Large industries and solar park owners are increasingly enhancing their security of supply and cost-effective energy consumption. An energy storage system participating in energy markets provides a great opportunity for this.
‘The system represents the cutting edge of today’s technology and plays a crucial role in ensuring our energy security and achieving the nationally adopted climate targets. Storing self-generated energy for later use and selling it to the network helps reduce dependence on imported energy and, more broadly, contributes to ensuring Estonia’s energy independence,’ said Roland Murakas, head of Enefit’s B2B segment for the Estonian market.
‘The more we can use energy generated from renewable sources during hours of low productivity, the less we need to rely on emission-producing generation sources,’ he added.
According to Murakas, it is crucial for customers that the battery storage system ensures the efficient use of renewable energy by storing surplus energy and supplying it to the network when production is low. ‘With the support of a battery storage system, companies can offer more stable and flexible energy production, helping to increase the use of renewable energy in our energy system,’ explained Murakas.
Efficient use of self-generated energy and more affordable purchasing
The main advantage of smart battery solutions lies in their ability to make energy use more economical and flexible for businesses. The battery is managed by a smart system that stores electricity generated by solar panels or purchases electricity from the network when prices are lower, supplying the company with power or selling it back to the network during higher-price hours.
‘The battery makes energy use more cost-effective for the company by reducing the need to purchase electricity when prices are highest during peak hours. Above all, this is an investment that helps the company save on energy costs,’ said Murakas.
‘Storage systems serve a noble purpose in the energy system as a whole: enabling greater use of renewable energy and helping to maintain overall system balance. However, a storage system does not need to be installed solely for a noble purpose – it is a commercially viable solution for the company,’ he added.
A fully controllable and automatic solution
The battery solutions offered by Enefit operate smartly and autonomously: the company does not have to think every day about when and how to consume or store energy. The battery solution monitors everything happening in the energy market to store energy from the network at favourable times and consume it during peak price hours. In addition, the storage solution creates significant commercial value by participating in reserve markets.
‘The solution includes full support and responsibility from Enefit for energy management, covering everything from project preparation, installation and configuration to maintenance and monitoring throughout its entire lifecycle,’ described Murakas.
The flexibility and comprehensiveness of the solutions mean that each company is offered a plan tailored to their specific needs, with every stage carefully planned to achieve the best possible outcome.
National support measures facilitate the installation of the battery
Large-scale storage systems are priced on a project basis, and it is nearly impossible to determine a universal price, as each project takes into account the location, company’s needs, self-generation capabilities, local network capacity and various other factors. However, it is important to note that public support measures can be applied for, providing the necessary assurance for making a long-term investment in the energy sector.
The Environmental Investment Centre offers public support measures for the implementation of various energy projects. National support measures can cover up to 40% of the total cost of establishing a battery system.
‘As the share of green energy increases, the need for energy storage also grows, making this solution a significant driver of progress for the entire sector. The first agreements indicate that cooperation between the private sector and public support measures can lead to faster-than-expected progress and a breakthrough in the field,’ said Murakas.
