Grid congestion and storage: bottleneck and opportunity

Dutch agriculture is at the heart of the energy transition. Arable farms are investing massively in electrification, sustainable energy generation, and efficient storage techniques. At the same time, they are increasingly encountering a fundamental problem: grid congestion. This phenomenon, in which the electricity grid lacks sufficient capacity to transport supply and demand, constitutes a growing constraint for business operations and innovation.

From research that Tolsma-Grisnich Surveys conducted among customers show that grid congestion is no longer a future problem, but a current reality. For instance, 28% of arable farmers are already experiencing difficulties due to grid congestion, while 64% indicate encountering capacity problems when expanding their businesses.

Grid congestion affects the storage chain
Grid congestion occurs because the demand for electricity and the supply of renewable energy are growing faster than the expansion of the electricity grid. For arable farms, this problem is particularly relevant during certain phases of the storage season. The storage of potatoes, onions, and other products requires intensive energy use, especially during drying and cooling.

Many companies have already invested in solar panels and wind turbines. However, on sunny, windy days, a surplus of electricity actually arises because it is not always possible to feed it back into the grid due to congestion. Ultimately, companies are hit twice by this: a heavier connection is not possible for storage, and self-generated energy cannot be sold.

Peak load as the core problem
The main cause of grid congestion lies in peak moments: moments when demand or supply exceeds grid capacity. In storage facilities, these peaks occur during product drying, cooling in the autumn, and in the spring when the outside temperature rises. Historically, the electricity grid was not designed for this high power demand.

In addition, the electrification of activities on arable farms further increases demand. As a result, upgrading connections is often refused or postponed, which has direct consequences for business development.

Smart solutions: from limitation to flexibility
Although grid reinforcement is a structural solution, it takes years. Therefore, the focus is shifting to flexibility and smart energy use. Four solution directions, or combinations thereof, are of interest to arable farms.

1. EPEX module and dynamic energy control
An integrated EPEX module in the climate computer (Vision Control | Intelligent Storage Computer | Tolsma-GrisnichThis makes it possible to utilize energy prices on the spot market. For example, when fans or mechanical cooling are activated when electricity is cheap, companies can shift their energy consumption to moments when the energy grid is unbalanced. In the past year alone, there have already been 565 hours with negative electricity prices. By using extra energy at those moments, the grid becomes more balanced. This aligns with the principle of simultaneity: using energy when it is available at the company or when the grid is under less load.

2. Energy Management Systems (EMS)
An EMS forms the brain of the company's energy system. The system monitors generation, consumption, and storage, and controls the switching on and off of installations. In practice, an EMS can smooth out peaks, spread energy consumption, and optimize generation.

For the preservation technique, this means, for example:

• Cooling (Mechanical cooling of potatoes? | Tolsma-Grisnich) switch on at those times when solar panels or wind turbines are producing a lot 
• Prioritizing cooling and ventilation across different storage cells depending on the deviation between control and target temperature
• Energy can also be stored in the product by temporarily lowering the target temperature.

In this way, the available (grid) power is utilized more efficiently and dependence on grid capacity decreases. Thanks to an integrated energy management system with the storage computer, product quality is also maintained.

3. Batteries and energy storage
Energy storage plays an increasingly important role in solving grid congestion. Batteries store excess energy and make it available for personal use later.

Although the majority of arable farms now have solar panels, the conducted research also shows that currently only 11% of Tolsma-Grisnich customers use a battery. At the same time, there is a clear increase in the number of arable farmers interested in batteries and EPEX modules, indicating an increasing need for flexibility and self-management of energy.

For arable farms, energy storage offers concrete benefits:

• Smooth out peak consumption during drying and cooling
• Feeding less energy back into a full grid
• Higher self-consumption of own electricity, resulting in savings on transport costs
• Feeding energy back into the grid when the price is high

Although the investment for a battery is substantial, the revenue model improves as grid congestion increases further and energy companies start rewarding flexibility more.

4. The end of the net metering scheme
The phasing out of the net metering scheme changes the economic calculation of solar energy. While feeding electricity back into the grid was previously financially attractive, the focus is now forced to shift to direct self-consumption and storage. This stimulates investments in energy management systems and batteries.

For storage technology, this means an integrated approach: energy generation, storage, and consumption must be coordinated. Arable farms that invest in smart storage systems can benefit optimally from their own energy production.

Future solutions  
In addition to solutions at the company level, collective initiatives are also emerging, such as energy hubs, in which multiple companies jointly coordinate their energy use. This increases the flexibility and utilization of the grid. Tolsma-Grisnich is also currently conducting field trials at the company level with a hydrogen generator that can buffer electrical energy in batteries. In this way, an additional sustainable and clean energy source is available alongside solar and wind, with an energy management system ensuring optimal utilization.

Ready to see how Snowflake works?
Grid congestion poses a structural challenge for arable farms, particularly in relation to energy-intensive storage technology. The combination of high power demand and growing renewable generation puts pressure on an electricity grid that has reached its limits.

At the same time, real-world figures show that the impact is already significant and will increase further in the future, particularly with business expansion and further electrification of, for example, company cars.

However, this issue also offers opportunities. By deploying EPEX modules, energy management systems, and batteries, companies can make their energy use flexible and optimize it. Combined with the phasing out of the net metering scheme, the focus is shifting from feed-in to smart self-consumption.

The future of storage technology therefore lies not only in product quality but also in energy management. Companies that invest in this increase their resilience and create new revenue models within an increasingly dynamic energy system.