The automatic regulation of photovoltaic overflows from ČEZ Prodej is already used by 1,000 customers. ČEZ is now launching flexibility for home batteries as well.

The ČEZ FlexiEnergie service is being opened to other customers. Until now, only owners of home solar power plants could apply for it; ČEZ Prodej offers them a financial bonus for the option of remotely regulating production by their PV plants. The service can now also be used by people with battery storage, whether they are customers with batteries connected to a PV plant or customers who have a standalone battery without a PV plant.

“Flexibility is becoming a key concept in the power industry. Last March, we were the first major supplier to offer Czech households a bonus for remote control of their rooftop PV plant production. We are now expanding it for other customers. We will give home battery storage owners a bonus for being able to remotely control the charging of their batteries. We have developed algorithms for flexibility internally based on a large amount of data, so we can guarantee that joining the service will always be beneficial for customers. We actively offer the service primarily to customers who can save money by using it. We help customers navigate the new energy issues and offer them appropriate, tailored solutions,” said Tomas Kadlec, CEO of ČEZ Prodej.  

The flexible remote control of PV plants and batteries is built on complex algorithms that can determine whether electricity needs to be fed into the grid; based on a model they then send a command to charge a battery or reduce PV plant output. The algorithm also evaluates how often and for how long the power plant or battery charging can be reduced, so that it is profitable for the customer. In the case of batteries, customers are then always left with a backup in case of an emergency event in the grid, so that they have enough power for back-up operation of the household. For these cases, they usually have 30% of the battery capacity, which can be enough for hours of operation in case of an outage if the most necessary appliances such as the fridge, lights, phone charging sockets, etc. are properly backed up. 

How ČEZ FlexiEnergie works  

In the case of standalone batteries without a PV plant, the ČEZ FlexiEnergie service is intended for new technology installations by ČEZ Prodej. It facilitates energy trading for suppliers and can help the distribution grid balance mismatches between electricity supply and consumption, so the customer receives a fixed monthly bonus of CZK 450 for connection. The extra bonus will be awarded even if no instruction is received by the battery.  

In the case of PV plants without batteries, ČEZ Prodej also offers the flexibility service to owners of photovoltaic power plants from other suppliers, if they meet the technical conditions. The financial bonus is fixed, but its amount depends on the type of product the customer currently has (e.g. electricity for solar panels or energy purchases) and the amount of his/her overflows. It is usually in the lower thousands of crowns per year. Here too, the customer is entitled to a financial bonus even if the operation of his/her PV plant is only minimally or not at all affected by ČEZ Prodej.

In case of a combination of batteries and a PV plant, the service is similar to the remote control of PV plant overflows. If, within the framework of ČEZ FlexiEnergie, customers order flexibility for PV plants and flexibility for storage, they receive an additional fixed bonus of CZK 250 per month. 

Unlike other solutions on the market, the ČEZ FlexiEnergie service is linked to a regular fixed product, so it does not force customers to switch to a spot tariff, which is still risky for a regular household. You can find details on the website www.cez.cz/flexibilita.