Calf farm reduces energy costs with Embion EMS

The challenge

On a calf farm, everything revolves around continuity: heat to prepare milk, ventilation, lighting and various installations that demand more and more energy.
Stefan Bekkers, owner of a calf farm near Tilburg, saw energy demand increase significantly in recent years.

On top of that, energy tariffs, energy taxes and grid transport costs charged by operator Enexis rose sharply.
“Before we had panels, we used 80,000 kWh a year. Without measures, our energy costs would have more than doubled.

In 2021 he therefore chose solar panels, but soon realised this was not enough.
“Once the panels were in place, negative hours came up. You had to pay to feed back into the grid but didn’t receive any subsidy. That felt wrong,” says Stefan.

The solution

In 2023 Stefan decided to install the Embion EMS, which can smartly manage solar panels and switch them off during negative hours. When battery technology emerged and purchase prices dropped, the next step followed: the installation of a 229 kW Sungrow battery by Solar Crew, fully integrated into the EMS.

The EMS now ensures that:

• solar power generated during the day is stored intelligently,

• the battery provides energy for own use at night,

• peaks in energy demand are better absorbed,

• and price fluctuations on the energy market are optimally exploited.

“The system works very well for us,” says Stefan. “I know what I need at night and the EMS helps me plan that smartly. We now buy almost nothing from the grid at night, just a few kWh. That makes a huge difference.”

The result

The results are impressive:

• at least 95% reduction in night-time grid consumption,

• avoidance of an additional grid connection, which often isn’t even available,

• financial benefit from selling stored power during expensive hours.

Stefan estimates the investment will pay for itself within 5 to 7 years. But for him it’s not only about money:
“The biggest advantage for me is that I don’t need to buy electricity at night. That gives certainty and control over costs.”

Collarboration with Embion

The collaboration with Embion played a key role.
“In the beginning I had a lot of contact with Embion’s support team. That went very well. They helped me set up my control rules, and the Hub has become increasingly clear. I can now set up my own control, which makes it very flexible.”

Conclusion

With the combination of solar panels, a battery and the Embion EMS, the Bekkers family has drastically reduced its energy costs and protected itself against rising tariffs and transport charges.
This case shows that agricultural businesses can not only save costs with smart energy solutions, but also prepare themselves for the future of an unpredictable energy market.