Electricity prices were significantly lower in recent days than in the middle of last week. This was due to the increasing wind and some stability in the conflict over Ukraine. On Saturday, January 29, the national wind energy record was broken and storm Corrie also contributed on Monday, January 31.
The market already took into account the fact that electricity would become cheaper this week. The volatility of the market unfolded well last week. One week ago, on Tuesday January 25, the average EPEX spot price was €267,95 per MWh, the highest price since December 24, 2021. Not entirely coincidentally, there was also no wind that day with a Dutch yield of wind energy at sea and onshore. of 'only' 164 MW.
On Saturday 29 January, the Netherlands achieved a new national record with 6,7 GW, according to the figures from Energieopwek. This is more than 142.000 MWh more than the previous record of 1 December. This is by the way not unique to think about for a long time, because according to energy specialist Martien Visser, records of this kind will be broken every few years in the coming years. "In the coming years, offshore wind in particular will be expanded considerably. In five years' time, wind will therefore achieve this 'top score' on an average day of the year," writes Visser on social media. However, last Saturday's record coincided with an average EPEX spot price of €159,77 per MWh. This was the lowest price since January 9 this year.
Electricity prices are also expected to remain relatively low this week, although the average EPEX spot rose again after Saturday to an average of €194,60 per MWh. Storm Corrie, which raged over our country on Monday, also achieves an excellent result for wind energy with a production of 6,33 GW and thus keeps electricity prices out of the wind. The wind force was too strong for many windmills at many times of the day, causing them to hit their limits.
Smart use of batteries helps solar panels on existing grid
The Energy Generation figures also show that the radiation power of the sun is increasing. If the sun can show itself, the efficiency of solar panels will gradually increase again. A study presented at the end of last week shows that batteries can greatly improve the efficiency of solar panels on the existing energy grid. This is also necessary, because many planned installations of solar panels on roofs or in parks cannot be connected because there is no longer any capacity on the energy grid in parts of the country.
Research by CE Delft commissioned by TKI Urban Energy and Enexis Group shows that batteries can almost double the capacity of solar panels on large roofs and on land, reports the Top Sector Energy. At this moment in the Netherlands there are together 8 GW of solar panels and, according to the research, this can be expanded by 7,5 GW on the existing grid with batteries. The batteries allow solar energy generated during the day to be temporarily stored for the evening or when the sun is not shining.
The research shows that the potential of this energy storage is considerable. A 1MWh battery is about the size of a sea container and can be fitted well, especially in large installations. With the use of 5,5 GW batteries at solar parks, an additional 7,5 GW of solar panels can be connected within one or two years without grid reinforcement. As a result, 5 TWh of sustainable energy can be realized five to ten years earlier. That is good for 1,6 to 2,2 million tons of CO2 reduction per year, the researchers explain.
Batteries not possible without government
There is, however, a problem: according to the research, the batteries will not remain profitable for at least the next eight years without additional government incentives. The business case will improve in the coming years, the researchers expect, because batteries will become cheaper and revenues will rise due to stronger fluctuations in the price of electricity. Without government incentives, battery storage in the Netherlands could grow from 70 MW today to 1 to 1,5 GW in 2030.
Incentives such as investment subsidies or lower financing costs for batteries can significantly accelerate the energy transition. "Incentive policy for the use of batteries in solar installations therefore offers a short-term solution for many projects that are currently in the waiting room. In the meantime, grid operators can work on strengthening the grid. However, that will take another five to ten years. solar parks do not have to wait for the deployment of batteries," the researchers write.