EDF and Duracell Energy launch home battery trial
Summary
EDF and Gloucestershire-based Puredrive Energy, the authorised licensee and manufacturer of Duracell Energy home battery storage products, have announced a three-month trial that will explore how residential battery systems can support local electricity networks, helping to accelerate the UK’s transition to a cleaner, more decentralised energy system.
Details
Running from June to August, the trial will coordinate around 50 residential Duracell Energy battery systems across England, enabling them to participate in local flexibility markets, where battery owners can be rewarded for helping support local electricity networks, and respond to signals from Distribution System Operators (DSOs).
Recent periods of price uncertainty and network constraints have highlighted the need for a more flexible and resilient energy system, capable of balancing supply and demand in real time.
As renewable generation continues to grow and technologies such as electric vehicles, heat pumps and battery storage become more widely adopted, demand-side services are playing an increasingly important role in maintaining a reliable and efficient electricity system.
According to the National Infrastructure Commission, greater use of these services could reduce the investment required in electricity distribution networks by around 15%, delivering savings of up to £7.9 billion by 2050.
Under the trial, EDF will manage participation in local energy markets, drawing on its expertise in tender selection, dispatch strategy and market operations, while Puredrive Energy will be responsible for customer recruitment, onboarding and participation throughout the programme.
The project builds on Duracell Energy’s existing battery optimisation offering and will support the development of a future Grid Services proposition, allowing customers to unlock additional revenue from their home battery systems by supporting local networks in exchange for rewards.
By coordinating a network of distributed batteries, the trial will test how smaller assets can collectively deliver valuable services to electricity networks while creating an additional revenue opportunity for customers.
Report source: Punchline Gloucester