The energy transition: from fossil fuels to sustainable energy sources. The government's policy plan is aimed at taking important steps towards renewable energy sources in the coming years. Sustainable forms of energy such as wind and solar energy require a different approach to the Dutch energy distribution system. During the Gaia user afternoon on Wednesday, November 8 in Hotel Papendal, ValueA CEO Richard Bosgraaf spoke about how they assist grid operators in their challenges surrounding the energy transition.

Ensuring a safe and reliable distribution network. According to ValueA, these are the challenges of the energy transition for grid operators. To do this, registering and measuring the grid load are crucial. ValueA is committed to customers on the one hand as an advice service provider and on the other hand as a provider of data-driven software solutions. Grid operators gain control over the energy transition through intelligent models that make predictions about solar panels, heat pumps and electric transport based on trends and scenarios.

During the Gaia user afternoon, organized by Phase to Phase, Bosgraaf explained a project in which they collaborate with grid operator Coteq: the Kairos project. “Because Coteq is one of the smaller grid operators in the Netherlands, the company offers excellent opportunities for innovation through its strength and a high degree of expertise,” says Bosgraaf. By implementing an IT roadmap developed in 2015 in combination with a framework developed by ValueA, data is collected from Coteq's distribution network. This network operator collects qualitative data from the field, including measurement data from district stations and fault information. This data is then supplemented with data from, among others, the Central Bureau of Statistics. This combination of data provides insight into, among other things, the increase in solar panels, heat pumps and charging stations in municipalities, neighborhoods and districts. The ValueA framework makes the data transparent, resulting in trends and forecasts for the future. This also gives grid operator Coteq the opportunity to detect unusual activities and gains better insight into the lifespan of grid cables, the grid load, the necessary capacity and utilization rate. ValueA's software fits seamlessly with Phase to Phase's grid calculation software. In this way it is possible for Coteq to make necessary investments in, among other things, the low-voltage grid transparent and to plan for the future.