Solarvoima and CheckWatt to provide grid support after winning Fingrid approval

Solarvoima has completed the installation of its first Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) for the Finnish balancing market at surface treatment company Alu-Releco's facility in Riihimäki. This project, aggregated by CheckWatt, marks the Swedish company's entry into the Finnish market following approval by Fingrid to provide grid support services.

Solarvoima has been installing solar power from 2014 – 5 000 systems in total – and battery systems from 2016. “The price of electricity storage has now reached an attractive level and the reserve market offers excellent additional income for battery owners,” says Janne Käpylehto, R&D director at Solarvoima.

The battery will deliver ancillary services to the Finnish transmission system operator Fingrid in order to stabilize the grid. Going forward, it also has the potential to provide other services to the grid or for the facility itself. The battery is connected to solar panels already in place, installed by Solarvoima almost eight years ago.

"As Finland transitions to a more electrified energy system, this battery investment will contribute to a more stable electricity grid, enabling a higher proportion of renewable energy, while also generating revenue for our company," says Petteri Narko, CEO at Alu-Releco.

"We are excited to enter the Finnish market and to contribute to a more robust grid. Batteries can also reduce the need for costly grid expansion as they can store excess energy generated during off-peak times and discharge it during peak hours," says Dan-Eric Archer, CEO of CheckWatt, Sweden’s largest independent aggregator of flexible energy sources.

The battery storage system from Huawei, which has a power output of 100 kW and can store 200 kWh of electricity, will be connected to CheckWatt's virtual power plant Currently. In this way, the battery will soon be integrated into a network of aggregated resources, including battery systems of various sizes owned by both households and companies, allowing them to work together to balance the grid.

For additional information and interview requests:

Solarvoima LTD
R&D Director, partner Janne Käpylehto
+358 45 3596945
janne.kapylehto@solarvoima.fi

CheckWatt AB
Daniel Dickson, communication strategist
+46 72-648 03 91
daniel.dickson@checkwatt.se

About CheckWatt

CheckWatt is Sweden’s largest independent aggregator of flexible energy resources contributing to a more stable and renewable energy system. Through the virtual power plant Currently, companies and households can maximize the profitability of their battery storages and other flexible resources by selling support services to national grid operators and streamlining the use of the electricity grid via local flexibility mechanisms. CheckWatt’s portfolio includes 14,000 solar power plants (400 MW in total), 600 wind turbines (1,000 MW) and 13,000 battery storage facilities (250 MW), where batteries are growing rapidly. CheckWatt has offices in Stockholm and Gothenburg.

Learn more at checkwatt.se

About Alu-Releco

Alu-Releco Oy was founded in 1992 and operates in the surface treatment industry. The company specialises in Teflon® and other fluoroplastic coatings, with decades of know-how and experience. Alu-Releco’s main customer segments are pulp and paper industry, food industry, metal and engineering industry and chemical industry. However, the company offers its solutions to many other industries as well. This is due to the fact that the Teflon® and other fluoroplastic coatings offered by Alu-Releco Oy have almost unlimited number of application alternatives.

About Solarvoima LTD

Solarvoima is a Finnish company designing, installing and operating solar power systems and battery energy storage systems. Solarvoima has installed more than 5 000 systems. Solarvoima makes solar energy available for home owners, businesses, schools, non-profits and government organizations. Our approach is to install solar systems to the highest engineering standards while making the switch simple for our customers. We've revolutionized the way energy is delivered by giving customers a cleaner, more affordable alternative to their monthly energy utility bill.

Photo credit: Solarvoima LTD