The Dubbelman Connection

Marco Dubbelman, Smart Living, Shared Power

This Man Lives Almost Without an Energy Bill—and Helps His Neighbors
Eric Holm
Zeeuwse Courant

What if you no longer had to feed your self-generated electricity back into the overloaded power grid, but could instead use it in your own home—or even share it with your neighbors? Marco Dubbelman from Arnemuiden has fully upgraded his home with solar panels, batteries, and a smart system that allows him to store and share energy. His goal isn’t just to manage his own energy use efficiently, but also to help solve the grid congestion problem in Zeeland.

Smart Energy Solutions Project
Over the past few years, Dubbelman has taken numerous steps to make his home as sustainable as possible. “It started with excellent insulation. Of course, we installed solar panels on the roof. Then we added a heat pump, which allows us to both heat and cool the house. We also installed several batteries. The solar panels are connected to a switch in the fuse box. That switch ensures that if the power goes out, we can still use our solar energy and have enough electricity.”

Using Energy Locally
Dubbelman doesn’t consume all the energy his home generates—he often has surplus. In the past, he fed that excess back into the grid. Now, he can block that. “The advantage is that the generated electricity isn’t returned to the grid. That means I don’t have to pay the energy supplier. What I really want is for us to use the energy we cut off locally. I’d like to send the surplus to my neighbors—just via a cable, without involving the utility company’s meters.”
For example, if he generates 80 kWh and only uses 20 kWh, he has 60 kWh left. Instead of wasting it, he could give it to a neighbor who needs 60 kWh. This could be done through a local energy hub.
The batteries that store the surplus electricity.. 
© Installatiebedrijf Coppens

“I want to prevent the electricity grid from becoming overloaded.”
—Marco Dubbelman, owner of the most sustainable home in Zeeland

A Neighborhood Battery
The neighborhood has a single transformer station where all electricity flows in. Dubbelman believes it’s feasible to place a large battery there. “Everyone in the neighborhood could then supply and draw energy. At the end of the transformer station, there would be a meter for the supplier. The whole neighborhood would use much less energy from the grid because our self-generated power would be used optimally.”

Pay-as-You-Use Model
Currently, Dubbelman says, you pay a daily fee for using the energy network. “But imagine if you only paid for what you actually used. If you consume more, you pay more. If you consume less, you pay less. That would encourage people to reduce their grid usage—either by generating more themselves or by using their own energy more efficiently. It’s similar to a mileage tax: you only pay for the kilometers you drive.”

Batteries and Grid Stability
Dubbelman hopes this system will also improve grid stability. Feeding energy back into the grid increases the load, and the grid is already so congested that new businesses can’t establish themselves in the region. “That’s a shame, because it also hurts the local job market. We need to ensure that companies can get an electrical connection so they can settle or expand here.”

Reducing Energy Consumption
Dubbelman isn’t just focused on his own situation—he’s thinking bigger. “The goal is to make society more sustainable. We need to reduce the costs of expanding and maintaining the grid. We also need to consume less energy to address grid congestion. Overproduction isn’t sustainable either. This concept can help.”

Leading by Example
Dubbelman believes he’s setting a good example. “Yes, we’re ahead of the curve, and I’m proud of that. When you look at what you can achieve in terms of sustainability, cost savings, and quality of life—and how you can positively impact grid congestion—it’s worth investing energy into this.”

The inverter in the utility cabinet that manages power distribution
© Installatiebedrijf Coppens

Powering Businesses
According to the inverter supplier, businesses and institutions can also supply energy to their surroundings. “It can be applied to private homes, but also in the corporate world—at large distribution centers, hospitals, or other institutions. Of course, they’d need larger batteries and inverters.”

Scaling Up
Dubbelman is thinking even bigger. “This can be implemented nationally and internationally.” He’s already contacted the Regional Energy Strategy Zeeland, Impuls Zeeland, the municipality of Middelburg, and grid operator Stedin to explore expansion. “The only problem is that energy suppliers aren’t happy about it—it means lost revenue. Plus, regulations need to be updated,” he says.