The Flex Challenge is a new program of Enpuls (part of Enexis, a Dutch DSO) in which market parties are challenged to solve provide flexibility solutions in the energy transition. In the first edition of the Flex Challenges, participants competed in three different categories; the Solar Challenge, the E-driving Challenge and the Energy Gap Challenge. From more than 50 submissions, three innovative and promising winners were selected. Energy Storage NL participant Recoy was awarded first place in the category E-driving.
Besides Recoy, two other winners were announced. Ecovat won in the category ‘Energy Gap’ and the Solar Challenge was won by Groenewijkstroom. The submissions were judged by a panel of expect from the energy sector. The winners will be cooperating with Enpuls to further develop their winning concept into market-ready applications. The winners were announced officially by Enexis in a press release (in Dutch).
Sjoerd Wittkampf, Technology and Innovation Manager at Recoy, stressed the importance of stimulating the developments on Smart Charging solutions: “The future potential for electric vehicles to be used to optimise self-consumption of solar power and offering balancing services to the grid is huge. However, with the small amount of EV’s on the road today, it is difficult to build a business case. This award enables us to further develop our Smart Charging concept in collaboration with Enpuls, which is fantastic news!”. Recoy is planning to collaborate with Enpuls to set-up a pilot to test the concept in practice.
Recoy’s winning concept
Recoy developed a smart charging solution, with which energy flexibility in EV’s can be used to increase self-consumption from PV-panels as well as provide balancing services to the electricity grid. Recoy takes the smart charging principle to the next level by accurately forecasting local PV-production and imbalance prices, for which they work together with iCarus and the Belgian advanced analytics company N-SIDE. With this concept Recoy contributes to solving the E-driving challenge, which poses the question how electric transport can contribute to the energy system of the future.
Enpuls and Recoy are joining forces
The price money of €150.000 in total (divided over the three winners) will be used to further develop the winning concepts. Recoy and Enpuls will join forces to leverage the synergies between EV’s, renewable energy from solar PV and the electricity markets. Once operational, this concept will open up an extra income stream for EV-holders and solar-PV owners while simultaneously providing balancing services to the electricity gird. A win-win solution for Enexis and its customers.
On the 28th of June Enpuls, in collaboration with Flexiblepower Alliance Network and TKI Urban Energy, is organising the event FlexForward. Recoy will be present to present our winning concept and kick-off the collaboration with Enpuls.
