Smart energy technology company SolarEdge has launched a new flexible energy service in partnership with software provider 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 (VPP) network. During times of peak demand on the UK electricity grid, Axle Energy’s software can automatically step in to sell electricity stored in SolarEdge home batteries, earning customers up to £250 over this winter. Additionally, customers living in eligible areas of the UK can also take part in the Network Flexibility Service, which allows Distribution Network Operators (DNOs) to shift excess energy during times of network congestion or excess generation.
These two services make up phase one of the new VPP offering, which launched in November. Plans for phase two include frequency response services, which can allow customers’ stored energy to help stabilise 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 launch.
Customers who choose to participate will have their batteries controlled automatically, with no manual intervention required on the part of the customer.
Christelle Barnes, UK country manager at SolarEdge Technologies, commented: “We are delighted to partner with Axle Energy to help SolarEdge customers to unlock 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 doing their bit to support the grid.”
Karl Bach, co-founder of Axle Energy, added: “Households with solar and storage systems have a crucial role to play in helping to decarbonise and support the grid. By participating in VPP programs such as SolarEdge Flexible Grid Services, they are helping to ensure a more sustainable and reliable electricity supply for everyone.”
This is not the first time SolarEdge has worked with another company to optimise its battery offerings or allow customers to join a VPP. In July, SolarEdge teamed up with Octopus Energy’s Kraken platform, allowing SolarEdge batteries to automatically charge when energy on the network is cheapest and greenest and sell it back to the grid at peak times, while also joining Kraken’s VPP to aid with grid balancing. Kraken’s VPP manages 150,000 electric vehicle (EV) batteries with a collective 1GW of capacity.
