On Monday 29 September, the celebratory kick-off took place at the Elaad Testlab in Arnhem, the Netherlands, for the initiatives by ElaadNL and NEN focused on harnessing the flexibility of smart, grid-intensive appliances in and around home. Sophie Hermans, the Dutch Minister for Climate and Green Growth, officially launched the programme. The ministry supports these initiatives because unlocking energy flexibility in and around home can help lower energy bills, make better use of self-generated solar power, and ease grid congestion.
The Netherlands faces major challenges in the energy transition. The rapidly growing number of electric cars, heat pumps, home batteries and solar panels is placing increasing demands on our electricity grid. Grid-intensive appliances in and around the home can be intelligently controlled with a HEMS (Home Energy Management System). This makes it possible to make optimal use of as much locally generated solar power as possible. It also allows electricity demand to be spread over a longer period or shifted to times when the grid is less busy. This improves the reliability of the electricity grid and accelerates household decarbonisation. It helps households save on energy costs by using self-generated energy directly and by aligning consumption with real-time electricity prices through dynamic energy tariffs.
For a consumer-friendly deployment of the flexibility of energy-intensive appliances in and around the home, it is important that these devices are controlled via the HEMS and that communication runs smoothly regardless of brand or type. That is why developing standards and testing the communication are crucial. At the ministry’s request, both NEN and ElaadNL will play a role in this.
Within ElaadNL’s programme, smart grid-intensive appliances are tested to ensure they can work together effectively and exchange information. In close collaboration with manufacturers, current communication protocols and potential solutions are examined. ElaadNL is currently assessing manufacturers’ proposals in response to the recently closed Request For Proposal. Thanks to this project, the Elaad test centre is now also being opened to manufacturers of smart appliances. The knowledge and experience gained feed directly into the standards development facilitated by NEN. The aim is to arrive at standards documents that set requirements for grid-intensive appliances to operate smartly in the home, thereby contributing to a future-proof energy system.
“Smart appliances can become an important part of the solution to an overloaded electricity grid. That will only work if it requires as little effort as possible from people at home—by having appliances automatically respond to available capacity on the grid, without compromising comfort. In future, it will also be a way to bring energy bills down. The work by the test lab and the new standards are an important step towards real-world implementation.”
In 2024, NEN published the standards document ‘NTA 8043 Smart charging stations and charging services’. A standard for smart heat pumps is currently under development. Development will soon begin on standards for Home Energy Management Systems (HEMS), smart home batteries and smart solar inverters.
NEN plays a unique role in the Netherlands as the gateway to European and international standards development. By positioning national standards documents as the basis for European and international standards, the Netherlands actively helps shape international developments.
Grid congestion challenges are arising in the Netherlands earlier than in neighbouring countries. This gives the Netherlands a leading role in innovation and standards development.
ElaadNL, NEN and the ministry emphasise that cooperation between government, grid operators, market parties and knowledge institutions is essential. Only in this way can the Netherlands strengthen its frontrunner position and contribute to green growth.