150 electricity houses should be added in Westerveld in the coming years to deal with the voltage complaints in the electricity grid. Henk Schimmel stated this on behalf of Enexis during the Political Round in the town hall in Diever. It is not yet known exactly where these stations should be located.
Henk Schimmel was able to say that in practice residents cannot always have a say in the desired locations, because sometimes only one location is possible.
Enexis was a guest in Diever because the municipal council wanted to exchange ideas on this subject. Particularly about the participation options, because recently it has become apparent that location choices sometimes cause quite a struggle, such as in Dwingeloo and Vledder.
Solar panel inverters failing and low voltage due to the increase in heat pumps and electric cars, are all complaints that are increasingly arriving at Enexis offices. Solving them separately is no longer an option, more electricity houses will have to be built to keep the low-voltage grid up to standard, Henk Schimmel explained.
Existing buildings
Westerveld currently has 263 stations, the so-called MS/LS stations, so there should be 150 more. There are now 742 kilometers of cable in the ground and approximately 210 kilometers of cable need to be added. This only concerns existing buildings; additional stations will be needed for the thousand homes that Westerveld wants to build in the coming years. This concerns stations that require a surface area of 31 square meters and are permit-free. In addition, two new transport distribution stations must also be added. A permit must be applied for for these larger distribution stations. Enexis wants to quickly consult with the municipality to discuss the locations for these stations.
The fact that thinking about the most desirable location for residents will not always be possible was not appreciated by all council members. “I am shocked that you actually don’t have time for participation, I would like to see a different attitude. The importance for residents must be clearly explained, that these types of stations are a common interest. The better you approach it, the faster it can be done,” said Geke Kiers.
Henk Schimmel indicated that it is often difficult to find a good place and that it is therefore not always possible to participate in discussions about it. “We don’t want people to come for nothing if it turns out that no other location is possible. In those cases, we must explain clearly why only one place is needed,” he replied.
Finally, councilor Renate Masselink was also able to give an example where there was participation. “Steps are being taken. In Diever, for example, after consultation with residents, a location twenty meters away was chosen, which afterwards resulted in positive reactions from everyone.”