BioZon Energy Community
 

The market actors within the simulation are based on the BioZon pilot, in which there are a total of 50 households participating. Next to that, electricity is produced by a landfill gas generator (85 kW). The following market actors are involved in the energy community:

  • Citizen investors: 50 households invested a total of €43.350
  • Consumers: A total of 30 households participate in the pilot for self-supply of electricity produced by the project.
  • Landfill gas generator: The landfill gas generator is modelled as a large-scale fixed generator with a peak power production of 85 kW (constant 1 p.u. over time).
  • ENTRNCE Platform: ENTRNCE operates a LEM platform which significantly lowers market entry barriers, enabling their users to become active market participants. This LEM platform facilitates direct  peer-to-peer transactions while market access to wholesale markets is facilitated as well.  ENTRNCE facilitates the market access for the Biozon energy community to the wholesale market, to trade residual volumes and settle the imbalance.
Project Information
 
City, Country
Zelhem, Netherlands
Duration (Start/End Dates)
January 2022 / On-going
Funding Source
Project Lead (Organisation)
Agem Gemeentelijke Energie
Project Partners

Parameter

As designed

As built

No. of participants

 

50

Generation (kWp)

 

Landfill gas generator (85 kWp)

Storage (kWh)

 

0

Unit price ($/kWh)

 

€0,55/kWh

Project cost ($)

 

€45.000

  • In the Biozon pilot the end-user pays no more than the cost price + for their energy. This Local4Local framework is developed and implemented bottom-up. Community model for a sustainable, collective energy supply, where end-users pay no more than the cost price + for their energy, all while minimizing the impact on the local energy infrastructure. The cost price + is calculated by considering the total cost of generating, purchasing, distributing, storing, sharing, and delivering renewable energy, balanced against revenues from flexibility markets and surplus sales of renewable electricity or heat.
  • The participants in the Biozon energy community are member of the energy cooperative BioZon. BioZon is 100% owner of the landfill gas generator, thereby implementing a cooperative model.
  • Over the first 10 months of 2023, end-consumers participating in BioZon had a discount of 37% on average on their energy price, compared to a regular market contract.
  • Participants also receive an interest of 7% on their investment in BioZon.
  • What problem(s) does the case study aim to resolve?
    • Promote or include RES generation
  • What were the social objectives (if any)?
    • Participants have greater control over preferences; self-sufficiency (autarky); autonomy
    • Improvement to local economy (job creation etc); independence from other regions; community as focal point for engagement; shared benefits across the community
    • Economic incentives for participants; access wholesale, balancing and ancillary service markets
  • What were the environmental objectives (if any)?
    • None
  • To what degree were participants actively involved in design or operation?
    • Users are represented by a board, board members were very engaged in the design process. This was a co-creation process.
  • Was participation financially or socially incentivised or both?
    • Return on investment and reduced consumer price (cost-price), lower then the market price
  • What degree of demand response flexibility was provided?
    • None

 

Bennie Wisselink – chairman BioZon:
“Market prices are high, but we have our own generator, and produce our own electricity at a cost price much lower than the market price. If we supply the energy to ourselves, we can determine the price we pay.”

Market value proposition and key activities:

  • Implement a pricing model where end-users pay no more than the cost price plus, ensuring a sustainable and equitable energy supply.
  • Consider various factors such as generation, distribution, storage, and flexibility market revenues when determining the cost price for energy
  • Operate the market on a forward-facing (day-ahead) basis, allowing participants to submit bids per 15 minutes.
  • Foster a bottom-up community model with transparent and equitable energy pricing to encourage community engagement.
  • Encourage financial participation from community members to fund necessary investments, leveraging national and provincial subsidy schemes to create an attractive business case.
  • Establish an energy cooperative where participants have ownership and governance rights, with clear rules for internal governance, dispute resolution, and geographical constraints on participation.
  • Ensure diverse representation among participants, including households with varying socioeconomic statuses, and engage participants in the co-creation of project objectives to foster community ownership and engagement.

 
 
 
 
 

For more information on the Case Study
Contact Person: -
Copyright Statement
agree that the case study information of BioZon Energy Community can be shared under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license. This license allows others to download your works and share them with others as long as they credit you, but they can't change them in any way or use them commercially.