One of those gardeners is Tom van Winden in Erica. “We have already taken some savings measures,” he says. Air dehumidification cabinets extract moisture from the air and convert it into heat. In addition, screens along walls and roofs limit the heat loss. “In terms of measures, we do not exclude anything. We want to enter the transition as broadly as possible.”
He does not dare say which technology ultimately offers the solution for the sector. “Only you don’t always know either. That’s why we join forces: because then you can take steps.”
On Bargermeer, companies also run into the boundaries of the net. “Expansion is currently not possible,” says Albregtse-Wijgerse. “We are now looking at what the peak moments are and how we stay within the lines of what that cable can handle.” A concrete example: “Suppose a company throws all their forklifts at the charger at 4 p.m. you could look to do that an hour later, so that a peak is prevented.”
“It is a kind of digital copy of our current, regional energy system,” says Schrik. “Here we enter the data that we gain on the basis of the experiences of the three energy hubs. For example, we encounter barriers in the field of laws and regulations for certain solutions? Because it may have to be changed.” Thanks to this system, different applications can be tested without having to intervene directly in practice. This way it quickly becomes clear what works and what doesn’t.
According to Schrik, Emmen distinguishes itself from other regions because it has all the relevant forms of sustainable energy. “There is every type of energy within our municipal boundaries: sun, wind, geothermal energy and soon also hydrogen.”
Province and the Ministry are also involved in the project. Eight million euros is available for the next three to four years. But the real goal is further in the future. “In 2028 we want the system to be and hopefully we can share the successes,” says Schrik. “If it works, we can scale up to the rest of the Netherlands.”