Buurtbatterij: A neighbourhood battery and its impact on the energy transition

Energy storage has been expected to improve the working conditions and the stress-resistance of the grid, making it more secure, reliable and responsive, in the face of an increasing diffusion of renewables. At the same time, energy storage systems may be used to increase the local self-consumption of decentralised generation.

Using the case of a neighbourhood battery located in Haarlemmermeer, in the Netherlands, this report analysis the potential transformative impact of local energy storage in the energy transition. More specifically, it focuses on the opportunities and constraints for a collaborative business model for the neighbourhood battery in the Netherlands, as well as the challenges and tensions that emerge for the main parties involved. The perspectives of the network operator are compared with those of renewable energy initiatives in the country and, in parts, with the perspectives of the involved end-users.

Energy communities interested in storage solutions can learn from the Dutch experience and benefit from their lessons learned.