VOLTCLOUD · VoltCloud: Bringing the power of the Cloud to a revolutionary renewable home battery

The Battery energy storage system (BESS) is considered as the missing link in the household Photovoltaic (PV) system value chain in the new renewable energy landscape, where the roles of households and Grid are being redefined and challenging issues (household PV economic viability and Grid instability, related to the intermittent nature of solar energy) are arising. Integrating a PV system with a BESS enables: (a)PV owners to store the self-produced electricity for later use and lower their costs given the shift in economics of BESS (incentives, prices) and (b) the Grid to become stable, as solar energy is included in a controlled way, via virtual power plants of BESSs aggregators. We, VoltStorage GmbH are an innovative start–up company based in Munich, who aims to revolutionize the BESS sector by introducing a novel Vanadium Redox Flow Battery suitable for home use with cloud capabilities. Our VoltStorage Battery is combined with cloud-based energy management software, the VoltCloud SW. Clustered BESS managed in unison by the cloud SW form the centrally controlled VoltCloud Virtual Power Plant (VPP) for offering services to the Grid. Our solution is characterized by high durability, safety, environmental friendliness and is the first economically viable home solution that thrives under the Cloud. With ~2 million PVs already installed in Germany, and having the UK and IT also as target markets, we estimate for 2018-2021 an addressable BESS market potential of ~ €2.6 billion and for the new integrated PV installations ~€1.16 billion. Moreover, Grid services markets have an untapped potential that is unfolding in the long run. The overall objective of the VoltCloud project is to integrate the VoltStorage Batteries with the VoltCloud SW and prepare the necessary commercial activities for exploiting the VoltCloud VPP. By 2021, we expect to have added 406 to our portfolio, generating €2.44 million revenues to our company and 21 new job positions (doubling our team)