Monday, 29 September, saw the festive kick-off at the Elaad Testlab in Arnhem for the ElaadNL and NEN projects on harnessing the flexibility of smart, grid-intensive devices in and around the home. Sophie Hermans, Minister for Climate and Green Growth, gave the official starting signal. The ministry supports the projects because unlocking energy flexibility in and around the home can help lower energy bills, make better use of self-generated solar power, and ease grid congestion.
The Netherlands faces significant challenges in the energy transition. The rapidly growing number of electric vehicles, heat pumps, home batteries, and solar panels increasingly strains the electricity grid. Grid-intensive devices in and around the home can be smartly managed using a Home Energy Management System (HEMS). This makes it possible to optimally use as much locally generated solar power as possible. Electricity demand can also be spread over a longer period or shifted to times when the grid is less congested. This increases the reliability of the electricity network and accelerates the sustainability of households. It allows households to save on energy costs by using self-generated energy directly and aligning their consumption with current electricity prices through dynamic energy tariffs.
For a consumer-friendly use of the flexibility of energy-intensive devices in and around the home, it is important that these devices are controlled via the HEMS and that this communication works seamlessly, regardless of brand or type. For this reason, standards development and testing of communication are of great importance. Both NEN and ElaadNL will play a role in this at the request of the ministry.
In ElaadNL’s project, smart, grid-intensive devices are tested to ensure they can work together effectively and exchange information. In close collaboration with manufacturers, current communication protocols and possible solutions are examined. At present, ElaadNL is evaluating manufacturers’ proposals submitted in response to the recently closed Request For Proposal. Thanks to this project, the Elaad test centre is now also being made available to smart device manufacturers. The knowledge and experience gained directly contribute to the standards development facilitated by NEN. The goal is to produce documented standards that set requirements for grid-intensive devices to function intelligently in the home and thereby contribute to a future-proof energy system.
“Smart devices can be an important part of the solution to a congested electricity grid. This will only succeed if it requires as little effort as possible from people at home. Devices can automatically respond to conditions on the grid without compromising comfort. In the future, this will also become a way to reduce energy bills. The work carried out by the testlab and the new standards is an important step toward practical implementation.”
In 2024, NEN published the standard “NTA 8043 Smart Charging Stations and Charging Services.” The development of a documented standards for smart heat pumps is currently underway, and the development of standards specifications for Home Energy Management Systems (HEMS), smart home batteries, and smart solar inverters will begin soon.
In the Netherlands, NEN plays a unique role as the gateway to European and international standards development. By positioning national standardisation documents as the basis for European and international standards, the Netherlands actively helps shape international developments.