Battery trading can add another income line to a commercial battery job, but only after you have checked the meter, battery controls and how much kW and kWh the site can spare once its own needs are covered.
Below, we answer the questions commercial solar installers and EPCs ask us to improve their closing rate when quoting and specifying battery trading projects to clients.
What battery trading income can we put in a GB commercial proposal?
Put a range into the proposal, not one fixed annual figure. Keep it provisional until GridVolt has checked the battery, the half-hourly site data and the import and export limits. Do not take a grid-scale £/MW benchmark, multiply it by the inverter size and present that as the customer’s expected income.
Build the figure around the actual job
A 100 kW battery does not automatically earn 100 times a standard £/kW trading rate.
You also need to know:
- how many usable kWh the battery has
- how much charge it normally holds when a trade appears
- how much power the site needs at the same time
- what reserve the customer wants to keep
- how much import and export headroom the connection leaves
- how often the battery will actually be available to trade
Show the client three cases:
- a downside case
- a central case
- a higher case
Use £0 for the downside unless the trading contract includes a minimum payment.
State whether each figure means gross market income or the amount the customer receives. Then list any GridVolt fee, revenue share, fixed charge or other deduction separately.
You can use published grid-scale battery figures to explain that the market changes from month to month. Do not use them as the customer forecast. Those figures often include wholesale trading, the Balancing Mechanism, frequency response and Capacity Market income. A battery behind a warehouse, farm or hotel meter may not enter all those markets, and the site may need most of the battery for its own load.
Check the site before you put trading into the payback
Before you add trading income to the main financial case, get:
- battery charge and discharge power in kW
- usable battery capacity in kWh
- half-hourly site demand
- minimum battery reserve
- agreed import and export limits
- available export headroom
- electricity tariff and export rate
- inverter make, model and control access
- the times when the battery remains free for trading
- GridVolt’s fee or revenue-share terms
GridVolt normally needs a half-hourly settled grid meter with profile class 00. Most larger commercial customers already have one. Some smaller businesses do not.
Market-wide Half-Hourly Settlement is bringing more sites onto half-hourly settlement, but the rollout is still under way. Check the actual meter and bill before you tell the client the site qualifies.
GridVolt currently settles trades from the site’s half-hourly grid meter. It does not use a separate battery asset meter as part of the current GridTrade offer.
Keep the trading number provisional until GridVolt has checked the job. Show bill savings and trading income separately so the proposal does not use the same battery power or stored energy twice.
What did P415 change for behind-the-meter commercial batteries in Great Britain?
P415 means your client can keep its current electricity supplier and use a separate aggregator to trade the battery in the GB wholesale market. Before 7 November 2024, the client generally needed its supplier to provide that wholesale trading route. P415 created the Virtual Trading Party role, which lets a qualified aggregator provide it instead.
What P415 means for your client
Before P415, an independent aggregator could help a commercial site take part in some flexibility services. It could not trade that client’s battery activity in the wholesale market unless the electricity supplier provided the route.
A qualified aggregator can now register as a Virtual Trading Party and trade a measured change in what the site takes from or sends to the grid.
That change could come from the battery:
- stopping or delaying a planned charge
- charging more when wholesale prices fall
- discharging to reduce the site’s grid import
- exporting stored electricity where the connection agreement allows it
The battery does not need to export for every trade.
For example, suppose the battery was due to charge at 100 kW. The aggregator may ask it to stop charging during an expensive half-hour. The site then imports 100 kW less than expected. That reduction can provide the traded response.
The market compares what the site was expected to import or export with what happened after the battery followed the instruction. The industry calls the difference the deviation volume.
P415 also accounts for the effect on the electricity supplier. This means the client can keep the same supply contract while the aggregator handles the battery trade separately.
What you still need to check on the job
P415 gives the battery a route into the wholesale market. It does not mean that every commercial battery qualifies or that the client will earn a fixed amount.
Before you add P415 trading income to the quote, check:
- whether the site has a half-hourly settled grid meter
- whether the battery and inverter accept external commands
- how much spare power and usable capacity remain
- whether the site needs a minimum battery reserve
- whether the import and export limits allow the planned response
- whether the warranty permits the extra battery use
- how the aggregator measures the trade
- which fees come off before the client receives payment
GridVolt currently settles GridTrade activity through the site’s half-hourly grid meter. Most larger commercial sites already have this type of metering. Some smaller sites do not, so check the meter and bill before you tell the client it qualifies.
A separate battery asset meter can measure the battery response on its own. GridVolt does not currently use that route for GridTrade.
P415 lets your client trade through an independent aggregator without changing electricity supplier. Before you add the income to the proposal, check the meter, battery controls, site limits and GridTrade terms.
Does a commercial battery customer in Great Britain have to switch electricity supplier to trade the battery?
No. Your client can keep its current electricity supplier and use a separate provider to trade the battery. The supplier carries on supplying the site, applying the agreed tariff and sending the normal electricity bill. The trading contract runs alongside it, as long as the meter, battery controls and current contracts allow that setup.
How the supply and trading contracts work on the job
Since P415 came into force, your client can keep its supplier and let a qualified aggregator handle the wholesale trading.
The supplier still buys the electricity the site uses and bills the customer in the usual way. The trading provider controls the agreed part of the battery. It may ask the battery to:
- charge when wholesale prices fall
- pause or delay a planned charge
- discharge to reduce the site’s grid import
- export stored electricity where the connection allows it
The provider gets paid for the change in what the site takes from or sends to the grid after the battery follows the instruction.
Your client may therefore see three separate items:
- the normal electricity bill from its supplier
- an export payment under its export agreement
- a battery trading statement and payment
If the battery exports, the site still needs an export MPAN and an agreement that pays for exported electricity.
The import supplier and export provider do not have to be the same company. Your client can keep the firm that supplies the site and arrange the export payment separately.
What to check before you quote it
A supplier switch is not a normal battery-trading requirement. Before you confirm that to the client, check:
- whether the site has a half-hourly settled grid meter
- whether the client can give the trading provider access to the meter data
- whether the battery and inverter accept external charge and discharge commands
- whether another aggregator already controls the battery or holds exclusive trading rights
- whether the supply or export contract restricts battery charging or export
- whether the site has the right export MPAN and payment agreement
- how much battery power and capacity the site needs to keep
- whether peak shaving, backup or another site requirement takes priority
- how the trading payment will appear in the proposal
Most larger commercial sites already have half-hourly settlement. Some smaller businesses do not.
Market-wide Half-Hourly Settlement is bringing more sites onto half-hourly settlement, but the rollout is still under way. Check the meter, MPAN details and bill before you put trading income into the quote.
Some providers bundle electricity supply and battery trading into one deal. They may ask the client to switch supplier. That comes from the provider’s contract, rather than from the GB trading rules.
GridTrade uses the separate-provider setup. The client keeps its existing supplier and tariff, while GridVolt controls the agreed battery capacity and sends a separate monthly trading statement and payment.
Check the supply contract, export agreement and trading contract separately before you confirm the job.
How large does a commercial battery need to be before trading is worthwhile in Great Britain?
There is no fixed GB minimum for a behind-the-meter battery that trades through an aggregator. GridVolt uses around 100 kWh of battery capacity as a practical first check, although smaller batteries may work at some sites. Trading is worth adding when the client’s expected payment covers the controller, service fees and extra battery use.
Why 100 kWh is only a first check
Battery capacity in kWh tells you how much energy the battery can store. Battery power in kW tells you how quickly it can charge or discharge.
You need both figures before you can judge the trading potential.
A 100 kWh battery with a 100 kW inverter can discharge at full power for about one hour. The same 100 kWh battery with a 50 kW inverter can only deliver 50 kW at once, although it can keep going for longer.
Two batteries with the same stated capacity can therefore produce very different results because they may have different:
- charge and discharge power
- usable capacity
- minimum state-of-charge settings
- import and export limits
- warranty and cycling restrictions
- site-load requirements
- charge levels when a trading window appears
The 100 kWh figure helps you decide whether the job deserves a closer look. It does not mean every battery above that size will earn enough to cover the trading costs.
A smaller commercial battery can still trade through an aggregator. The aggregator combines the response from batteries at several sites and trades the total. The individual battery does not need to meet the minimum size used for direct entry into some grid services.
Check what the battery can actually spare
Base the estimate on the kW and usable kWh left after the site has covered its own requirements.
Before you tell the client that trading is worthwhile, check:
- battery capacity in kWh
- inverter power in kW
- the minimum battery reserve
- half-hourly site demand
- when the battery will be free to trade
- agreed import and export limits
- available export headroom
- half-hourly settlement status
- controller and communications costs
- trading fees or revenue share
- battery losses and extra cycling
- any bill saving lost when the battery trades instead
A large battery may still earn very little if the site uses most of its stored energy for peak shaving, backup or solar self-consumption. A smaller battery may give a better result where it regularly has spare power and stored energy during useful trading periods.
GridVolt checks the battery, inverter, meter, site demand and local market conditions before providing an earning estimate. Smaller batteries can still pass that check where the site leaves enough capacity available and the expected payment covers the added costs.
Use 100 kWh as the first filter. The final test is whether the client’s expected payment covers the controller, service charges, fees and extra cycling after the site has taken the battery capacity it needs.
How do we choose between more battery power and more usable capacity on a commercial project?
Work out the battery power in kW from how hard the battery needs to charge or discharge. Work out the usable capacity in kWh from how long it needs to keep doing it. More power helps with short, high peaks and larger trading instructions. More usable capacity helps with longer peaks, solar shifting and several battery jobs during the same day.
Work out the kW from the biggest power requirement
The battery’s kW rating tells you the most power it can charge or discharge at one time.
Suppose a site reaches 420 kW and the client wants to hold grid import at 300 kW. The battery needs to discharge at least:
420 kW − 300 kW = 120 kW
More power may help where the battery needs to:
- hold import below a target during a short, high peak
- absorb a large solar surplus before the site reaches its export limit
- charge within a short low-price window
- cover several EV chargers operating at the same time
- provide a larger response for battery trading
The site probably needs more battery power if the inverter reaches its limit while plenty of charge remains.
For example, the battery may still hold 60% charge while grid import rises above the agreed target. In that case, the battery has enough stored energy, but the inverter cannot discharge it quickly enough.
Check the connection limits before adding more inverter power. A 300 kW inverter cannot export 300 kW if the site has only 100 kW of spare export headroom.
Work out the usable kWh from how long the response must last
Usable capacity tells you how long the battery can keep providing the required power.
If the same site needs a 120 kW response for 90 minutes, the battery must deliver:
120 kW × 1.5 hours = 180 kWh
The project therefore needs at least 180 kWh of usable energy for that event. You then need to allow for the minimum state of charge, conversion losses and any capacity held back for another job.
More usable capacity may help where the battery needs to:
- cover a long site peak
- shift several hours of cheaper electricity
- store midday solar for use later
- respond several times before it can recharge
- retain energy for backup or trading
Check what the manufacturer’s quoted capacity means. It may refer to total nameplate capacity, usable battery-side capacity or usable AC energy after inverter losses. Using the wrong figure can leave the battery unable to complete the job included in the quote.
Run several kW and kWh combinations against the same site data, tariff, solar generation, import and export limits, reserve settings and trading assumptions. Do not count the same stored energy for peak shaving, solar use and trading during the same half-hour.
Add power when the inverter reaches its kW limit while charge remains. Add usable capacity when the battery reaches its minimum state of charge before the peak or expensive period ends. Stop adding either when the next increase no longer produces enough extra saving or income to cover its cost.
Does battery trading still pay if the customer is already on a wholesale-linked tariff like Agile?
It can, but do not add a full trading forecast on top of the full tariff saving. A wholesale-linked tariff already changes when the battery charges and discharges as prices rise and fall. The battery may therefore have less spare power and stored energy available when a separate trading instruction comes in.
Why the two uses overlap
A wholesale-linked business tariff changes the customer’s import price every half-hour. The battery can charge when the rate falls and power the site when the rate rises.
That already uses the same price movements that a battery trader watches.
A separate trading instruction may ask the battery to:
- pause or delay a planned charge
- charge during a cheaper period
- discharge to reduce the site’s grid import
- export stored electricity where the connection allows it
The problem comes when the tariff schedule and the trading instruction want the same battery capacity.
For example, the battery may already plan to discharge into the site during an expensive half-hour. You cannot then count the same stored energy as fully available for a separate export trade.
You also need a clean baseline to measure the trade. P415 trading compares what the site was expected to take from or send to the grid with what happened after the instruction. If the battery already changes its schedule whenever the wholesale price changes, it becomes harder to show which part of the site response came from the trade.
The customer’s import rate also includes network charges, policy costs and electricity losses. Using one stored kWh on site may therefore save the client more than exporting that same kWh or committing it to a trade.
Run the job both ways
For a customer on a wholesale-linked tariff, model two separate cases.
In the first case, use the battery to charge during lower-price periods and power the site when the import rate rises. The return appears as a reduction in the electricity bill.
In the second case, use a fixed or predictable time-of-use tariff and add separate battery trading. A steadier battery schedule makes it easier to measure what each trading instruction changed.
Run both cases using the same:
- half-hourly site data
- tariff prices
- battery power and usable capacity
- solar generation
- import and export limits
- minimum battery reserve
- efficiency and cycling costs
- trading fees and revenue share
Do not add the full tariff-saving result and the full trading result together. The battery cannot use the same kW and kWh twice during one half-hour.
GridVolt normally uses Energy Manager where the customer already has a wholesale-linked tariff. GridTrade is usually better suited to a fixed or predictable time-of-use arrangement. Use whichever route gives the client the stronger return after charging costs, site demand, battery losses and service fees.
What trading revenue is realistic for a commercial battery in Great Britain?
A suitable commercial battery may earn several thousand pounds a year from trading, but do not put a standard £/kW figure into the quote. Some periods may produce little or no income. The working figure must come from the battery, the half-hourly site data, the meter setup, the connection limits and the customer’s share after fees.
Do not use a grid-scale £/MW figure as the client forecast
Published GB battery revenue figures are usually shown in pounds per MW of power per year. They often cover large batteries earning from several markets, including wholesale trading, the Balancing Mechanism, frequency response and Capacity Market payments.
A commercial battery behind a site meter may also need to:
- power the site during expensive tariff periods
- store surplus solar
- shave demand peaks
- keep a minimum reserve for backup
- stay inside the import and export limits
- follow the battery warranty and cycling rules
You can only trade the battery power and stored energy left after those jobs.
For example, a battery may have a 200 kW inverter, but the site might need 120 kW of that power for peak shaving. That leaves no more than 80 kW for a trade at that point.
The battery also needs enough usable kWh to hold the 80 kW response for the full trading period. The inverter rating alone does not tell you that.
Do not lift a grid-scale £/MW figure from a market report, multiply it by the inverter size and present the result as the client’s expected income. Use those figures only to show whether the wider market has been stronger or weaker.
Check what the battery can really make available
Before you put a trading figure into the proposal, check:
- inverter power in kW
- usable battery capacity in kWh
- state of charge when a trading window appears
- minimum battery reserve
- half-hourly site demand
- spare import and export headroom
- meter and settlement status
- electricity tariff and export rate
- battery availability and warranty limits
- trading fees or revenue share
A battery may earn more where it regularly has spare power and stored energy at useful times. It may earn very little where the site uses most of the battery, the export limit restricts discharge or market prices offer few worthwhile trades.
Use £0 as the downside case unless the contract gives the client a minimum payment.
GridVolt checks the battery, inverter, meter, site demand and available capacity before providing a GridTrade estimate. Treat several thousand pounds a year as a possible result for a suitable job. Use the site-specific estimate in the quote and keep the client’s bill savings separate from trading income.
What battery and site data do we need to estimate trading revenue for a commercial battery in Great Britain?
For a useful trading estimate, get the exact battery, inverter and controller details, 12 months of half-hourly import and export data, the site’s connection limits, the tariff and anything the client needs to keep the battery for. This shows how much power in kW and stored energy in kWh will actually be free for trading.
Get the battery, inverter and connection details
Start with the make, model and installed firmware for the battery, inverter and current controller.
You will also need:
- maximum continuous charge power in kW
- maximum continuous discharge power in kW
- usable battery capacity in kWh
- minimum and maximum state of charge
- power in kW kept for peak shaving or another site job
- stored energy in kWh kept for backup or another site job
- round-trip efficiency
- warranty limits on cycles or energy throughput
- the current battery schedule or operating mode
- planned maintenance and known periods of downtime
- details of the existing gateway, internet connection and any site-network restrictions
The kW figures show how large a response the battery can provide. The usable kWh shows how long it can keep that response going.
Check how the battery currently runs. It may follow a fixed schedule, prioritise solar self-consumption, shave site peaks, respond to a wholesale-linked tariff or already receive instructions from another provider.
The exact equipment details matter because the controller must read the required battery data and send supported charge or discharge commands. A manufacturer appearing on a compatibility list does not confirm that every model and firmware version will work.
Get the single-line diagram and connection agreement too. Check the agreed import and export capacities, any G100 limit and all equipment sharing the connection. Solar, EV chargers and large site loads may use part of the same headroom.
Get the meter, tariff and site-use data
For the first estimate, get at least 12 months of half-hourly import and export data.
Include the import and export MPANs. Mark any missing or estimated readings, meter changes, shutdowns, temporary loads and unusual production periods.
You will also need:
- confirmation that the site has half-hourly settlement
- the full import tariff by half-hour or tariff period
- the export rate or export agreement
- half-hourly solar generation where available
- normal opening and production hours
- planned new loads
- site priorities for the battery
- any existing flexibility or trading contract
- provider fees or revenue-share terms
Most larger commercial sites already have half-hourly settlement. Some smaller businesses do not. Market-wide Half-Hourly Settlement is bringing more sites across, but the rollout is still under way. Check the meter, MPAN details and bill before you include trading income in the quote.
GridTrade currently settles trades from the site’s half-hourly grid meter. A dedicated battery asset meter can measure the battery separately from the rest of the site, but GridVolt does not currently use that route.
Send GridVolt the equipment details, single-line diagram, connection limits, tariff and half-hourly data. Keep the first estimate provisional until the meter, equipment, site priorities and commercial terms have all been checked.
Is quoted battery trading revenue gross or net of fees and revenue share?
Do not assume the quoted figure is what the client will receive. Check what the provider has already taken off and what still needs to come off. In the proposal, show the market income, each fee or deduction and the expected customer payment separately. The words “gross” and “net” are not enough on their own.
Check which number the provider has quoted
You may come across three different figures.
Gross market revenue is the income the battery earns before the provider takes its fee or revenue share. Check whether the figure has already allowed for the electricity used to charge the battery, because providers do not all calculate this in the same way.
Net customer payment is the amount left after the deductions shown in the trading contract. This is the cash the client should receive on its trading statement.
Net economic contribution is the figure to use when checking the wider project return. It also allows for costs that may not appear on the monthly statement, including extra battery cycling and any bill saving lost when the battery trades instead of serving the site.
The revenue-share percentage also needs a clear calculation base.
For example, a provider taking 20% of gross market revenue will receive a different amount from one taking 20% of the trading margin after charging and market costs.
Ask the provider to show the calculation rather than relying on a headline percentage.
Show what comes off before the client gets paid
The proposal should state whether the quoted figure includes or excludes:
- electricity bought to charge the battery
- extra electricity needed to cover charging and discharging losses
- market, settlement and route-to-market charges
- the provider’s fixed fee
- the provider’s revenue share
- controller, metering and communications costs
- penalties or later settlement corrections
- an allowance for battery cycling and degradation
- VAT where applicable
A clear proposal calculation starts with the market revenue, lists each deduction and ends with the expected customer payment.
Keep battery degradation as a separate line. It may not reduce the cash paid that month, but every extra cycle uses part of the battery’s warranted life. Include a cycling allowance when you calculate the full financial return.
GridTrade provides separate trading statements and payments. Use the actual GridVolt fee and revenue-share terms for the job. Do not assume one standard percentage or calculation method applies to every customer.
Before you put the figure into the payback, check three things. Confirm what the quoted revenue includes, what still comes off and what the client should receive. Then allow separately for cycling costs and any site savings the trade replaces.
Who gets priority when a commercial site needs the battery during a trade?
The battery and connection limits always come first. After that, the site rules agreed with the client decide how much power in kW and stored energy in kWh must stay available. The trading provider can use what remains. Agree the reserve, protected site uses and override rules before trading starts.
Set the limits before the battery starts trading
The controller must always keep the battery inside:
- BMS safety limits
- inverter charge and discharge limits
- minimum and maximum state of charge
- warranty and cycling limits
- agreed import and export capacity
- any G100 export restriction
You then need to agree what the client wants to keep back for the site.
Record:
- the minimum reserve in kWh or state of charge
- any discharge power in kW kept for peak shaving
- which site peaks the battery must cover
- any energy retained for backup
- protected production periods or critical loads
- the maximum kW and kWh available for trading
- who can stop or reduce a trading instruction
- how quickly that override must take effect
A backup reserve only helps if the battery can supply the site during a power cut. The installation may need islanding, changeover and protection equipment before the client can use that stored energy as backup.
Do not give the trading provider the full battery rating by default. A 200 kW, 400 kWh battery may have only 100 kW and 150 kWh available once the client’s peak-shaving and reserve requirements have been taken into account.
What happens when site demand changes during a trade
When a behind-the-meter battery discharges, it first reduces the power the site draws through the grid meter.
Suppose the provider asks for a 100 kW discharge while the site imports 70 kW. The battery cuts grid import to zero. The remaining 30 kW may export, provided the connection and export agreement leave enough headroom.
A rise in site demand may still allow the trade to complete. The response can come from reducing import rather than exporting electricity.
The controller should cut back or stop the instruction when:
- grid import reaches the protected ceiling
- state of charge falls to the agreed reserve
- a protected production period starts
- the client uses the manual override
- the inverter, BMS or G100 control reduces output
The trading contract should explain how a reduced response affects the client’s payment, who carries any non-delivery cost and how the cause will be checked.
GridTrade works inside the battery and site limits agreed before commissioning. Record the reserved kW, reserved kWh, override triggers and payment rules before you hand the system over.
Who is responsible if the battery controller misses a trade?
Start by checking whether the controller received a valid instruction. If it received the instruction and failed to pass it to the inverter, responsibility normally falls under the controller support agreement. If the instruction never reached the controller, or the inverter rejected it, the fault belongs elsewhere. The contract decides who pays any proven loss or market charge.
Check where the instruction stopped
First, separate a missed opportunity from a failed delivery.
A missed opportunity means the trading provider did not place a possible trade. The customer cannot automatically claim the highest amount the battery might have earned. The contract may only require the provider to investigate the problem, restore the service or apply a service credit.
A failed delivery means the trading provider placed the trade, but the battery did not produce the expected change in site import or export. The market-facing trading party handles that position first. The customer contracts then decide whether another party must cover any resulting cost.
Check the instruction through each part of the system:
- Trading platform: Did the provider place, amend or cancel the trade correctly?
- Cloud connection: Did the correct instruction leave the platform and reach the site?
- On-site controller: Did the Energy Gateway receive the instruction and pass it to the inverter?
- Battery and inverter: Did the equipment accept the command, and did it have enough charge and power available?
- Site communications: Did the router, SIM, firewall or local network interrupt the instruction or data return?
- Customer action: Did someone switch off the battery, change the reserve or block remote control?
- Connection limits: Did the import limit, export limit or G100 control reduce the response?
A controller has not failed if it correctly blocks an instruction that would breach the battery reserve, warranty limit, inverter rating or site connection limit.
Agree the support split before handover
The GridTrade agreement and equipment contracts should state:
- who supports the Energy Gateway
- who supports the battery and inverter
- who manages the router, SIM and site network
- what makes the battery unavailable for trading
- how much notice the client must give before planned downtime
- who carries an actual imbalance or non-delivery charge
- whether a missed opportunity leads to fault repair, a service credit or compensation
- how liability limits apply
- how the parties handle a disputed trade
Keep timestamped records from the trading platform, controller, inverter, meter and site network. These should show when the instruction was sent, whether the controller received it, what command reached the inverter and how the battery and grid meter responded.
Before commissioning, record the firmware versions, fallback mode, support contacts, log-retention period and customer override procedure. The market-facing party remains responsible for the trade it places. The relevant customer or equipment contract then decides who carries the cost when software, hardware, communications or customer action caused the failure.
Can we offer battery trading to commercial customers in the Republic of Ireland?
GridVolt does not currently offer GridTrade in the Republic of Ireland. Irish batteries can take part in wholesale and flexibility markets, but Ireland uses different registration, aggregation and settlement rules from Great Britain. For an Irish GridVolt project, base the quote on Energy Manager savings and leave trading income out.
How commercial battery trading works in Ireland
The Republic of Ireland forms part of the all-island Single Electricity Market. This market includes wholesale trading, balancing activity, capacity payments and other grid services.
Which markets a commercial battery can enter depends on its size, metering, connection and aggregator contract. Do not assume one battery behind a customer meter can take part in every revenue stream.
A typical commercial battery will usually need an Irish market participant or aggregator. The aggregator can combine batteries and flexible loads from several sites, then handle the registration, dispatch, settlement and customer payments.
One possible route uses an aggregated Demand Side Unit. The combined unit normally needs at least 4 MW, so a 100 kW or 500 kW battery would need to join other sites to reach the threshold.
Your client may be able to keep its current electricity supplier while a licensed Irish aggregator handles the battery. Before adding any trading figure, check:
- battery power in kW and usable capacity in kWh
- inverter and controller compatibility
- site import and export limits
- meter and communications requirements
- battery warranty and cycling limits
- the supply and export contracts
- aggregator fees and revenue share
- responsibility for missed trades or non-delivery charges
The GB P415 route does not apply in Ireland. Any Irish trading offer needs its own market registration, contract and revenue calculation.
What to put in an Irish GridVolt proposal
For an Irish project, use Energy Manager to model the savings the battery can make on site.
That may include:
- storing surplus solar for later use
- charging during cheaper tariff periods
- using stored energy when import prices rise
- reducing high grid imports
- keeping an agreed battery reserve
- coordinating the battery with solar, EV charging and other site equipment
These are the figures you can use in the main financial case.
Leave GridTrade income out of the proposal. The client may arrange trading separately through an Irish aggregator, but keep that income conditional until the aggregator has checked the battery, meter, connection and contract.
For an Irish quote, lead with tariff savings, solar use and site-load control. Add trading income later only when the client has a confirmed Irish route to market and a site-specific forecast.
How can we earn recurring revenue after we commission a commercial battery?
Sell the client a defined monitoring and maintenance contract after commissioning. Price the checks, reports, callouts and response times you will provide. You may also agree a referral or site-service payment with the software or trading provider, but no part of the customer’s trading income belongs to the installer automatically.
Build a paid post-commissioning package
Offer the client a monthly or annual contract covering the parts of the installation you can inspect, monitor and maintain.
This may include:
- battery, inverter and controller communication checks
- alarm and fault reviews
- meter and CT checks
- annual electrical and visual inspections
- firmware and warranty coordination
- first-line remote fault checks
- planned site visits
- monthly or quarterly performance reports
- checks against the original battery schedule and savings estimate
Make sure you can see the meter, controller and inverter data needed to provide the service. Agree remote access before handover and record who owns each login, SIM and communications account.
Set clear boundaries as well. The contract should state:
- which equipment you maintain
- which faults go to the battery or inverter supplier
- which software faults go to the control provider
- how quickly you will respond
- how many site visits the fee includes
- which parts, travel and callouts cost extra
- who manages warranty claims
- what happens when equipment supplied by another company fails
Do not guarantee a fixed saving unless the contract explains how you will measure it. Tariff changes, production hours, site demand and solar output can change the result even when the battery follows the agreed schedule.
Future solar, EV charging or battery work may follow, but treat that as additional project work rather than recurring service income.
Agree any referral or site-service payment in writing
Energy Manager and GridTrade can create ongoing work after commissioning. An installer might carry out first-line site checks, replace communications equipment or help investigate meter and inverter faults.
Possible payment arrangements include:
- a fixed referral fee
- a recurring fee for named site checks
- a customer-paid account-management fee
- a reseller margin
- an agreed share of the provider’s own fee or revenue
These are possible contract structures, not automatic GridVolt terms.
Before commissioning, agree:
- who invoices the client
- which work the installer handles
- which work GridVolt handles
- whether the payment is one-off or recurring
- how long it continues
- what happens if the client cancels
- who keeps the service record and customer contacts
Charge the client for clearly defined monitoring and maintenance work. Add any GridVolt referral or site-service payment only after the installer agreement confirms the amount, duration and work required.
Contact GridVolt
Questions on how to calculate and present commercial battery trading and revenue? Speak to the GridVolt team.
Get in touch by filling out the form on this page or through our contact page.