TransnetBW gives sonnen greenlight for virtual power plant expansion
Image courtesy sonnen
German TSO TransnetBW has given prequalification to sonnen for their home storage units, enabling them to expand their virtual power plant capabilities in Germany.
The approval for the units, which can network into a virtual power plant, says TransnetBW in a release, is is linked to approval for the provision of primary control power in the TransnetBW control area.
The successfully completed tests tested the prescribed minimum storage capacity of 1MW, which corresponds to several hundred sonnen batteries. sonnen is responsible for networking the individual storage units, and marketing and calling up the control reserve is carried out by Next Kraftwerke.
Commenting in a release was Oliver Koch, CEO of sonnen: “Our virtual power plant offers new opportunities for transmission system operators and households at the same time.
“Network operators can use unused capacity in our customers’ storage units and thus compensate for fluctuations. This is possible without having to invest in new infrastructure, as the storage units are already in people’s homes. In turn, households benefit from additional income that they can generate with their sonnenBatterie.”
With the approval (prequalification), sonnen can add further parts of its virtual power plant (sonnenVPP) in the TransnetBW control area to provide primary control power (frequency containment reserve – FCR).
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In total, sonnen has an installed storage capacity of around 150MWh in the network area.
“The successful prequalification of the sonnenBatteries is an important signal, because it represents an important step towards decentralised home storage systems for the provision of control reserves,” said Michael Jesberger, member of the management board of TransnetBW.
“The integration of decentralised flexibility into the energy markets is progressing and virtual power plants such as the network of many sonnenBatteries offer added value to both the companies involved and the customers. We at TransnetBW are actively working with business partners to reduce barriers to market entry and to support them in accessing the control reserve market.”
With primary control power, the transmission system operators continuously stabilise the grid frequency to 50Hz.
If production and consumption deviate from one another, for example due to the unplanned failure of a power plant, the frequency changes and the grid operators counteract this with control power.
While conventional power plants have previously taken on this task, private households can now also make a contribution with their photovoltaic systems and home storage systems as part of the sonnenVPP and receive a share of the profits from sonnen.
sonnen is currently the only provider that provides daily control power in Germany with thousands of networked home storage units. In addition, the virtual power plant is also active on the electricity markets and can absorb energy at times of low prices.
sonnen therefore uses the infrastructure of its virtual power plant for various markets and products, which are being expanded. The company also operates virtual power plants in the USA, Italy and Belgium, among others.
