Image
A virtual power plant consisting of several properties participating in the reserve market has not previously been implemented in Finland. Sitowise has been involved in the preparation of the MEAE grant application for the Innovestor project, preliminary studies and the implementation planning currently underway, in which battery storage facilities are planned and implemented for four properties.
- In the tender phase, we mapped out the expert needs of this wide-ranging project and assembled a competent project organisation for the project's needs under the roof of Sitowise. Depending on the site, the project requires architectural, structural, fire engineering, HVAC, electrical and GEO design, as well as surveys on the research side, say Project Manager Niina Puolitaival, who is responsible for the project at Sitowise, and Roni Ahola, who is responsible for the contract.
In Finland and around the world, the importance of energy storage in guaranteeing the operation of electricity networks will increase in the future as the share of weather-dependent renewable forms of energy in energy production increases.
In Innovestor's energy storage project, 29 properties together form one large virtual power plant capable of participating in Fingrid's reserve market. The total energy storage capacity of this virtual power plant is approximately 60 MWh and the capacity of the energy storage facility approximately 15 MW. In addition, the solar panel systems connected to the system have a capacity of approximately 6,500 kWp and an annual electricity production of approximately 7,000 MWh.
- For individual buildings, it is challenging to implement effective solutions that can reap the benefits of renewable energy production, electricity storage and participation in the electricity market. However, by combining property-level solutions into a single entity, significant benefits can be achieved, especially through participation in the electricity market, says Marko Tulamo, Sitowise's Unit Director.
At the heart of the project is technology company CapaloAI's AI-enabled platform, in which battery systems implemented in connection with properties are combined into a single virtual power plant. The platform is able to take into account the local energy consumption of all properties, the current capacity of energy storage facilities, solar power production and combine these into a single entity, aiming to optimise its operating principles according to the needs of the electricity network and reserve markets.
- At Innovestor, we have closely followed the development of the energy market, and our energy storage project is accelerating the clean energy transition. Our own expertise in technology and real estate investment opens up a unique position to take advantage of opportunities related to energy storage. CapaloAI's innovative artificial intelligence platform enables efficient utilisation of energy storage, says Wilhelm Lindholm, CEO of Innovestor.
One part of the uniqueness of the project is the installation of an entity participating in the reserve market in the low-voltage network of properties. In this case, in addition to the reserve market, the stored electricity can be utilised directly in the local energy consumption of properties, which, in addition to the benefits received by the properties, improves the cost-efficiency of the project compared to typical high-voltage solutions.
So far, no similar projects have been implemented in Finland. In addition, there is demand for a solution such as the project also internationally, and the solution can be scaled to the needs of different operators. This creates more business opportunities both in Finland and abroad.