Living lab on TU/e campus seeks solutions to grid congestion
The Eindhoven University of Technology installed a 3.5 MWh battery pack, kicking off the development of a smart energy system project.
Published on November 19, 2024
© TU/e
Mauro traded Sardinia for Eindhoven and has been an editor at IO+ for 3 years. As a GREEN+ expert, he closely monitors all developments surrounding the energy transition. He enjoys going on reports and likes to tell stories using data and infographics. He is the author of several series: Green Transition Drivers, Road to 2050, and Behind the Figures.
Grid congestion is constraining the growth of many companies in the south of the Netherlands. Congestion happens when a particular grid area is overloaded with excessive feed-in or electricity take-off. To improve its flexibility and test new solutions to this problem, the Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) campus is now home to a battery.
The OPZuid GENIUS project aims to find solutions to tackle grid congestion involving companies, municipalities, and the province of North Brabant. The battery pack on the TU/e campus is the first step in establishing a living lab for smart energy innovations.
“What if we could connect all assets in one platform and control them to predict power peaks? That it is the basis of GENIUS,” Tom Selten, founder of Simpl.Energy. While adding more capacity to the grid takes time and work, the project is all about using what is already available in a smarter way.
Shaving peaks
The GENIUS battery is coupled with a smart control platform connected to industrial users, energy producers, and storage. This network is useful for avoiding energy peaks and spreading consumption. Featuring a lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) chemistry, the energy hub coordinates and organizes energy data, forecasting the university campus's energy needs. Like every other battery, it stores energy for later use but can also share power with nearby users.
The storage unit, featuring a 3.5 MWh capacity, will allow the TU/e to comply with the contracted grid capacity, optimizing its electricity consumption. Furthermore, the battery will also help the university expand, accommodating the integration of a new clean room– a laboratory with a controlled environment to develop chip technologies.
The impact is wider, relieving the local grid as a whole. “On the one hand, we reduce congestion problems within the campus, and on the other, we can offer further flexibility to the whole grid,” underlines Selten.
New research: In these Dutch towns, all residents suffer from grid congestion
The places where residents experience high levels of inconvenience due to grid congestion are Steenenkamer, Stokkum, Markenbinnen, Herten, Dedgum and Diphoorn.
The brain
The brain of GENIUS is Simpl.energy’s software acts as the orchestrator between the different assets—the battery, solar panels, and thermal energy storage. This platform is where all data comes in and is processed to forecast energy consumption. Although the system doesn’t directly control the assets, it can suggest modes of use. One of the most challenging aspects of the project is the integration of the different assets optimizing their control.
The uptake of flexible energy systems, as the one GENIUS will test, comes with a different approach. “Previously, everyone was used to the fact that if one opens the tap, there is water, as fossil energy generators are easily turned on and off. Now, if there is a windy day, we know that heating up buildings or charging cars is cheaper. To ensure maximum efficiency, a lot depends on information and how software can guide users,” says Mark Cox, Senior Program Manager Energy TU/e.
A blueprint for future energy development
Most importantly, the project can serve as a blueprint for future energy hub development. The experience and lessons gained in the project will be useful for energy operators in mitigating grid congestion problems.
“It can bring a lot of value, and if we can show that such a system works here on campus, it can work everywhere,” says Thijs Meulen, TU/e’s energy manager. The university campus is, in a way, like a small town. Understanding electricity usage patterns in the longer term will better understand how to optimize consumption and promote energy efficiency.
The OPZuid GENIUS consortium consists of the following parties: TU/e department Real Estate, EIRES, EAISI, Fudura, RIFT, Simpl.Energy, Voltgoed, VBOptimum, ZEnMo, Cube Charging, Enerzien, Eindhoven Engine and Woonbedrijf. An active and connected support group includes the province and municipality, as well as the regional grid operator Enexis. This project was co-financed by the European Union through the award of an OPZuid grant.