Short description: Heat pumps and EV chargers can provide the value of a battery “for free” by shifting operation time. So far this can be done for single houses but is not scalable to communities. We want to provide our heat pumps with this functionality through local markets and dynamic tariffs.
Market potential: Decarbonized heating and mobility (today 2/3 of energy carbon emissions in DE) brings huge storage potential (cheap “virtual batteries”). Smart operation saves CAPEX or earns extra income for owners.
Timing: Solution needed as heat pump ramp-up starts (=now). We already have heat pumps that respond to dynamic tariffs, but no system to integrate it in yet.
Desired result: Our heat pump customers can add functionality in own home and expand to neighbours to form “smart” local energy communities. We need simple, scalable concepts to integrate our heat pump and other assets (like EV charger, PV) that maximize value and can allocate it to those that provide it.
Information on challenge owner: Small SME (10-49 staff).
Market presence of challenge owner: Active in several countries.
Keywords: Virtual batteries; Demand side integration; Low cost energy storage; Dynamic tariffs; Smart sector coupling
