Distributed, decentralised and decarbonised

This week we’re taking a look at smart homes … the smart energy kind.

Electric vehicle charging, solar, home battery storage, vehicle-to-grid and flexible loads such as heat pumps are increasingly commonplace in homes across the world. In fact, in the recent Future Energy Scenarios Report by NESO, in GB they predicted up to 23.6GW (Holistic Transition) of residential flexibility from demand side response (DSR) and transport by 2050. For context, that’s about 10x the size of the biggest power station in GB today!?

On the topic of smart homes, our Energy Associate, Laura, took a look at modelling smart homes in the Netherlands in Gridcog; the Netherlands is a leader in residential PV and flex in Europe. Modelling smart homes and communities in Gridcog is becoming more and more popular with our clients as they look at optimising their projects from different perspectives. Gridcog helps them make informed decisions on retail tariff design, virtual power plant (VPP) programs, and understanding how a collection of smart homes can be optimised in microgrid configurations.?

On a related note, earlier this year, Octopus Energy announced a new tariff in the UK that offers free EV charging to customers who allow the company to manage their vehicle's charging and discharging.?This is a pretty big deal, as a major energy provider launching such a tariff represents a crucial step towards bringing Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technology into the mainstream.? If you're interested in learning more about the PowerPack tariff, check out this blog for an in-depth look.?

Whether you're interested in modelling a single site or a portfolio, Gridcog’s software empowers you to make smarter decisions by virtually simulating your design. From optimising retail tariffs to participating in virtual power plant programs and tapping into demand-side flexibility, Gridcog provides the insights you need to stay ahead in the evolving energy landscape.

Stay tuned for more insights, and as always, we're here to help you navigate the path to a smarter, more sustainable future.

Industry Insights

BW ESS & Penso Power sign long-term UK battery energy storage tolling agreement with Shell

It wouldn’t be a Gridcog newsletter authored by a GB battery fan without mentioning last week’s notable tolling agreement between BW ESS/Penso Power and Shell. This deal marks a significant milestone in the GB energy market, being the second battery toll transaction this year. The earlier tolling agreement this year was between Gresham House and Octopus Energy, covering a portion of Gresham’s existing portfolio for a two-year term. What sets the BW ESS/Penso Power and Shell deal apart is its seven-year duration and its focus on a new, albeit already under construction, 100MW/330MWh asset. This longer tenor makes it particularly impactful from a financing perspective.

In other news, the GB energy market continues to near low carbon generation records (87% was set in January 2024) with the generation stack being dominated by wind and solar. Take a look at the generation mix from last Friday, 9th August.

Product Corner: Battery Storage Assets

This week we’re taking a deeper diver into our battery storage assets. The battery landscape continues to evolve with developments in chemistry, duration and falling capex costs. All of these parameters (and more) are crucial levers to adjust when simulating your project. We’ve recently introduced configurable penalty costs, or minimum spreads, that clients can adjust too. Take a look at some of the parameters you can configure.

That’s all for this week. If you’d like to see how Gridcog can model your energy projects, click here to book a call with our team.

Or, if you have any interesting project use-cases you’d like to see modelled in Gridcog, email our marketing magician lindsay@gridcog.com and we’ll spin it up!