electricity on the grid. This can be caused by the growth of renewable energy sources, the increasing use of electric vehicles, and the rise of distributed energy systems like rooftop solar panels.
One solution to grid congestion is reinforcing the grid. However, the grid operator is facing technical labour shortages and tight budgets, often leading to delays in new or stronger connections, frustrating current and new business owners in Amsterdam.
To give an example, a high-end Korean BBQ and sushi restaurant in Amsterdam came to Skoon. Just before having to open their doors in November, the restaurant was notified their planned grid reinforcement was delayed with 14 weeks. As you can imagine, this was a major setback for the restaurant, as they were forced to stay closed until the adjustment was made. For a small business owner, this of course has a high impact.
The restaurant looked for alternatives and ended up with a diesel generator. However, this diesel generator in the middle of the city caused noise and pollution complaints – as could be expected. The restaurant turned to Skoon’s online marketplace for a solution.
The restaurant‘s energy demand is substantial, with 40-70 barbecues needing to be powered during dinner time. This requires a high-capacity battery, typically in the form of a 10-foot container. But this wouldn’t fit in Amsterdam’s limited space. Skoon selected a smaller battery from Portabolt instead. After investigating the current energy infrastructure, Skoon and Portabolt found that the battery system could be slowly charged by the 32A connection. The battery system is able to power the peak demand during dinner time and fully charge itself at night and during the day. This means Nomi could open their restaurant with clean, silent power.
The power profile with battery set-up over a few days
Skoon always has a clean energy alternative available on their marketplace. The energy experts and suppliers work with each project to create a feasible solution.
Are you waiting for your grid reinforcement? Let Skoon be your flexible energy layer.