Continuity of education ensured at Widdonck school through battery storage and support from Leudal municipality
The Widdonck School in Heibloem has commissioned a battery to handle peak loads and ensure continuity of education.
Due to the expansion of approximately 1000 m² and the doubling of the number of pupils, the Widdonckschool in Heibloem regularly ran up against the limits of the agreed grid capacity. With the arrival of the battery, the school can now run sustainably and reliably, without being dependent on the electricity grid. The investment came about thanks to a financial contribution from the municipality of Leudal and in cooperation with battery specialist Intercel and installer and energy specialist Nettion, formerly E2 Energie.
Expansion requires more power
The Widdonckschool in Heibloem offers special education. A challenge arose with the expansion of approximately 1000 m² and the merging of Special Education (SO) and Secondary Special Education (VSO) at one location. Especially the older VSO pupils take many practical classes, such as cooking and technology, which significantly increases energy consumption. This threatened the school to exceed the limits of the contracted power, with the risk of fines or even disconnection from the grid. The 120 solar panels do not provide enough power during peak times, while little use is made of the generated energy precisely during the summer vacations, when the sun shines in full.
Local solution
As a school, we want to be able to run sustainably and reliably, without depending on the grid.
Explains Peter Zegers, project leader for new construction and innovation at the Aloysius Foundation, under which the Widdonck School falls. In cooperation with the municipality of Leudal, a battery storage system was chosen that captures peaks and relieves the local grid.
The municipality of Leudal funded half of the investment to realize a local solution to grid congestion. An important condition is that the battery remains on the school grounds, even if the school might want to move in the future. In this way, the municipality underlines the importance of a local approach to grid congestion.
This battery storage shows how you can make a difference locally. By investing together in smart and sustainable solutions, we not only ensure a reliable power supply, but also a strong educational environment where students can learn and grow without interruption. This project fits completely with our ambition to tackle grid congestion while building a sustainable Leudal.
Says Alderman Michel Graef of the municipality of Leudal
Security through smart steering
Project manager at Nettion, Lars van Dee, works extensively with battery specialist Intercel and advised the school on this battery solution. The battery, with a storage capacity of 233 kWh and an output of 116 kW, was installed before the summer vacations and has been absorbing peak loads ever since. The school has no ambitions to trade on the imbalance market.
It is essential for the school that daily activities can continue uninterrupted. Fixed power prices and stability are priorities.
Thus Van Dee.
Embion's Energy Management System (EMS) controls the battery and is fully integrated with the solar panels and the meter box. When the electricity grid does not provide enough power, the school can draw energy directly from the battery. Nettion handled the installation and is also responsible for the maintenance of both the battery and the solar panels.
