{"id":14955,"date":"2022-01-18T10:54:07","date_gmt":"2022-01-18T10:54:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/startgreen.nl\/innovations-and-challenges-of-renewable-energy\/"},"modified":"2022-01-18T10:54:07","modified_gmt":"2022-01-18T10:54:07","slug":"innovations-and-challenges-of-renewable-energy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/startgreen.nl\/en\/innovations-and-challenges-of-renewable-energy\/","title":{"rendered":"Innovations and challenges of renewable energy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Expert blog – January 18, 2022<\/span><\/p>\n

Investment Manager Nienke Rijpstra is constantly looking for new opportunities and solutions in the field of solar energy for Energiefonds Overijssel. In this blog, she discusses the challenges and innovations she encounters in the process. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Growing share of solar and wind<\/span><\/strong>
\nAt the end of 2021, the share of electricity from renewable sources stood at 33.4 percent. Last year, that was still 26 percent<\/a>, so that is encouraging. However, we are not there yet: the Climate Agreement aims for at least 70 percent renewable electricity by 2030. The province of Overijssel aims to generate 3.3 TWh by 2030: over 9 percent of the national target of 35 TWh per year of renewable electricity from onshore solar and wind. Energiefonds Overijssel contributes to this by investing in various solar projects<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Limited grid capacity<\/span><\/strong>
\nIt is wonderful, of course, that energy from solar and wind is now truly taking off. However, our electricity grid is not designed for such a high level of local power generation. Currently, approximately 3,000 companies and sustainable energy projects in the Netherlands are on the waiting list for a grid connection<\/a>. Although it was agreed in the coalition agreement that 700 million euros will be available before 2023<\/a> for grid adjustments, it will take years before this is realized. This particularly affects the northeast of the Netherlands, where there is plenty of space for large-scale energy generation, but where no extensive distribution network exists. <\/p>\n

<\/a>Storing electricity
\n<\/span><\/strong>By placing a battery at a solar or wind project, a smaller connection may suffice. However, batteries are currently still quite expensive and only profitable when used on the imbalance market in addition to self-consumption. One possible business model to make a battery profitable is to sell stored power to TenneT via an auction per bid, thereby helping the national grid operator keep supply and demand in balance. For example, energy cooperative Endona, with the Heeten solar park \u2014 financed by Energiefonds Overijssel \u2014 is involved in the flexible supply of energy<\/a> to TenneT. <\/p>\n

Companies that combine rooftop solar panels with a battery can also sometimes operate without a connection: the generated power fully covers their own use. In Gelderland and Overijssel, research is now being conducted into whether entire business parks can be made self-sufficient through smart decentralized energy systems \u2014 Smart Energy Hubs<\/a> \u2014 where local renewable energy is generated, stored, and used. <\/p>\n

Storage in hydrogen
\n<\/span><\/strong>Another possibility to avoid the connection queue is to store solar energy in hydrogen and sell it to the industry or the mobility market. This is particularly interesting for large trucks, which may no longer run on fossil fuels from 2050<\/a>, but cover distances too great to do so electrically. Hydrogen is not yet used on a large scale. This is not only due to the high costs but also because approximately 25 percent of the energy is currently lost when converting electricity to hydrogen. <\/p>\n

Closely following innovations
\n<\/span><\/strong>We are keeping a close eye on developments in the field of storage. For example, we are involved in research into a hydrogen project in Overijssel, we are looking at possible business models for batteries together with advisors, we visit storage projects, and we are in discussion with battery manufacturers. We look at these types of innovative projects with an open mind and are ready to invest in them at an early stage, as soon as there is a prospect of a profitable business case and broader applicability. <\/p>\n

From asbestos to generation<\/span><\/strong>
\nA good example of an innovative solution that we are already financing is the Duurzame Zekerheid project by Univ\u00e9<\/a>. This insurer had 20,000 agricultural customers with asbestos roofs on their barns, whom they actually no longer wanted to insure. Univ\u00e9 came up with a very good solution, proposing to its agricultural customers: ‘We will replace your roof for free and install solar panels on it. For the next 15 years, we will use them to earn back our investment. After that, you may take over the solar panels for a symbolic amount for your own use.’ Good for Univ\u00e9, good for the farmers \u2014 who often lack the funds to replace an asbestos roof \u2014 and good for private policyholders, who can purchase locally generated power from those roofs. <\/p>\n

Double functionality
\n<\/span><\/strong>Another great but non-standard solar project we finance is AmperaPark<\/a>. This company installs carports with solar panels at hotels and businesses and links charging stations to them. Again, a smart solution: they use the land as a parking lot anyway, and they can let their guests and employees drive on green electricity. Furthermore, the cars are covered. <\/p>\n

What makes this project unique is that it does not use subsidies for generating solar energy. For Energiefonds Overijssel, this is a fine example of an innovative solution that also does not supply to the grid. Therefore, we are happy to encourage this project with financing to realize the first solar carports in Overijssel. And as AmperaPark grows further, StartGreen stands ready to finance projects throughout the Netherlands. <\/p>\n

Daring to invest<\/span><\/strong>
\nYou could say that even the added value of StartGreen is evolving. As a green partner, we look beyond the financing of standard solar and wind projects. We advocate for local ownership by facilitating citizen participation<\/a>. In addition, we dare to invest in innovative solutions that make the energy transition possible. <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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