1.3 What are the benefits of an EMS?

Do I need an EMS?

Let’s start with this question—the answer is no. You don’t need an EMS at all, but what are the trade-offs?

If you choose not to use an EMS but still want to save on your energy bills, your consumption and comfort will come at the cost of energy prices. This means you’ll have to continuously monitor energy prices and your consumption yourself. And to be honest, are we reallt willing to do this?

An EMS offers flexibility and peace of mind. You don’t have to adjust your habits and can enjoy your comfort. The EMS will handle everything for you behind the scenes.

How it works - Local Flexibility

Local flexibility refers to actions that an EMS can offer to reduce your energy bill by managing your energy and consumption smartly on a local level (like in your home). Most EMS systems consider the following factors to achieve this:

• Increasing your self-consumption – Smart use of your solar energy and battery based on your consumption profile.

• Capacity rate – Monitoring your consumption peaks to keep the capacity rate under control.

• Dynamic energy rate – Acting based on energy prices, such as charging your battery from the grid at low rates and discharging it at higher rates.

• Curtailment – In case of negative prices and a full battery, your solar production will be stopped to prevent costs.

How it works - Market Flexibility

Market flexibility, also known as grid balancing, involves using battery capacity at the request of the grid operator and energy suppliers to maintain the balance between supply and demand. These services are primarily used by large industrial batteries.

This grid balancing consists of different markets where energy is bought and sold. Want to learn more about how these markets work? Read it here: https://www.elia.be/nl/elektriciteitsmarkt-en-systeem/systeemdiensten/het-evenwicht-behouden

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