Four hundred Enexis customers in Drenthe want to invest in solar energy, but this is not possible. Because the electricity network is almost full. For the whole of the Netherlands there are 2000. This is what Han Slootweg of Enexis tells in the TV Drenthe program De Staat van Drenthe.
“We see a displacement effect. Developers want to continue to realize projects. This was not successful at first in Drenthe and East Groningen, and then you see that they go to other places and similar problems arise there,” says Slootweg.
Investments
So there is a scarcity on the net and to prevent it from filling up, you can only request capacity if you really use it. “We want to prevent parties from requesting capacity and thus making a claim, but not realizing anything.” Things should be up and running within a year. “If you don’t do that, you obviously didn’t feel the need for it and then we take it away again,” says Slootweg.
In order to meet the demand, but also the objectives of the Climate Agreement, Enexis must invest. Enexis is investing around 150 million euros in Drenthe before 2022. “That money mainly goes to expanding the electricity grid. Think of building high-voltage stations or expanding them.”
Manpower
Expansion costs money, but it also requires people. “We also see that we have to get started in residential areas. People are putting more and more solar panels on the roof and more and more electric cars are being added.” To meet that demand you need manpower and there is none.
Will this also cause problems for households? “They shouldn’t worry too much, they should only worry if their solar panel doesn’t work in sunny weather and if their neighbors have it too, then they should call Enexis.” Usually it concerns people who already have solar panels, that is where the problem lies in a residential area and we simply solve that. And for people who now buy solar panels, there is no problem.”