Powerhouse pilot project in Garrel: battery storage efficiently connected to the grid

HoBohTec GmbH is a company from Garrel that was founded in 2010 and is now one of the established regional providers of photovoltaic and battery storage solutions in the Oldenburger Münsterland region. In addition to the planning and installation of PV and storage systems, HoBohTec also offers comprehensive services in robotics, automation technology and PLC, including safety certification and industrial assembly, and thus supports numerous regional and national industrial companies.

The first battery storage system was implemented as a pilot project on the company’s own premises in Garrel (near Bremen), marking the start of a series of standardized BESS solutions. The “Powerhouse” system combines all relevant components such as battery storage, transformer, medium-voltage switchgear and low-voltage main distribution in a single, compact building. HoBohTec is relying on safe and durable lithium-iron technology for its first own storage system with an installed output of 0.704 MW and a capacity of 1.592 MWh. Future storage facilities can be scaled to any size.

Challenge and solution

The entry into the storage business brought new challenges for HoBohTec – particularly with regard to grid connection and regulatory requirements, which e2m helped to clarify. “The preparatory work for contract processing was particularly time-consuming; we had to painstakingly gather a lot of data after commissioning. That took a lot of time,” says Hans-Jürgen Böhmann, Managing Director of HoBohTec. This is where e2m was able to support us with its experience and practical solutions: “e2m really made things easier for us, with ready-made Excel lists and forms that took a lot of work off our hands. And we always had a contact person who answered questions quickly.”

As a pilot project, the storage facility in Garrel has laid the foundations for a scalable model: The company has since sold a large number of other systems; half a dozen are currently under construction, all of which are also to be marketed by e2m on the balancing energy market and wholesale market.

Partnership at eye level

“It was important for us to have a fixed contact person who cares and knows our case. That was the case with e2m, the advice was always reliable and fast,” Böhmann continues. Julian Brucker, Product Manager at e2m, also sees the project as an example of successful, close cooperation: “We have designed our processes to be as lean as possible so that the connection works quickly and cost-effectively. With a reliable partner like HoBohTec, we can get the most out of the flexibility of the storage system.”

“We can highly recommend e2m as a flex marketer due to the uncomplicated and high-quality cooperation.” Hans-Jürgen Böhmann, Managing Director HoBohTec