Helen offers electricity storage for commercial use

Helen’s Suvilahti electricity storage facility was connected to the Nordic electricity system last summer. A three-year research project promoting the utilisation of electricity storage facilities with Helen Electricity Network Ltd and Fingrid Oyj was also launched at the same time. The functioning of the electricity storage facility has now been tested for almost a year, and Helen wants to utilise the lessons learned in Suvilahti in commercial operations.

Usually a company considering acquisition of an electricity storage facility has only a temporary need for storing electricity in its own operations.

– We want to help our customers to draw maximum benefit from their electricity storage facility at every moment of the year. If the customer does not need the entire capacity of its electricity storage facility, we can buy the surplus operating time to support the electricity system, says Helen’s Development Manager Juha Karppinen.

– If a company is interested in the options of electricity storage, Helen will customise a solution suitable for the companies’ needs and it can also act as co-owner of the electricity storage facilities, Karppinen continues.

Electricity storage facility of the Environment House supports the national grid

Helen’s first co-operation project on an electricity storage facility to be implemented with a customer was launched with the City of Helsinki Environment Centre. Located in the Environment House, it is the first consumer electricity storage facility, which can be used for demonstrating the versatility and benefits of an electricity storage facility in a concrete way and which also contributes to supporting the electricity network.

The electricity storage facility of the Environment House is able to store 45 kilowatt-hours of electricity. This amount corresponds to 18 hours of energy consumption in one detached house or one hour’s consumption in the Environment House which is used an office building. The electricity storage facility stores electricity generated by the solar panels of the Environment House and supports the operation of the electric vehicle charging point.

Helen helps the Environment House to control the electricity storage facility at such times when it is not capable of utilising it by itself. Helen will purchase the surplus operating time of the electricity storage facility and also direct the customer’s electricity loads to obtain the maximum benefit. With Helen’s help, the electricity storage facility of the Environment House and the property’s loads contribute to supporting the national grid operated by Fingrid.

– Electricity storage facilities are a key part of a future energy system, and the storage of electricity benefits all parties to the energy network. Helen is a forerunner in the storage of electricity, and we want to promote the rollout of electricity storage facilities in Finland, Karppinen says.

Why store electricity?

•If the property generates electricity, say, with solar panels, an electricity storage facility helps to utilise all of the generated electricity.
•An electricity storage facility helps to balance out electricity consumption and remove harmful reactive power, thus reducing electricity distribution costs.
•An electricity storage facility constantly balances out the electricity supply, as a result of which the quality of electricity is maintained at the best possible level. An electricity storage facility is able to automatically bypass brief power outages and, in the event of longer blackouts, it gives time to start up emergency power supplies.

Why Helen’s electricity storage facility?

•Helen is a forerunner in electricity storage in the Nordic countries. We are constantly developing new ways to utilise electricity storage facilities for the needs of our customers and the future energy system.
•Helen helps businesses to gain the maximum benefit from electricity storage. Helen can also take part in electricity storage investments.