REGIOlink - FAQ for Grid Operators

What is REGIOlink?

REGIOlink is our smart operating model for integrating and optimizing the grid-supportive operation of battery storage systems.

Battery storage is often criticized for responding solely to price signals from the electricity market without considering the local grid situation. This is exactly where REGIOlink comes in: the digital tool analyzes the local grid, identifies critical load periods – such as grid congestion – and, based on this, defines coordinated operating strategies that enable battery storage systems to actively relieve the grid. With REGIOlink, we want to demonstrate that battery storage is part of the solution and that storage operation can be both economically viable and supportive of the power system. 

What is the purpose of REGIOlink?

REGIOlink provides a scalable solution for the intelligent integration and operation of battery storage systems that actively contribute to regional grid stability.

The specific objective is to operate storage systems in a way that is both economically sustainable and grid-supportive. REGIOlink creates greater transparency within the local grid area and makes visible how storage operation impacts the regional grid. Based on the requirements of the grid operator, we aim to develop an operating mode that is both supportive of the grid and economically sound.

For grid operators, this means more predictability in their network area and reduced uncertainty in the integration of storage.

Who can use REGIOlink?

REGIOlink is specifically designed for grid operators who want to integrate battery storage systems into their grids – not merely as grid connections, but as instruments of regional grid support.

REGIOlink was developed for grid operators to address the increasing deployment of storage with a structured, grid-oriented approach. The smart operating model can be flexibly adapted to the specific conditions of the local grid and the needs of the grid operator – ensuring more transparency, predictability, and effectiveness in grid operations.

How does REGIOlink work?

REGIOlink analyzes how battery storage systems behave in a given grid area and how they can be operated in a targeted, grid-supportive manner.

Historical feed-in and consumption data are evaluated to identify typical patterns in grid profiles. Based on this, time windows can be determined in which the operation of battery storage systems has typically contributed to local grid stability or could potentially impose a burden. In the next step, tailored operating strategies are developed – in cooperation with the grid operator and adapted to local conditions.

These strategies form the basis for minimum schedules that help to avoid typical bottlenecks and make storage operation more compatible with regional requirements. An accompanying dashboard presents the results in a transparent way. This creates a clear, jointly developed framework for the planned and grid-friendly integration of battery storage systems.

What do we need from the grid operator?

REGIOlink requires only a limited amount of grid data. Direct exchange with grid operators is important to understand the specifics of the local grid.

For analysis, we only need basic (historical) data on the local grid situation – for example, on redispatch measures and peak loads in the relevant grid section. On the generation side, helpful information includes quarter-hourly redispatch data, maximum technically feasible feed-in, and details about existing and planned renewable energy installations. On the consumption side, the annual peak demand and measured load values are particularly relevant. 

What do grid operators need to do?

Almost nothing – grid operators have no additional workload in the technical development of the model.

REGIOlink is designed to integrate seamlessly into existing processes. We handle the technical development, coordinate all relevant aspects with the grid operator at an early stage, and provide the necessary information – from interfaces to coordinated operating logics.

What does cooperation look like in practice?

Collaboration is based on a long-term, partnership-oriented contract.

The prerequisite is the implementation of a storage project. In the initial discussions, REGIOlink is introduced in detail, the local grid situation is reviewed, and the availability of relevant data from the grid operator is assessed. The requirements for cooperation are defined in a contractual framework developed by us, taking into account economic considerations. The dashboard provides a visual representation of the data, enabling targeted optimization of operating strategies.

In which projects has REGIOlink already been applied?

The practical applicability is already being tested and documented in the Immenstadt project.

Currently, REGIOlink is being implemented as part of a pilot project in the AllgäuNetz grid area. Many of the core elements of REGIOlink – from the technical logic to data interfaces and the API – were developed, tested, and successfully put into operation there. First grid data are already being collected and analyzed. The project thus lays the foundation for a practical, scalable solution for the grid-supportive integration of battery storage systems.

Your contact for REGIOlink:

Christina Hepp, Director Strategy

christina.hepp[at]green-flexibility.com