Is my site suitable — and what data do I need?

§ 01Why "suitable" is a real question

A mobile chain for renewable gas is not a universal answer. It works well within a specific profile and badly outside it; a project on an unsuitable site costs both parties money and trust. That's why every project starts with an assessment, and why the first step of the scan is a description of your situation in plain language. This article sets out in advance what we assess and which data that takes.

§ 02The six data points

Gather these six data points before the conversation. They don't have to be exact; a good estimate with a source behind it beats a precise figure without one.

• Energy demand and profile. How much energy does the site use per day or per week, and how is it spread: continuously, in shifts, in peaks? Where does that come from at the moment — natural gas, diesel, electricity?
• Peak power. What is the highest power demand at any one time? That determines the sizing, more than average consumption does.
• Duration. How long does the demand last: weeks, months, years? Is there an end date, or is it a bridge until there is a grid connection?
• Grid connection. Is there a connection, at what power, and is a capacity upgrade possible — and when? The grid operators' capacity map gives a first indication. [1]
• Physical space and access. Is there room for a setup, reachable for deliveries, at a safe distance from buildings and the public? The safety guidelines for gases on site set the framework. [2]
• Demand for proof. Who is asking for proof — a client, an auditor, a permit — and in what form? That determines how the evidence file is set up.

§ 03When a site is promising

On the basis of these data points, a site is promising when a combination of these features applies:

• The demand is temporary or decentralised: a construction site, an event, a site without infrastructure, a process waiting for a grid upgrade.
• There is no or insufficient grid capacity, and it won't arrive in time.
• The energy demand is substantial enough to justify a delivery, and the duration long enough for the setup to pay off.
• There is room and access for a safe setup and regular deliveries.
• There is a demand for proof: someone wants to be able to see what was used.

The more of these features apply, the more the route makes sense. The last one carries weight: where nobody asks for proof, the difference from a cheaper paper claim is commercially small — even though it is substantively large.

§ 04When the answer is "not here"

The reverse matters just as much. We say "not here" when:

• the site has an adequate grid connection, or will get one soon — then electrification is the more logical route, see the trade-off;
• the demand is too small or too short to justify a setup and a delivery;
• no safe setup is possible within the applicable guidelines; [2]
• there is no demand for proof and price is the only driver — then there are cheaper options that give you no proof, and you know that.

The scan gives you this outcome too.

§ 05What happens after "suitable"

If the site fits, four steps follow: an intake meeting based on the six data points, a design for the setup and the delivery rhythm, installation and commissioning, and from the first delivery onwards the evidence file per project — the way of working described on the What we do page. [3] Every step leaves room to scale down if the situation changes; that is the reason to keep the chain mobile.

§ 06Start with the scan

The quickest way to run the test is the fossil replacement scan: three steps, the six data points in plain language, and a first chain and proof route back, even if renewable gas is not the route. How the scan works and what happens to your data is explained in the article about the scan.

§ 07References

• Netbeheer Nederland — Capacity map: availability of transport capacity per area, as a first check on the grid question.Grid operators · nl · ongoingHigh
• Publicatiereeks Gevaarlijke Stoffen (PGS) — Guidelines for the safe storage and use of gases on site, as a framework for siting, distances and access.Safety guidelines · nlHigh
• Powercrumbs — What we do — Description of Powerhub, Powerbox and Powerpulse and the four steps from intake to evidence file.Own documentationInternal

Full references (titles, dates, links) to follow.

About the author