Power shortages are coming – Hospitality & Retail, get ready!
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Any hospitality or retail business owner looking to expand or invest in sustainability will inevitably encounter a major hurdle: grid congestion. Whether you’re planning to install additional refrigeration units in your supermarket, electrify your restaurant kitchen, or provide EV charging points for your customers, you may be shocked to hear from your grid operator that no extra power connection is available, the electricity grid is “full.”
This is not some distant scenario, it’s already a pressing reality. Nearly every region in the Netherlands is facing capacity shortages on the electricity grid. In these overloaded areas, grid operators are forced to impose restrictions, meaning large consumers may be unable to access the full capacity they require or feed surplus renewable energy back into the grid.
Queue
a long queue of businesses is waiting for (more) grid capacity
many of them in hospitality
Years
major grid expansions run well into the next decade
Map
in large parts of the country the capacity map shows orange or red for large connections
Netbeheer Nederland capacity map (>3×80 A), status varies by region
The implications are clear: expanding, relocating, or pursuing sustainability initiatives may simply not be feasible, unless you take proactive measures.
The grid Is full: what is grid congestion?
Grid congestion refers to an overload on the electricity network, essentially, demand outstrips the grid’s capacity to deliver power. The Netherlands is rapidly electrifying, from heating and cooking to transportation, but the grid infrastructure hasn’t kept pace. As a result, grid operators in many regions have declared capacity stops: businesses cannot obtain heavier connections, and expansion requests are added to a growing waiting list.
For large commercial connections (>3×80 A), most of the country now appears in orange or red on the national grid capacity map. In practice, this means you may be unable to power a new oven or walk-in freezer, or sell your excess solar energy back to the grid. This hampers both business growth and much-needed sustainability investments.
Although grid operators are legally required to provide sufficient capacity to all users, reinforcing the grid takes time, in some cases, years. Critical projects (e.g. hospitals or new housing developments) are prioritized, leaving most businesses in a holding pattern. This has led to economic bottlenecks across the Netherlands: a congested grid delays business plans and in some cases brings hospitality and retail operations to a standstill. Fortunately, there are practical strategies you can implement, even before grid upgrades are completed.
What can you do now? Four strategic solutions for Hospitality and Retail
While grid congestion poses a serious challenge, entrepreneurs are far from powerless. If you’re planning to grow your business or make it more sustainable, consider these four smart strategies that can help you secure the energy you need, or make better use of what you have.
Optimize your energy profile
Get insight into your consumption first, an energy advisor can pinpoint your peaks. Shift energy-intensive activities to off-peak hours, such as charging refrigeration systems at night or running the dishwasher after closing time. Result: less pressure on the grid, lower costs, and often a smaller footprint.
Engage your grid operator
Don’t accept “no capacity” as the final word. Ask about a capacity-limiting (“peak shaving”) contract that trades more power off-peak for less at busy hours, or a dynamic contract that trims your draw on request. And get on the upgrade waiting list now, the earlier you apply, the sooner you’ll be considered.
Consider cadastral splitting
Legally subdividing your property into separate connections can help: grid operators approve smaller connections (under 3×80 A) faster than one heavy one. But each section needs its own meter cabinet and safety certification, a costly, complex last resort, best taken with expert legal and technical advice.
Share capacity with others
A neighboring business that peaks at different hours can share one heavy connection with you through cable pooling, the shared use of a grid connection by multiple generators or consumers. Solar-generating SMEs can pool with their own or a neighbor’s consumption, or run a direct line to trade surplus power directly, bypassing the public grid. This needs proper agreements, often with prior approval from the grid operator.
For even more solutions to network congestion, read this article.
How can COMCAM support you?
Grid congestion is a complex challenge, but you don’t have to face it alone. COMCAM can help you identify and implement the right solutions, from smart efficiency measures to innovative contract models, all rooted in our unique Energy Portfolio Management approach.
We understand the specific challenges hospitality and retail businesses face. As an independent energy advisor (and official partner of Koninklijke Horeca Nederland), COMCAM supports entrepreneurs across the hospitality and retail sectors in analyzing energy usage, your energy profile and structurally reducing costs. We are not an energy supplier, but a fully independent partner, which means we act solely in your best interest.
We apply strategies that yield real benefits, from tailoring plans to your unique energy profile to optimizing connection capacity at each site.
Do you have expansion plans but were turned away by the grid operator? We’ll explore alternative strategies and guide you through the complexities of energy contracts, feed-in tariffs, and flexibility programs. We also assist in preparing discussions with your grid operator and applying for special contract arrangements.
Our experts focus on solutions: How can you grow or decarbonize despite current grid constraints? Whether the answer lies in a temporary generator, a smart combination of solar power and consumption (cable pooling), or participation in a congestion management program, we’ll design a bespoke roadmap tailored to your situation.
With years of experience and hundreds of entrepreneurs supported, we know what it takes to future-proof your energy infrastructure.
Don’t let grid congestion stall your ambitions.
With the right knowledge and creative strategy, far more is possible than it might initially seem. Start your energy planning early, and consult experts like COMCAM. That way, your business stays powered, resilient, and ready for the future.
Want tailored advice or a quick scan of your possibilities? Get in touch with COMCAM. Together, we’ll secure the power behind your success.
Does this apply to your business?
Our energy specialists are happy to look at what this means for your connections, your contract and your purchasing situation. Without obligation.
