It's often in the news these days: whenever the sun shines, so much electricity is generated all at once that it leads to major surpluses. That's when battery storage comes into play. Smith Solar provides battery systems for both private households and businesses. Based in Maasdijk, the company draws on its years of experience installing lighting systems for greenhouses, explains owner Karel Smith. "The heavy-duty cables we've been using for large lighting projects are now also in demand for the increasingly large battery systems being installed in horticulture."
Smith Solar grew out of Smith Tuinbouwtechniek, the company starting more than twelve years ago with solar panel installations for private homes. Soon after, the step to greenhouse growers and other business customers followed, first in the Westland region and later beyond.
"In recent years, we've shifted our focus toward offering complete, integrated sustainable energy solutions," says Karel. "This doesn't just mean high-quality solar panels anymore, but also advanced charging stations and, more recently, home batteries and commercial storage systems. More and more, we're delivering combined installations where solar PV and battery storage go hand in hand."
© Smith Solar
Own EMS
One of Smith Solar's unique features is its own energy management system, GridSense, developed by Karel's son, Zandor Smith. "We already have more than 300 installations running on it. With GridSense, batteries can be charged or discharged based on the dynamic contract prices of electricity."
Thanks to its horticultural roots, the company can supply a wide range of battery systems. "We work with a few trusted suppliers, which allows us to deliver systems up to 1 megawatt hour, including control systems," Karel explains. And that control is becoming more and more important. "We speak the language of batteries."
Smart energy management
In horticulture systems, specialized energy management companies help growers optimize their energy use. Smith Solar partners with such companies in its projects. "We operate the batteries based on the data these partners provide for their customers," Karel says. This collaboration around battery systems is, in his view, very similar to the way partnerships already exist for CHP units and greenhouse lighting systems.
© Smith SolarConnection and inverter
The battery systems supplied by Smith Solar go up to 1 megawatt hour, which Karel believes is often sufficient for growers. "You always have to take the existing grid connection into
© Smith Solar account. For example, if a grower has a CHP unit and a 2-megawatt connection, you can place two 1-megawatt-hour batteries. Each of those has an inverter that can charge or discharge at half a megawatt per hour, so the battery is fully charged or discharged in about two hours. With two systems side by side, you reach 2 megawatt hours."
For larger storage needs, growers can also choose to work with multiple 1-megawatt-hour systems in parallel. "That gives flexibility, and in some cases, it may also be more favorable from a regulatory perspective."
The systems Smith Solar supplies are fully certified to meet insurance requirements. "They're always installed outdoors, which has the advantage that they can be placed close to the business as long as there's a fire-resistant wall. And since land is expensive, the compact footprint of our systems is a real advantage."
Charging stations
More and more growers are also looking at battery storage not only to trade in energy markets but also to store their own generated electricity for later use on the farm. "That way, a grower can draw on the stored energy whenever demand is high," Karel explains. Battery systems are also used for peak shaving. "Instead of sizing your entire connection around a few occasional peaks in demand, you can use a battery to smooth things out, temporarily storing your own power and releasing it when the load increases."
In addition to battery systems, Smith Solar also installs charging stations. "We already place a lot of charging points for passenger cars at businesses and private homes. For trucks, however, you need much more power, which means DC chargers. We're already in talks to be able to supply those as well," says Karel.
Finally, he points out that there are subsidy opportunities for businesses interested in battery storage. "The Energy Investment Allowance (EIA) is interesting for entrepreneurs, and for charging infrastructure, there's also the SPRILA subsidy for private charging systems at companies."
© Smith SolarSmith Solar continues to install solar panels, mostly on roofs, and sometimes small field setups. Moreover, the company can also realize systems for water basins, says Karel. "Our own construction department helps us make such systems."
For more information:
Karel Smith
Smith Solar B.V.
Aartsdijkweg 45
2676 LE Maasdijk
0174 235 120
[email protected]
https://smithsolar.nl/
