Despite energy storage becoming four times cheaper over the past year, entrepreneurs still believe it’s a costly investment. Experts highlight that with good energy production and consumption optimization, the return on such an investment can be achieved within two years of installation. Predicting peak production and consumption is facilitated by artificial intelligence tools. Investing in green energy will become a necessity for large companies in the coming years, closely related to the implementation of the EU directive on energy efficiency.
– The Polish industry is not prepared to consume energy from renewable sources. This is because it still operates in an inflexible way. Green resources are uncontrolled – they operate when the sun shines or the wind blows, and that’s when energy in Poland is cheapest. Entrepreneurs think about energy in the way they have thought about it for the last few decades, but they have to adapt, they have to become flexible, they have to make their technological processes change or they have to invest in flexibility – evaluates Piotr Ostaszewski, chairman of Ekovoltis, in an interview with the Newseria Innowacje agency.
The solution, which ensures access to green energy even when it is not produced, are energy stores. However, the belief in the high cost of such devices is a barrier to investing in them.
– Over the past year, energy storages have become almost four times cheaper, which means they have become an affordable form of energy storage. Energy that you produce yourself or that is produced by others can be stored and used when it costs more. Energy can also be stored as a semi-product – heat, cold, or frost. This is all ahead of us, for which Polish entrepreneurs must prepare. Companies like ours advise and show the way to achieve full decarbonization while remaining the cheapest in the market – says Piotr Ostaszewski.
The optimization of energy storage and consumption is aided by artificial intelligence tools. Above all, AI solutions enable peak energy production and consumption prediction. Short-term energy forecasting (STEF) solutions using advanced AI techniques to accurately predict energy production from renewable sources over a short period, typically 0-72 hours, are available in the market. This provides network operators with vital information for adjusting and optimizing energy supplies in real time. Complex AI algorithms analyze massive data sets, including weather conditions, historical energy consumption, and real-time sensor data. Predictive capabilities enable precise energy distribution adjustment, making incorporating renewable sources into, or reducing dependence on, traditional energy during peak periods of renewable production more efficient.
– With the help of artificial intelligence, companies can better adjust their production to cheaper energy, which comes from renewable sources. On the other hand, they can better predict demand and supply for their products and produce as much as required. You can also start controlling production storage in the form of heat, cold, or frost, and in this way surplus energy from RES on the market – surpluses that were negative for 300 hours this year, i.e., someone was paying for the receipt of this energy – can be stored into other forms of energy – explains the president of Ekovoltisu.
Last fall, a new EU directive on energy efficiency came into force, imposing new obligations on energy-saving entrepreneurs consuming more than 10 TJ and more than 85 TJ of energy. For the former, these are related to conducting and reporting regular energy audits, and for the latter they are also introducing energy management systems according to ISO 50001. This requires entrepreneurs to invest in energy transformation now, hence the demand for support services.
– We are able to provide a complete package of information, and also control or co-control production in the plant and cause that the cost of energy consumed by the entrepreneur will be lower. We can also use other companies that are part of our capital group, to set up an energy store at the entrepreneur’s site and cause that the entrepreneur will not only save on energy costs but will also provide services such as power market services or frequency market services. This way, such a storage will earn itself. Nowadays, the return cost of such a warehouse is about two years, so it is a very attractive investment – highlights Piotr Ostaszewski.
McKinsey analysts anticipate, that the global market for battery storage systems will generate revenues ranging from $120 billion to $150 billion by 2030. This means doubling what was recorded in 2023.
An opportunity to discuss sustainable development of companies was the “Green Industry Summit” conference, which took place on October 22nd in Krakow. During the event, in which Ekovoltis was one of the main partners, the latest trends and technologies reducing the carbon footprint as well as specific strategies and steps to achieve zero emissions in the industry were discussed, among other things. The organizers also awarded Green Industry Diamonds to companies distinguished in the green transformation process.
