Report

The Central Government Real Estate Agency and grid congestion: challenges and solutions

Over the next few years, the Central Government Real Estate Agency (Rijksvastgoedbedrijf) will be working on revitalising and make locations of Defence, Penitentiary Institutions (Penitentiaire Inrichtingen), offices of the Council for the Judiciary (Raad van de Rechtspraak) and government offices more sustainable. Ninety percent of the real estate managed by the Central Government Real Estate Agency will face grid congestion over the next ten years. How can the Central Government Real Estate Agency continue to build, renovate, make more sustainable and construct new buildings?

Solutions to grid congestion were identified in three case studies: Central Government Office De Haagse Veste IV in The Hague, the Zutphen Penitentiary Institution and the Bernard Barracks in Amersfoort. In addition to grid expansion, the solutions include energy control through technologies such as batteries and smart charging of electric cars, combined with organisational solutions such as energy control and flexible new forms of contracts with grid operators. Energy control involves controlling energy demand and production over time. For example, this could be in heating and cooling, electric vehicle charging and other flexible energy demand. This is essential for all solutions and required at all Central Government Real Estate Agency locations. Batteries and new contracts with the grid operator, combined with energy control, have been identified as potential solutions for grid congestion.

A handbook has also been developed for the Central Government Real Estate Agency, containing recommendations for the Central Government Real Estate Agency and how our conclusions can become part of the organisation. This ensures that the knowledge gained is understandable, applicable and can be implemented.