inGenious Link Automated management of solar power and battery energy storage

Maximum self-sufficiency
from solar power

inGenious Link acts as a central coordination system between the solar power plant, the battery storage and the metering point. Through the connection to the metering point, it monitors the consumption and generation of electrical energy in real time. Based on local forecasts (weather conditions and solar radiation values) and historical data, it predicts the amount of energy generated, while analysing the history of power draw to identify time intervals with high net consumption from the grid (i.e. the difference between locally generated and consumed energy).

This approach allows excess energy from the solar power plant to be stored in the battery at the right time and used later, thus improving the efficiency of locally generated, virtually free energy. Storing excess energy for later use significantly reduces the need to purchase expensive energy from the grid, which directly improves the economic efficiency of both new and existing solar power plants.

Proactive peak shaving
and compensation

In addition to storing excess energy, inGenious Link ensures that both anticipated and surprise power peaks are prevented at the right time. In systems where contracted power in each time-of-use period is calculated based on intervals with the highest peaks, those are usually predictable – they occur either at the start of production or at startup of individual major loads, or during the cyclical (on-off) operation of support processes.

Unexpected peaks are also mitigated by monitoring high-frequency demand data at the metering point, as the peak is only charged at 15-minute intervals – when the system detects that it is approaching the contracted power, it draws additional power from the battery, thus capping draw from the grid and preventing excess capacity charges.

Since the lifespan of a battery is limited by charging cycles, it makes sense to minimise the number of its activations. The price optimum of contracted power is usually slightly lower than the maximum peak (to avoid leasing and paying for unused capacity), so the battery is not activated during every peak, but only when it meaningfully contributes to reducing the total cost of contracted and excess capacity.

Energy arbitrage
for cost reduction

The system collects price data from several sources – regulated network charges determined by the operator, price of already purchased energy, and known day-ahead prices from the spot market (depending on the energy purchase contract with the supplier). This data is systematically aggregated and patterns are analysed, allowing for an accurate comparison of the costs of consuming energy from the grid and the costs of using the stored energy. The expected consumption profile and anticipated price fluctuations are also included in the analysis, which calculates the optimal limits for charging and discharging the battery.

Based on this detailed analysis, the operating profile of the battery is determined. The system activates battery charging during cheaper periods when energy prices are lowered by either low demand or high solar generation on the grid. Conversely, during periods when prices rise, the system responds with precise discharge, reducing dependence on expensive energy from the grid. In addition, excess energy, if it makes sense to do so, can be sold back to the grid, which is taken into account in the optimization of each charge and discharge cycle.