en.Wedoany.com Reported - German energy optimization service provider 1Komma5° has announced that its virtual power plant now has the capability to temporarily shift 1 gigawatt (GW) of electricity. This flexible regulation capacity comes from the distributed energy assets of its residential customers, including photovoltaic systems, battery storage systems, heat pumps, and wall-mounted charging boxes. One gigawatt of power is roughly equivalent to one-eightieth of Germany's maximum electricity demand.
In the process of energy transition, flexibility in the power system is a key challenge. Through its Heartbeat AI platform, 1Komma5° manages the energy systems of over 100,000 prosumers (referred to by the company as "subscribers"). Users' home electrical devices are integrated into the virtual power plant, where Heartbeat AI can temporarily shift electricity loads, meeting demand during low-price periods or by utilizing self-generated photovoltaic power, and selling electricity to the grid through direct marketing during high-price periods. In an interview with pv magazine, company CEO Schröder explained that this approach allows households to avoid peak electricity prices while simultaneously reducing the burden on the grid.
Under 1Komma5°'s subscription model, customers pay a fixed monthly fee for optimization services. The company has begun opening its Heartbeat AI system to facilities not directly installed by them to scale up operations. Schröder explained that the strategy consists of three phases: first, electrifying homes and internally controlling the energy chain; second, digitizing and automating these processes; and finally, opening the platform to third parties. External installers can now offer the energy manager to their customers and access optimization services via Heartbeat AI for a monthly fee of €14.99, the same rate as for customers of 1Komma5°'s internal installers. Users with compatible components can also purchase a small "Heartbeat" unit for self-installation, with the company offering a money-back guarantee. For example, approximately 5% of the roughly 4.5 million photovoltaic systems in Germany, corresponding to Kostal systems, can immediately use Heartbeat AI. The company targets achieving 20 GW of manageable flexible power by 2030.
Schröder believes that direct marketing and the end of feed-in tariff subsidies will make this model even more important. He advocates that electricity generated by small photovoltaic systems should be directly marketed like that from large power plants, but acknowledges significant current problems with administrative processes and communication with grid operators. He suggests retaining the market premium model to offset high process costs, while pointing out that energy policy must ensure grid operators do not hinder the development of direct marketing. Schröder stated that the industry has the opportunity to move from state subsidies with incorrect price signals to a model where the market defines the correct signals, and that multiple providers can already offer such open solutions.
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