CASE STUDY 1 - DB
THE CHALLENGE
The high-voltage substation at the DB-K. company site in Ostend cannot require longer inspection periods and renewal. An HS cabin has a lifespan of 30 to 40 years. The choices made now determine the company's leeway for the coming decades.
The site owner is seizing this mandatory replacement as a starting point for a Forward-looking review of the entire electrical infrastructure. The questions are multifaceted: how much capacity will be needed in the future for solar panels, electric charging, and new machinery? How will costs and revenues be fairly distributed between owner and tenant? And what are the permitting requirements?
The complexity lies not only in the technical aspects, but also in the legal and commercial relationship between the owner and tenant of the site. There is a need for an independent, integrated approach that brings together all dimensions—technical, financial, and legal—in a clear plan.
THE APPROACH
01 STUDY - MAPPING OUT THE COMPLETE INSTALLATION
Soone starts with a thorough on-site audit. We assess the technical condition of the HS-We map the substation, assess compliance with grid operator standards, and estimate the remaining service life. At the same time, we inventory the entire energy chain: from connection point through transformation and distribution to all end users. We analyze historical consumption profiles at daily, weekly, and seasonal levels and test the existing infrastructure against the requirements for PV, charging infrastructure, and capacity upgrading. This forms the factual basis for everything that follows.
02 STRATEGY - SCENARIOS THAT WORK
Based on the audit, we develop concrete future scenarios: PV simulations with yield analysis and self-consumption ratio, feasibility analysis of battery storage and charging infrastructure, and an overview of all relevant subsidies and grants (VEKA, Fluvius,
federal). Particular attention is paid to the owner-tenant relationship: we structure a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) through which the owner sells PV production directly to the tenant, and analyze the feasibility of energy sharing between multiple sites. We assess each scenario for technical feasibility, grid impact, and financial return, ensuring the client makes an informed choice, not a gamble.
03 EXECUTION - FROM MASTER PLAN TO REALIZATION
All findings come together in a concrete Master Plan for Electrical Infrastructure: a technical advice for the new HS cabinet (type, capacity, protection, coordination) grid operator), an assessment between full replacement and targeted renovation with an indicative cost estimate, and a phased investment plan for the high-voltage substation, PV, battery, and charging infrastructure with a timeline and payback periods. In addition to the master plan, this phase also includes the permit preparation, tender management, and site supervision — ensuring the plan is effectively realized as intended, with the right contractors and at the right price.
04 SUCCESSION - LONG-TERM MANAGEMENT
Once all investments have been realized, the actual management phase begins. Soone monitors over the long term whether the installations continue to perform as expected: are the solar panels generating a return, is the charging infrastructure functioning correctly, and is the battery delivering the promised flexibility? Through periodic monitoring and reporting, we safeguard the performance of all assets, detect deviations early, and make adjustments where necessary. This ensures everything remains on point — even years after delivery.
