Finnish households now support the electricity grid

Finnish households now support the electricity grid

Finnish households are now supporting the national electricity grid with the help of Swedish energy services company CheckWatt. This is done by pooling over 200 batteries to sell services to the grid, contributing to a more stable, efficient and renewable energy system.

“It is exciting to be part of this innovative approach to grid stability. My battery is doing its part to keep the lights on across Finland, and the financial returns are a welcome addition to our household budget,” said Helka Koivisto in Jalasjärvi. The 6 kW / 6,2 kWh battery system from SolaX Power has been installed in a separate technical room of Koivisto's traditional 19th-century house in Jalasjärvi. The property's solar panels are located on the roof of this room. The battery was installed by CheckWatt partner Scanoffice’s local dealer.

Batteries owned by more than 200 households and companies across Finland are now delivering so-called ancillary services to the national grid operator Fingrid, through CheckWatt. Ancillary services are vital grid support. They rapidly adjust the flow of electricity, adding power when needed or reducing it when there is too much, to keep the electrical system stable. This prevents disturbances and blackouts, while allowing for more cheap wind and solar power in the energy system, as batteries can quickly compensate for changes in their variable output. The number of batteries is growing rapidly as more households and companies are connected to the system.

“Batteries will revolutionize Finland's and Europe's energy system, and Finnish households can now be a direct part of that change. These batteries provide crucial flexibility, helping to drive down energy costs, grid costs, and accelerate society's transition away from fossil fuels,” said Dan-Eric Archer, CEO of CheckWatt.

CheckWatt uses aggregation to combine the power of many home and company-owned batteries. This creates a larger, virtual resource that can provide essential grid services and earn revenue for the owners of the batteries, which would otherwise not be able to take part in these markets.

Batteries from Finnish households and companies, connected by CheckWatt, now deliver the ancillary services FCR-D and FCR-N which support the grid in various ways. These batteries also directly benefit their owners by storing local solar production and shifting electricity usage to low-cost hours.

While prices in the dynamic markets for ancillary services naturally fluctuate, and increasing participation from new batteries may influence future price levels, a typical 10 kilowatt residential battery could for example have earned around 1 350 euro for delivering the ancillary service FCR-D during the last twelve months.

More services will soon be added, including the ancillary services aFRR and mFRR. Customers in the Helsinki area will also soon be able to offer flexibility in a local flexibility market, helping to ease congestion in the local grid.

For additional information and interview requests, please contact:

CheckWatt AB, Daniel Dickson, Head of Communications +46 72-648 03 91, daniel.dickson@checkwatt.se

About CheckWatt

CheckWatt AB is Sweden’s leading independent aggregator, providing sophisticated measurement, control, and analytics solutions to its 15,000 customers in the Nordics. Committed to the advancement of renewable energy, CheckWatt plays a crucial role in enhancing grid stability and efficiency, as well as the integration of renewable energy.