Maximise your home battery’s potential with rBalancing via LIFEPOWR: support the grid, earn a fixed payment, and boost your energy savings.

Various balancing mechanisms and markets exist to maintain the balance on the electricity grid. Some of these markets fall under the remit of energy suppliers, which we refer to as eBalancing. Other markets fall under the remit of the grid operator ELIA, which we refer to as rBalancing.

LIFEPOWR is active in both eBalancing and rBalancing. For grid operator ELIA, LIFEPOWR is active in the FCR market (Frequency Containment Reserve), where home batteries play a crucial role.

What is rBalancing?

rBalancing stands for Reserved Capacity Balancing. The principle is simple: a small portion of a home battery's capacity is reserved in advance so that it is available if the grid operator, Elia, needs it the next day. Instead of using this energy themselves, users make a portion of their flexibility available to the grid.

In the event of an imbalance between production and consumption, for example if there is suddenly less sunshine while demand increases, Elia can draw on this reserved capacity to stabilise the grid. This is therefore not a case of traditional energy storage or self-consumption, but rather a service to the grid.

How does it work in reality?

Anyone who has a compatible home battery and the FlexiO smart energy management system can easily participate in rBalancing. FlexiO ensures that everything runs automatically: the system reserves a certain percentage of the battery capacity and keeps it available for the grid.

When ELIA indicates that there is a deviation in the grid frequency, FlexiO responds. The battery then immediately supplies power to the grid or takes extra power from the grid, depending on what is needed. 

This entire process takes place without user intervention and without impacting daily energy consumption. As a user, you will not notice anything, while actively contributing to a stable grid.

What are the benefits?

1. One of the major advantages of rBalancing is that users receive a fixed payment for their availability, even if the capacity is not ultimately used effectively. In reality, we see that only 10% of the reserved capacity is used!
2. Your battery becomes a passive source of income: you make a portion of your capacity available and receive financial compensation for it. If energy does flow through your meter and you incur costs due to rBalancing, LIFEPOWR will reimburse these costs. This way, you always benefit from the actions taken by FlexiO.
3. This makes it possible to get more return on your investment, without any extra work or technical interventions. 
4. What's more, as a participant, you contribute to a sustainable and resilient energy system. By offering flexible power together with thousands of other batteries, it becomes possible to reduce the need for polluting or expensive emergency measures such as nuclear power plants in the event of grid imbalance.

Extra explanation of grid balancing

FlexiO applies the same logic to every form of grid balancing: does grid balancing yield more than local savings? Then we participate. 

Are my local savings worth more than the income from grid balancing? Then FlexiO does not participate.

Furthermore, any form of grid balancing can exhibit bizarre behaviour. For example, if the price for injection is negative, a power shortage can still occur on the grid, allowing your installation to inject during negative prices. Keep this in mind; it does not mean that your control system is not working properly!

The first step towards smart grid balancing

Until the end of August 2025, rBalancing via FlexiO was the only form of grid balancing that users could sign up for. It was the first step in LIFEPOWR's journey to turn individual installations into a collective energy buffer.

But FCR also has strict technical requirements. It controls the grid frequency and the installation must respond correctly to our signals within 4 seconds. Stable communication within your installation and correct frequency readings are crucial for proper operation!

Trends in grid balancing

From October 2025, LIFEPOWR expands further with the arrival of eBalancing. rBalancing remains a stable and reliable way to use your battery more intelligently and profitably. If your installation is not technically strong enough, check whether you are eligible for eBalancing. More information can be found here.

Does your installation already generate income through rBalancing? It is possible to combine both forms!