Many users confuse classic injection with grid balancing. Discover the difference and how FlexiO generates additional income, even at negative prices.
The difference explained.
What exactly is grid balancing? And how does it differ from the traditional injection and withdrawal of energy from the grid? Sometimes users think they are participating in grid balancing, when in fact they are simply charging and discharging their batteries at day-ahead prices (dynamic rates). Conversely, there is a fear that money will be lost when prices are negative, when in reality money can be earned through FlexiO.
It is time for clarity.
Feed-in of solar energy: classic injection
When your solar panels generate more energy than you consume, your surplus automatically flows back into the electricity grid. This is called classic injection.
What happens? The surplus electricity is fed back into the grid and you receive the injection fee charged by your energy supplier.
You have no control. This process happens automatically. The system does not take market prices or demand on the grid into account.
Negative prices? With some contracts, you may have to pay extra when the price for injection is negative.
Grid balancing: your flexibility as a revenue model
Grid balancing is different from simply feeding electricity into the grid and drawing it out. The aim of grid balancing is to keep the electricity grid stable by actively matching supply and demand.
With FlexiO and the FlexiObox, LIFEPOWR can use your battery, solar panels and smart charging station to:
- optimise your local energy flows to keep your energy bill as low as possible
- use your installation for the electricity grid if this generates more value than your local savings.
And not randomly, but exactly when the grid needs it.
Important difference:
- With traditional injection, you receive compensation for the energy you feed back into the grid.
- With grid balancing, you are paid for a service: helping to stabilise the grid.
‘But what if the prices are negative?’
This is where most confusion arises. Negative prices sound like you have to pay to supply energy, but in the context of grid balancing, it works the other way around.
- When you participate in grid balancing, you either consume energy or inject it into the grid at the request of the grid operator or energy supplier.
- You receive compensation because your flexibility helps to balance the grid.
So it doesn't matter if the energy price is negative at that moment: you are providing a service and you are being paid for it. Does this incur costs for you? Then these will be reimbursed by LIFEPOWR.
In other words, whereas with traditional injection you run the risk of incurring additional costs, with grid balancing you actually earn extra income.
How FlexiO takes care of this for you
The good news: you don't have to think about this yourself. FlexiO takes care of everything for you. FlexiO automatically chooses the most advantageous scenario for you. If the yield from grid balancing is higher than that from self-consumption, FlexiO will choose that option.
You don't have to decide when to inject or feed back; FlexiO monitors real-time market data and grid balancing signals.
Trust FlexiO
We understand that energy prices, grid balancing and dynamic tariffs can sometimes seem complicated. That is why peace of mind is one of the biggest advantages of FlexiO:
- You don't have to follow the energy market yourself
- You don't have to make manual choices
- You don't have to take any risks
FlexiO works completely automatically and always chooses the best financial result for you.
Get the most out of your installation
The confusion is understandable, but important to resolve. Purchasing and feeding back energy is therefore not the same as participating in grid balancing. When prices are negative, you can lose money when feeding energy back into the grid, but during these moments you can actually earn money through grid balancing.
FlexiO ensures that you always manage your energy consumption smartly and get the maximum value from your installation. The result: more savings, more income, fewer worries.
