Smart energy technology company SolarEdge has launched a new flexible energy service in collaboration with software supplier Axle Energy.
The new SolarEdge Flexible Grid Services program allows owners of SolarEdge home battery energy storage systems (BESS) to join a virtual power plant network (VPP). At times of peak demand on the UK electricity grid, Axle Energy’s software can automatically intervene to sell electricity stored in SolarEdge home batteries, helping customers earn up to £250 this winter. In addition, customers living in eligible areas of Great Britain can also participate in the Network Flexibility Service, which allows distribution network operators (DNOs) to move excess energy during times of network congestion or excess generation.
These two services form phase one of the new VPP offering, which was launched in November. Plans for phase two include frequency response services, through which customers’ stored energy can help stabilize the grid frequency during times of imbalance, as well as participation in the wholesale energy market. SolarEdge and Axle have yet to reveal when they expect phase two to start.
Customers who choose to participate will have their batteries checked automatically, without the need for manual customer intervention.
Christelle Barnes, UK country manager at SolarEdge Technologies, commented: “We are delighted to be working with Axle Energy to help SolarEdge customers get even more value from their home solar and storage systems. By participating in the Flexible Grid Services program, SolarEdge home battery owners can earn meaningful financial rewards for helping to support the electric grid.”
Karl Bach, co-founder of Axle Energy, added: “Households with solar and storage systems play a crucial role in decarbonising and supporting the electricity grid. By participating in VPP programs such as SolarEdge Flexible Grid Services, they help ensure a more sustainable and reliable electricity supply for all.”
This isn’t the first time SolarEdge has partnered with another company to optimize its battery offering or offer customers the option to join a VPP. In July, SolarEdge partnered with Octopus Energy’s Kraken platform, allowing SolarEdge batteries to automatically charge when energy on the grid was cheapest and greenest and sell them back to the grid during peak times, while also joining Kraken’s VPP added to help balance the electricity grid. Kraken’s VPP manages 150,000 batteries for electric vehicles (EV) with a combined capacity of 1 GW.
