Getting more value from a solar park with battery storage
A solar park generates energy when the sun shines. But that does not always coincide with demand for electricity. On sunny days, there can be more renewable energy available than the electricity grid or energy market can handle at that moment. As a result, electricity prices fluctuate.
A battery helps bring supply and demand closer together. You store energy when demand is low and use it when demand increases. At Bontepolder, we show how smart battery storage can help get more value from a solar park.
A logical next step
With Bontepolder, we are taking a logical next step. The battery is directly connected to the solar park and shares the same grid connection. This means generation and storage work together as one energy system.
Several different roles come together within an energy system like this. Novar develops the project and makes sure all components work together technically. Klaer handles the technical and financial management and maintenance, and monitors the performance of the energy system. Repowered controls the battery and determines how to use it most effectively on the energy market.
At Bontepolder, these three roles come together: from project development to asset management and the smart operation of the battery.
Smart control for maximum returns
Once the battery is operational, Repowered takes care of its control and optimisation. From that point on, everything revolves around one question: how do you get as much value as possible from the battery?
Repowered starts with a thorough check. Are all systems working as expected? Is all measurement data coming through correctly? And is the battery responding properly to control signals? Once all checks are complete, the battery can be operated according to the chosen strategy.
Repowered’s software continuously calculates which strategy offers the most value based on conditions across different energy markets. We translate that strategy into battery control and monitor its performance. This allows the battery to continuously respond to changes in the energy market.
Two systems, one energy system
The battery and solar park share the same grid connection, but they are not controlled by the same party. That is exactly what makes Bontepolder interesting.
Suppose the battery is scheduled to charge with solar energy around midday. At that same moment, the solar park’s control system may decide to temporarily reduce generation, for example because electricity prices are low or even negative. The battery then receives less energy than expected.
That requires close coordination. You need to make sure the battery continues to operate safely while also using it as effectively as possible on the energy market. Klaer looks after the technical and financial management of the energy system on behalf of the owner. Repowered focuses on the market and the operation of the battery.
At Bontepolder, these roles also come together in practice. Connecting the solar park and battery requires close technical coordination. Klaer monitors how the different components work together, identifies potential risks and looks for solutions to minimise downtime. Meanwhile, Repowered focuses on the smart operation of the battery.
Good technical management and smart control therefore go hand in hand. The better they work together, the more value you can get from the entire energy system.
Ready for the energy market of today and tomorrow
The energy market is constantly changing. As a result, the requirements for batteries change too. Some markets that were attractive a few years ago now play a smaller role, while new opportunities continue to emerge.
The software behind the battery evolves along with these changes. When the market changes or the battery is expanded, Repowered adjusts its control strategy accordingly. This keeps the battery performing at its best.
Klaer also remains involved throughout the operational phase, from safety and maintenance to the project’s technical and financial performance. Klaer and Repowered each approach the same goal from their own area of expertise: keeping both the battery and solar park performing effectively.
One project, knowledge for the entire portfolio
We are already applying the experience gained at Bontepolder much more broadly. Not because every battery is the same, but because many of the same challenges come up again and again.
Repowered controls a large portfolio of batteries. New batteries therefore connect to a platform that has already proven itself in practice. With automated checks and continuous monitoring, Repowered keeps track of performance. This allows us to continuously determine how each battery can deliver the most value at any given moment.
Bontepolder shows how generation, storage, management and smart control reinforce each other. Not as separate components, but as one energy system.
Quotes
“Installing a battery is one thing. The real value comes from knowing how to use it at the right moment.”
– Menno Dalmijn, Senior Smart Energy Consultant at Repowered
“We continuously look at the best way to use the battery at that moment. Which market should we use it for? When do we charge and when do we discharge? That’s how we aim to get as much value as possible from the battery.”
– Menno Dalmijn, Senior Smart Energy Consultant at Repowered
