Embion Blog

Do You Have Control Over Your Contracted Energy Capacity?

Written by Doenja Frints | May 1, 2025

Once your company has an electricity connection greater than 3 x 80 amps, in the Netherlands, you are classified as  a large-scale energy consumer. This is common among manufacturing companies, large office buildings, hospitals, schools, and other organisations with high energy demands. As a large-scale energy user, you must deal with contracted capacity. This is the maximum amount of electrical power your business is allowed to draw from the grid, as agreed with your network operator. Whether you'll use this capacity fully or not, you pay a fixed fee for this capacity. But how do you ensure that your contracted capacity is used optimally? And why is it so important for your business? Keep reading and we’ll explain everything!

 
What Is Contracted Capacity?

Contracted capacity is like a reserved seat on an aeroplane: you’re entitled to a specific share of the electricity grid's capacity. This is crucial for avoiding grid overload during peak demand, a situation known as grid congestion. For large businesses with connections over 3 x 80 amps, reserving this capacity is essential.

 
Why Does It Matter?

Although you pay for the capacity you reserve, that doesn’t mean you're using it efficiently. There are two main scenarios:

  • Overuse: If you exceed your contracted capacity, you may face increased costs or even financial penalties.

  • Underuse: If you use less than you’ve reserved, you’re paying for unused capacity. This is not only inefficient but also limits the grid availability for other growing businesses.

 
How Can the Embion EMS Help?

The Embion EMS helps you manage your contracted capacity efficiently. Our Energy Management System provides real-time insights into your energy consumption, monitors peak usage, and actively controls loads to avoid exceeding your limits. You’ll not only know when you're nearing your threshold — the system will also step in automatically to prevent unnecessary costs and grid strain.

With the Embion EMS, you can:

  • Optimise energy use by actively avoiding peak loads

  • Prevent grid congestion and reduce the risk of overuse

  • Lower your energy costs by aligning usage with your contracted capacity

  • Control smart devices such as EV chargers or battery systems to keep consumption within limits

For example, if the system detects that your total consumption is approaching the limit, it can temporarily pause EV charging or discharge energy from a battery to reduce your peak load.

Our flexible, future-proof solution integrates easily with devices like solar panels, charging stations, and batteries. You’ll always have access to detailed reports and alerts via our user-friendly web app.

 
Why Embion?

Embion is your partner in making energy use more efficient and sustainable. With our EMS, you gain full control over your energy usage, saving costs while contributing to a greener future.

Ready to make the most of your contracted capacity with Embion EMS? Leave your details in the contact form, and we’ll get in touch with you as soon as possible.