Energy hub business park

An energy hub at a business park can be seen as the nervous system of the energy infrastructure: it connects all participants, ensures an efficient distribution of supply and demand, and allows optimal use of renewable energy sources such as solar and wind.

The importance of energy hubs in a business park

An energy hub is a central location in a business park where energy supply, demand and storage come together. Through smart technologies and an integrated energy management system, energy use is coordinated among the various businesses on the site. Thus, renewable energy is used more efficiently and problems such as peak voltage and peak loads on the power grid are reduced.

The importance of energy hubs is growing rapidly, especially with the increase in electric mobility, heat pumps and renewables. These developments are creating higher and more fluctuating energy demand, making grid congestion more and more common. This is also why an incentive program for energy hubs is now in place. Indeed, an energy hub can meet this challenge by smartly distributing energy, temporarily storing it or delivering it back to the grid at the right times.

Taking action as a company against grid congestion

Before you as a company decide to participate in or establish an energy hub at a business park, it is important to first understand the impact of grid congestion on your own operations. By taking steps in advance, you increase the chances of a successful and future-proof energy solution. Here are some steps businesses can consider:

• Analyze your current and future energy consumption to understand peak times and total energy demand.
• Explore energy conservation opportunities within your processes and buildings.
• Look at options for local generation, such as solar panels or small wind turbines, and combine this with smart storage via a battery container to reduce your dependence on the grid.
• Explore options for energy storage, such as in the form of a neighborhood battery, so that surpluses can be efficiently utilized at times of high demand.
• Engage with neighbors in the business park to gauge support for joint energy measures.

By taking these preliminary steps, you will be in a better position to make informed decisions about participating in an energy hub.

When to choose an energy hub

Choosing an energy hub at a business park often only becomes urgent when the existing energy infrastructure is reaching its limits. This can be the case, for example, when your company is faced with waiting times for grid reinforcement, limitations in feed-in capacity or challenges such as overloading the grid or rising energy costs due to peak loads. Similarly, when you want to invest in electrification of your processes or vehicle fleet with solutions such as a solar panel battery, an energy hub can be key to making these plans feasible.

In addition, an energy hub is interesting if the business park has many companies with complementary energy profiles. By cleverly coordinating this supply and demand, the whole can operate more efficiently and sustainably than each individually.

So an energy hub is an especially logical choice if you are not only looking at the short term, but also want to anticipate future developments. The earlier you respond to emerging trends, the greater the benefit for your company and the business park as a whole.

Establishing an energy hub at your business park: roadmap

Setting up an energy hub at a business park requires a structured approach. There are technical, organizational and legal aspects that must be carefully coordinated. Moreover, cooperation between the various companies on the site is essential to get the maximum return from the energy hub.

Step 1: Inventory energy profiles.

Start by mapping the current and projected energy consumption and generation of all participating companies. Knowing who are energy wholesale users and who needs or has excess energy when will provide a clear picture of opportunities and challenges. It can also help understand how companies are handling their emergency power supply and backup capacity.

Step 2: Determine shared goals

Together with stakeholders, establish what the primary objectives are. These can range from reducing peak loads and energy costs to maximizing the use of renewable energy or creating security of supply.

Step 3: Technical and financial feasibility study

Conduct an analysis of technical and financial feasibility. Consider the required infrastructure, storage capacity such as a large battery, integration with existing facilities, and investment costs versus expected savings and returns.

Step 4: Selecting technology and suppliers

Choose the technologies and partners that fit the stated goals and constraints. This may include energy storage systems, measurement and control technology, an EMS system and possible expansion of generation capacity.

Step 5: Legal and organizational arrangements

Establish how ownership, management and use of the energy hub will be arranged. Make clear agreements on cost sharing, maintenance, benefit sharing and responsibilities.

Step 6: Implementation and integration

Perform energy hub installation and integration. Ensure proper planning and coordination to minimize disruption to business processes. Test the systems thoroughly before going operational.

Step 7: Monitoring and optimization

After commissioning, it is important to continuously monitor performance and make adjustments where necessary. By optimizing based on practical data, the energy hub can be used more and more efficiently and effectively. This includes attention to circularity, such as responsible battery return and reuse of materials.

Investing in an energy hub for your business park

An energy hub can be a strategic investment for your business park that not only saves costs, but also contributes to the sustainability and future-proofing of the site. By acting together, there will be more control over energy flows and less dependence on the overloaded electricity grid. This provides more security, flexibility and opportunities to grow without energy restrictions, especially when combined with solutions such as an LF(P) battery.

Want to know how to make the leap to a functioning energy hub that meets the needs of your business park? Contact Frax for expert advice and find out how you can create a powerful, efficient and sustainable energy infrastructure with the right knowledge and solutions.