To achieve energy certainty, businesses need to think differently.

To achieve energy certainty, businesses need to think differently

By Frank Heijckmann, Sales Development Director

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The time when a grid connection could be taken for granted is behind us. Traditionally, the grid operator ensured security of supply. Standing charges, transport costs, and consumption were paid, and that was that.

That certainty no longer exists. Grid congestion is a structural consequence of electrification, decarbonisation, and economic growth. It is not a temporary problem. It calls for a strategic approach to energy infrastructure.

Yet many real estate parties still think in terms of the old model. They wait for a grid upgrade or hope that capacity will somehow become available after all. Meanwhile, the market is moving faster than the electricity grid can keep up.

Anyone who remains dependent on the grid operator makes themselves vulnerable.

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Taking control yourself

Grid Operator 2.0 does not mean remaining dependent on an external party. It means developing and managing your own energy infrastructure.

That calls for investment in your own energy ecosystem, built around:

• A smaller grid connection
• Energy storage
• An Energy Management System (EMS)
• Integration with on-site generation and charging infrastructure
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With battery storage, a smaller connection can be combined with the same, or even greater, available capacity during peak periods. The battery charges gradually and is deployed when demand rises. This avoids peak loads and reduces grid management costs.

In a recent business case, a comparison was made between a standard 200 kW connection and a self-managed energy system with battery storage, smart control, and full operational management.

The conclusion was clear: a strategically designed system not only creates greater certainty around available capacity, but also delivers an annual financial advantage.

In practice, a large grid connection of around 200 kW can easily cost approximately €20,000 per year in standing charges and transport costs alone. At capacities between 500 kW and 1.75 MW, that figure rises further. A well-designed system with battery storage and active management often remains below that level, while giving more control over capacity and preventing peaks.

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The misconception around batteries

The question is not whether a battery costs money, but what the total energy infrastructure costs and what it delivers in return.

A battery also offers something a traditional connection cannot: flexibility.

Peaks can be flattened. Energy markets can be used actively. The connection can be deployed strategically to retain capacity. Energy then shifts from a static utility to a dynamic system.

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Why logistics real estate needs to move now

In the private market, large-scale investment has already been made in solar panels and increasingly also in home batteries. The motivation is clear: lower costs, greater autonomy, and sustainability.

In logistics real estate, this shift is less visible, even though the urgency is greater. Here, the issue is not comfort, but lettability and value:

• No grid connection for new-build projects
• Tenants who want to electrify but cannot expand
• Contracted capacity coming under pressure

Energy is still too often treated as a technical file rather than a strategic issue. That is understandable: real estate is the core activity, not energy. But the impact on returns and risk profile is now too great to ignore.

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From cost item to strategic asset

What is still not sufficiently recognised is that energy infrastructure can also become a revenue model.

With battery storage, different operating models are possible. One option is to choose fixed fees for making capacity available, creating calm and predictability. Another is dynamic optimisation in flexibility markets, with the potential for higher returns.

Professional management is essential here. Returns mean little if a battery wears out faster because of excessive use. That is why the full picture must always be considered: revenue, grid management costs, and lifespan.

This calls for an independent approach. No hidden agenda. No product that simply needs to be sold. Just the right balance between technology and return.

When energy is approached in this way, the perspective changes. The energy system becomes an integral part of the real estate strategy.

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What this means for the portfolio

For investors and owners of logistics real estate, three questions matter:

1) How does the grid connection compare with actual consumption across the portfolio?
2) Where do risks of congestion or loss of capacity exist?
3) At which locations can a smart energy system add value instead of simply creating cost?

Energy infrastructure increasingly determines the attractiveness of an asset. Tenants expect charging hubs, electrification, and predictable energy costs. A location without flexibility loses competitive strength.

By investing in robust and smart systems in time, future readiness increases. Control over capacity is retained, the grid is supported, and room for growth is created.

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The next phase

Autonomous or semi-autonomous energy systems are expected to become the standard within a few years for energy-intensive real estate.

Grid operators are investing heavily in grid upgrades, but the electrification of transport and logistics is moving faster than many assume. At the same time, batteries are becoming better, more affordable, and more intelligently controlled.

As a result, the decentralised question is shifting from:

“Can a larger connection be obtained?”

to:

“How can an in-house energy ecosystem be designed in the best possible way?”

That requires vision, technically, financially, and strategically.

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Today’s choice determines tomorrow’s room for growth

Grid congestion is not a barrier, but a turning point.

It calls for a different approach to energy: less as a given, more as a strategic asset.

Those who take control now are building energy certainty that matches their ambitions. Those who keep waiting remain dependent on a system that has reached its limits.

Energy should not be a source of uncertainty within an investment strategy. It should be a stable pillar on which to build.

That is the essence of Grid Operator 2.0:
take control, design intelligently, and stay operational.

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Frank Heijckmann is the founder of KiesZon, the largest developer of large-scale rooftop solar projects, and PVO International, a leading wholesaler of solar products for major installers and developers across Europe. After the successful sale of both businesses, Frank now focuses through Steddion on the design, installation, commissioning, and management of modern energy systems in logistics and industrial real estate.

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