City Hub
Creating an automated electricity management system
About City Hub
City Hub is a logistics service provider specialising in warehouse spaces located at the outskirts of cities. With branches in Amsterdam, Roermond, Maastricht, Groningen, Utrecht, and Leiden, City Hub focuses on clean outer and inner city transport, including storage and stock management. City Hub has been a leader in zero-emission urban logistics since 2015.
One of City Hub’s facilities – in Utrecht – was facing an issue with the local electricity network, which is fully congested, both downwards and upwards. This facility has a solar roof. City Hub received notifications from the network operator about City Hub feeding too much electricity into the network. City Hub asked Utilus to come up with a solution.
The need
City Hub appreciated the transparent, swift, and innovative approach of Utilus. Moreover, Utilus’ experience with software in the energy transition was a decisive factor. To this day, Utilus and City Hub continue to partner.
Why Utilus?
Initially, City Hub considered shutting down their entire solar system during periods of high congestion in Utrecht’s electricity grid. However, Utilus recommended a more nuanced approach: developing an application that enables City Hub to regulate the amount of electricity fed into the network based on their specific requirements.
The solution
An automated system has now been implemented, replacing City Hub’s need for manual control of their system. This not only brings efficiency benefits but also financial advantages, as available electricity is optimally fed into the system. Additionally, this solution is more fail-safe compared to a manual approach.