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Sharing batteries for grid services could net US$2,500 discounts for EDF’s UK customers

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EDF Energy, one of the UK's 'Big Six' major energy suppliers, is seeking to build a portfolio of domestic batteries to take into energy services markets by offering discounted energy storage units to consumers via a new partnership with manufacturer Powervault.

The pair are offering existing solar PV owners as much as £2,000 (US$2,550) off the cost of a home battery system if they sign up to EDF Energy grid services. If taken up, this will allow the energy stored in a Powervault 3 battery to form part of an aggregated network that can be used to help balance the grid. 

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This pool of battery capacity will be used to support the grid at times of peak energy demand and to distribute excess energy to the batteries to store when there is more energy being generated than required.

Discounts of £1,560 and £2,060 will be available on Powervault’s 4.1kWh and 8.2kWh batteries respectively until 31 March 2019, although this date is subject to change in response to demand or changes in the market

W/O grid services With grid services
Battery capacity 4.1kWh 8.2kWh 4.1kWh 8.2kWh
Retail Price (Inc Value Added Tax & discount) £4,859 £7,059 £3,299 £4,999
Customer discount £0 £0 £1,560 £2,060

Consumers will need to sign up to a 10-year contract with EDF Energy as part of this offer, however the supplier has stressed that the grid services contract is completely separate to an energy supply contract

“The customer does not have to buy their energy, or receive the feed in tariff payments from EDF Energy,” it told Current±.

On top of the savings available on these upfront costs, Powervault says customers who’ve installed a Powervault 3 to store solar energy can expect to save up to 50% on their energy bills.

Jean-Benoit Ritz, director of innovation and Blue Lab at EDF Energy, said: “As the UK transitions to a low carbon future, we are seeing fantastic opportunities for consumers to be involved in this journey.

“Through our grid services, householders with solar PV will be able to become part of a national network of small-scale batteries that will help balance demand for electricity on the grid, whilst enabling them to save money by making the most of the solar energy they are generating.”

The offer, which is being targeted at the million domestic customers with solar panels in the UK, is seeking to build capacity for EDF Energy’s PowerShift platform. This will be used to access demand side response schemes as well as wholesale market trading, with Powervault providing intelligent aggregation capabilities via its cloud system.

The deal with Powervault is the latest move by EDF Energy to bolster the ranks behind its Powershift platform, having signed a deal with Upside Energy to use its cloud-based systems in conjunction with the platform to deliver flexibility from its business customers.

The supplier also recently partnered with Nissan to launch a new energy storage proposition using second life batteries, using Powershift to quickly release stored electricity into the grid under DSR schemes in the UK.

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