Interview with Peter Paul van Voorst tot Voorst of Skoon Energy

Energy Storage NL holds an interview series with its participants. This time speaking: Peter Paul van Voorst tot Voorst, founder and CEO of Skoon Energy. In this interview, Peter Paul talks about Skoon Energy's role within the storage sector, their innovative approach with mobile energy infrastructure and their online platform that brings together landlords and users around energy solutions.

Can you tell us how Skoon came about and what your mission is?

The idea for Skoon came about seven years ago when I was studying in Delft with my fellow student Daan. We saw that the maritime industry, and shipping in particular, was lagging behind in electrification and thought that this had to change. That's how we came up with the idea of swap battery containers, which would allow ships to sail electrically. Since then, as befits a true start-up, we have been continuously looking for the best way to contribute to this. In the beginning we developed and built hardware, but pretty soon we focused on developing a software platform that facilitates and accelerates the ecosystem of clean mobile energy. Our mission is to make clean mobile energy available worldwide and ensure that it becomes the most logical choice for anyone who needs temporary energy.

My role within Skoon is twofold. On the one hand, I am responsible for attracting and helping customers, which I do together with our commercial team. We are constantly thinking about how to explain to our customers that clean energy is not only better for the environment, but in many cases cheaper than using fossil fuels. On the other hand, I am the product owner of our software platform. This means that every day I work with our software team to make our platform even more user-friendly, improve collaboration with customers and ensure that the data we collect is used to its fullest potential. Our goal is to make clean mobile energy the no-brainer choice for temporary energy needs.

Skoon is often described as a marketplace for batteries. Can you explain exactly how that works?

Our marketplace acts as a central hub where companies offering mobile energy solutions, such as batteries and hydrogen generators, can offer their products to potential customers. So on one side we have the mobile energy infrastructure providers, who join us to take advantage of our software tools that help them manage their operations more efficiently and gain access to a wide network of customers.

On the other hand, we have the users, often companies in sectors such as construction, events, or grid management, who need mobile energy. Through our platform, they can quickly and easily find the best energy solution for their specific situation. The great advantage of our platform is that it is flexible. If at any time a customer needs more energy than expected, they can easily switch to a larger battery or hire an additional system. Everything is handled through our platform, from the selection of the energy solution to the payments and the monitoring of energy consumption.

Another big advantage is that the platform completely unburdens the customer. We offer not only access to the systems, but also insight into energy consumption. The customer can track everything through one central dashboard, so they always know exactly how much energy they are consuming, where they can possibly save costs, and how they can minimize their impact on the environment.

Do you focus on specific industries or do you serve a wide range of customers?

Our focus is primarily on sectors where the need for mobile energy solutions is high and where our smart software tools come into their own. These are particularly the construction industry, the entertainment industry - think film and television productions - and grid operators. These sectors have a great need for temporary energy solutions and still often rely on fossil-fueled generators to run their projects. What we do is offer them a more sustainable alternative.

In the construction industry, work is usually done on sites where there is not yet a connection to the electricity grid, or where the grid does not have sufficient capacity to meet demand. They often fall back on diesel generators, but we are now seeing a clear shift to sustainable alternatives. Thanks to the solutions on our marketplace, construction companies can run their projects on clean energy, without depending on polluting fossil fuels.

We also work with grid operators on grid congestion projects. For example, we are currently carrying out a number of projects with different grid operators such as Liander or Enexis. For example, we placed a temporary energy setup at the Efteling and connected a set of mobile battery containers to a substation in Den Bosch. These projects show the power of our platform as a marketplace, because it allows us to supply exactly the right amount of energy capacity depending on the needs at that moment. We also developed a "grid service module," which allows grid operators to control all systems through our platform.

We also have a project running in Scheveningen together with Stedin and the municipality of The Hague, where we have solved a congestion problem using a mobile battery. This is a good example of how our technology is being applied in practice to address societal problems.

What are your ambitions in energy storage?

Energy storage is crucial to the energy transition, and we believe flexibility is key in this. However, there are a few challenges, such as uncertainty about what infrastructure you need throughout the year. Our ambition is to reduce that uncertainty by giving our users as much flexibility as possible, so that they only invest in what they really need. In addition, we strive to use resources as efficiently as possible by having battery cells deployed as many different times as possible. That way, every kilogram of lithium is used optimally. We also want users to always be able to choose the most appropriate technology depending on their specific situation, whether that is an old system because of cost or a new system because of energy density.

What role do mobile batteries play in societal challenges such as grid congestion and housing construction?

Mobile batteries can play an important role in solving societal challenges, especially when it comes to efficient use of resources. By sharing batteries, we can be more sustainable as a society. In addition, mobile batteries are an excellent alternative to traditional generators, which often run on diesel or gas. In new housing developments, for example, we still too often see polluting generators being used, when it can be done cheaper, quieter and healthier with clean mobile energy. We also provide customers with tools to calculate how much cost and emissions they can save by switching to a battery solution. Our decision tool shows them how to set up their projects in the most efficient way, which is both financially and environmentally beneficial.

How do regulatory changes affect your strategy and operational decisions?

Regulations play an important role in our industry. A good example are the nitrogen regulations recently introduced in the Netherlands. These rules have a big impact on the construction industry, because construction projects now have to use emission-free energy solutions in certain areas. This has helped us, as companies are now forced to look for alternatives to diesel generators, and the clean energy systems on our marketplace offer exactly the solution they need.

On the other hand, we also run into challenges in terms of permitting and safety requirements, especially since these are new technologies and ignorance causes delays. We try to work with regulators to show that the solutions are safe and that they contribute to improving local energy services.

Are there any collaborations between Skoon and other Energy Storage NL participants?

Almost all mobile battery rental companies operating within Energy Storage NL are affiliated with us on the platform. To name a few: Greener, Bredenoord, Accu't and more. They are all parties we work closely with. It's nice that all these companies are part of the ecosystem we support with our platform. Together, we can offer sustainable energy solutions to a broad customer group.

Many collaborations naturally arise because we operate in the same sector and have similar goals, but membership in Energy Storage NL has really reinforced this. Energy Storage NL provides a central place where we as a sector can come together, exchange ideas and formulate common goals. Especially when it comes to our position in relation to the government - towards The Hague, for example - it helps enormously to stand up as a collective and make our voice heard as an industry. We work together on important issues that affect everyone in the industry, and that strengthens us.

What motivated Skoon to join Energy Storage NL?

The motivation came mainly from the desire to cooperate and exchange knowledge, especially towards The Hague. As a sector we have a lot of ideas and good examples of how things can be done differently and more sustainably. As a company we can of course share our own insights, but it has much more impact if we do that as a collective. Together we can exchange best practices and act together towards policy makers. That gives much more clout. What we do at Skoon - connecting parties - fits perfectly with the philosophy of Energy Storage NL. You bring the sector together on a deeper level, so it was a logical step for us to join.

In addition, we benefit enormously from the network and expertise within Energy Storage NL. As a commercial party, we sometimes find that people listen to our story with a critical eye, because they expect us to want to sell something. Through Energy Storage NL we can present our knowledge and solutions without that commercial aspect in the foreground. That makes our story more credible and pure. It allows us to really focus on the core of our story: we need flexibility in the energy system, we need cooperation between all parties involved, and we need the right systems to support that flexibility.

You will be present at the Energy Trade Fair 2024. What can visitors expect from you?

This year we will focus entirely on our software solutions. Visitors can try out our Decision tool at our booth and see for themselves how they can set up their energy projects in the most efficient way. We will also show some interesting case studies of projects we have implemented, so people can see for themselves what we are all about.

Our platform is all about "software with a human touch." We offer not only advanced technology, but also the knowledge and experience of our team, which helps companies make the right choices and accelerate the energy transition. We look forward to engaging with everyone and showing them what we have to offer!

 

From October 15 - 17, the Energy Trade Fair will take place in the Brabanthallen in Den Bosch. Energy Storage NL will be represented here together with 11 participants at the Energy Storage NL Pavilion in Hall 6. Visit Energy Storage NL on stand 6.C027 and Skoon Energy on stand 6.C030.