Charging electric vehicles, baking pizzas, and melting a fuse in Lochem

To evaluate the impact of the energy transition on distribution grids, a year 2025 scenario stress test was conducted in a real Dutch distribution grid. For this, the authors confronted the local low-voltage grid of a village with 20 electrical vehicles and ovens. The result was a short service interruption which could not be avoided by control. Furthermore, severe unbalance and high peak load were observed, resulting in large voltage drops and severe neutral point shifts. The obtained measurements are used to validate simulation models used to study the effect of novel control strategies to balance the local grid.