Battery storage: Smart use of consumption and marketing potential

With regard to the decarbonization of the energy supply, modern battery storage systems are regarded as an important building block for the power system of the future. With their buffer function, they stabilize the power grid and make the fluctuating power generation from wind and sun available for continuous power supply. Households in particular use what are known as PV battery storage systems, i.e. high-performance storage technologies in conjunction with a photovoltaic system. But a battery storage system is also worthwhile in industry and trade. Especially on a larger scale, the strengths of the current storage devices can be usefully used to

• significantly reduce electricity costs,
• increase self-generated electricity consumption; and
• to generate additional revenue from the energy services market.
  
   

Peak Shaving: Reduce power procurement costs with advanced battery storage systems

Especially companies with a high power consumption in particular offer an ideal field of application for battery storage. As a flexible energy reserve, these smoothen the load peaks of current-intensive processes and actively contribute to reducing the company's electricity procurement costs via peak shaving: Load peaks in the power supply are produced not only by industrial processes such as the use of furnaces or the simultaneous connection of several machines, but also, for example, by the use of electric charging stations. However, by contractually structuring the labor and capacity prices, the network operators reward the most uniform possible use of the network without excessive peaks. By using electricity storage systems, power peaks occurring for a short time can be intercepted and smoothed, which in some cases significantly reduces the power supply costs.

Economical operation of the battery storage via further additional revenues

In most cases, however, the use alone as an energy store is not sufficient to operate battery storage systems economically. Through intelligent use, storage can generate additional revenue. For battery storage, energy services marketing is currently usually the most attractive option for generating such additional revenue and, on top of that, for advancing the energy transition by relieving the burden on the power grid. Our service: For battery storage operators, ENGIE takes over the prequalification with the grid operator and the subsequent marketing in the primary balancing power (PRL).

Power storage: Making the best use of marketing opportunities in the energy services market

"It is particularly important to us that we market our customers' battery storage systems in the best possible energy-saving way without impacting the actual function of the storage system on site. We consider each customer storage in interaction – both with other customer systems and with our own battery storage systems. This allows us to prequalify the customer storage with the maximum possible performance," explains Christoph Maurer, Key Account Manager at ENGIE Deutschland. For the marketing in the primary balancing power, the transmission system operators impose an essential requirement on battery storage systems, which is based on the ratio of capacity to output. By pooling customers' energy storage systems with other ENGIE plants, they can fully exploit their potential and be prequalified with a higher performance despite limited storage capacity. This will allow customers to maximize their revenues in ENGIE's marketing pool. Another advantage: The performance can also be increased by prequalifying the storage and the consumer together – for example, a power-to-heat system at the customer site.

Attractive marketing of battery storage in practice

Two examples from industry and the energy sector show how the intelligent use of battery storage systems works in daily operation and can be used for efficient marketing:

Marketing and charging management for Wind to Gas Energy GmbH & Co. KG (W2G)

Wind to Gas Energy GmbH & Co. KG (W2G) is one of the pioneers of wind energy utilization in Schleswig-Holstein. With the aim of storing renewable energies and transforming them into other usable forms of energy, W2G in Brunsbüttel has, among other things, set up a lithium-ion battery storage for the provision of primary balancing power. ENGIE markets the battery for W2G in the energy services, including charge management and protection. ENGIE also forecasts peak grid load to generate additional revenue in avoided grid usage. In combination with ENGIE's hydroelectric power plant, the customer storage facility was able to be prequalified with a higher output, thus optimizing the revenues.

ENGIE combines battery storage and generators for Umicore

Umicore NV/SA is a global leader in the production and recycling of specialty materials and metals. The customers are mainly the chemical processing industry as well as the automotive, building materials, electrical and jewelery industries. ENGIE markets a battery storage unit for Umicore in Belgium in combination with a power-to-heat system and an emergency power generator in the primary control power. A self-developed software is used, via which ENGIE

• controls the three technical units fully automatically,
• minimizes the cost of operation
• and is able to ensure trouble-free performance.
  
   

Energy storage for the energy transition: Comprehensive expertise from ENGIE

The ENGIE Group is fully committed to combining existing solutions for its customers in an innovative way and to maximizing the achievable revenues. The company operates its own pumped-storage power plants and battery storage, has the necessary IT infrastructure and incorporates the extensive know-how of the intraday trading department.

Many years of experience in the marketing of battery storage systems

Offering the power of a storage-limited system continuously on the currently most attractive market has been ENGIE's routine for decades. For industrial customers, ENGIE also develops site concepts with the most green, cost-effective and secure energy supply possible. The intelligent combination of existing units at the site ensures cost-optimized operation. Optimizing the plants of all ENGIE's customers across sites makes it possible to significantly increase the revenues of each individual customer.

Additional services for ENGIE customers

Through cooperation with renowned partners, ENGIE can offer further services, including the supply of mobile battery capacities. Depending on requirements, the battery storage can be set up quickly and flexibly at the customer's site, ensure security of supply and reduce costs and CO₂ emissions.