FAQ

Frequently asked questions

TGN Grid is our flagship smart energy management system. It integrates battery energy storage, solar PV (photovoltaic) systems, and other energy sources into a seamless network that optimizes electricity flow. This enables businesses to reduce their dependence on the power grid, lower energy costs, and improve operational flexibility by managing peak energy demand through peak shaving and demand limitation. TGN Grid works by storing excess energy during off-peak times and releasing it when demand spikes, minimizing grid strain and saving on electricity costs.

Our systems reduce electricity costs by integrating solar power and battery storage to leverage cheaper, self-produced energy. We also employ strategies like energy arbitrage, which involves storing energy when prices are low and using or selling it when prices are higher. With TGN FlexControl, our intelligent energy management software, you can optimize energy use based on real-time market conditions, saving significantly on operational costs.

TGN FlexControl is the intelligent control system at the heart of TGN Grid. It optimizes the flow of energy by managing dispatchable loads, solar production, and energy storage. FlexControl ensures smooth operations, whether you’re reducing peak energy demand, participating in reserve power markets, or optimizing energy use during low-cost periods.

Energy arbitrage is the process of purchasing energy when prices are low and selling or using it when prices are high. TGN Aggregate, our cloud-based platform, aggregates energy resources and facilitates their participation in intra-day trading and reserve power markets, enabling you to generate revenue from your stored energy while supporting grid stability.

When integrated with TGN Grid, solar PV systems can convert rooftop space into a valuable energy asset. The energy produced can be used directly to power your operations, stored for later use in a battery energy storage system (BESS), or traded on the market. This lowers your dependency on grid electricity, especially during peak hours when electricity prices are higher, providing significant cost savings.

Peak shaving involves reducing energy demand during peak usage periods by drawing from energy storage or alternative energy sources, such as stored solar power. By lowering peak consumption, businesses reduce demand charges, which are typically based on the highest peaks during a billing period. This also alleviates pressure on the grid, making operations more sustainable and cost-efficient.

Yes, TGN Grid can ensure energy resilience by utilizing battery storage with islanding capabilities. This allows the system to operate independently from the grid, maintaining power during outages, and protecting critical operations from disruption​.

 

Active islanding is a feature that allows a site to disconnect from the main grid during outages and operate independently using local energy resources, like batteries and solar. TGN Grid can automatically detect grid failures, initiate islanding, and ensure a stable local energy supply, enabling critical processes to continue without interruption.

Reserve power markets are specialized markets where businesses can sell access to their energy storage systems (ESS) to help balance the grid during periods of instability. TGN FlexControl monitors grid frequency and dispatches stored energy when necessary, allowing your business to earn additional revenue while contributing to grid reliability.

Intra-day trading and day-ahead trading are two types of energy market strategies that help businesses and energy providers optimize costs and balance energy supply and demand.

  • Day-ahead trading refers to the process of buying and selling electricity one day in advance. In this market, energy prices are set for the next 24 hours, based on supply and demand forecasts. Participants (such as energy producers, grid operators, and large consumers) place bids or offers in the market, and prices are established accordingly. This allows for efficient planning and ensures that the necessary amount of electricity is allocated ahead of time.

  • Intra-day trading, on the other hand, takes place within the same day, allowing participants to adjust their energy purchases or sales in response to real-time fluctuations in demand or unexpected events. This type of trading is more flexible and is often used to fine-tune energy portfolios when actual consumption differs from the forecast made during day-ahead trading. Intra-day trading enables businesses to take advantage of price volatility throughout the day, ensuring that they can optimize energy costs and reduce losses.

Both forms of trading are critical for balancing supply and demand, especially as the grid incorporates more variable renewable energy sources like solar and wind, which can be less predictable. By leveraging both day-ahead and intra-day trading, businesses can ensure they buy or sell energy at the most advantageous times, enhancing both cost savings and grid stability.

Yes! TGN FlexControl can manage EV chargers, reducing the strain on your grid connection by optimizing power usage during charging times. By using battery storage to buffer energy, it ensures that peak loads from EV charging do not overwhelm your grid connection, helping avoid expensive upgrades.

All communication between TGN FlexControl and the cloud-based TGN Aggregate platform is highly secure, following industry standards like IEC 62443 for cybersecurity. No component of FlexControl communicates directly with the outside world, ensuring the highest level of protection against cyber threats.

Demand limitation is a more active approach to managing energy use, where the system sets a maximum limit for the amount of power drawn from the grid. When energy consumption exceeds this limit, the system compensates by using stored energy or alternative sources. This strategy is effective in reducing grid tariffs and avoiding expensive grid upgrades.

TGN Grid enhances energy resilience by providing local storage and energy production capabilities, reducing dependency on the main grid. During grid failures or peak demand periods, TGN Grid uses stored energy and active islanding to keep critical operations running smoothly without interruption, making it a robust solution for businesses reliant on continuous energy availability.

Many regions offer government rebates, tax incentives, and grants for businesses that adopt renewable energy systems or improve energy efficiency. By implementing TGN Grid, you not only save on electricity costs but may also qualify for various financial incentives that accelerate your return on investment.

Technical terms / glossary

A condition in which a microgrid or distributed energy system continues to generate and supply electricity to a specific area even when disconnected from the main grid. This enhances reliability by providing backup power during outages, increasing the resilience of the local power system.

An Advanced Metering System (AMS) is a digital electricity meter that allows remote, real-time monitoring of energy consumption by both utilities and consumers. It enables more accurate billing, better demand forecasting, and facilitates time-of-use pricing for more efficient energy use.

Providing additional support services to the grid, such as inertia, spinning reserves, and reactive power support, which are necessary for maintaining grid reliability and stability. BESS can supply these services and earn revenue through ancillary service markets.

The ability of an energy system to withstand and recover from disruptions, such as power outages or extreme fluctuations in demand. Energy resilience is enhanced by using technologies like BESS, solar PV, and intelligent control systems, which provide backup power and mitigate the impact of grid failures.

A system designed to store electrical energy, typically from renewable sources like solar power, in batteries for use during periods of peak demand or when energy generation is unavailable. BESS enhances energy independence, provides backup power, and enables energy cost savings through strategies like peak shaving and energy arbitrage. Lithium-ion based battery energy storage systems are increasingly becoming the default energy storage technology due to its versatility, modularity, flexibility and affordability compared to other technologies. 

Refers to energy production and storage systems located on the consumer’s side of the utility meter, such as rooftop solar panels or home batteries. These systems allow consumers to generate, store, and use their own electricity, reducing dependence on the grid and lowering energy bills.

Providing the necessary energy to restart parts of the grid during a blackout. BESS can offer “black start” services by supplying the initial power needed to restore grid operations after a large-scale outage.

A system in which grid operators secure long-term commitments from energy producers and storage providers to ensure that sufficient energy supply is available during peak demand periods. This ensures grid reliability, especially when renewable generation fluctuates due to weather conditions.

A grid management strategy that incentivizes consumers to reduce or shift their energy consumption during peak periods. By adjusting demand in response to grid conditions, demand response helps avoid grid overloads, reduces the need for peak power plants, and lowers electricity costs.

Loads that can be increased or decreased on demand, allowing for flexible energy use depending on the needs of the grid or market prices. TGN Grid uses dispatchable load control to optimize energy consumption during periods of fluctuating prices, providing greater control over energy costs.

Decentralized energy production from small-scale sources, such as solar panels or wind turbines, located close to the point of consumption. This reduces reliance on centralized power plants, enhances grid resilience, and supports the integration of renewable energy.

The practice of purchasing electricity when prices are low (such as during off-peak hours) and storing it for later use or sale when prices are higher, typically using BESS. This optimizes cost savings by capitalizing on fluctuations in electricity prices.

A system that monitors, controls, and optimizes the performance of energy generation, storage, and consumption in a facility or across a grid. An EMS integrates data from various energy sources, including solar, batteries, and grid power, enabling intelligent decision-making to maximize efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance energy resilience.

Technologies such as batteries, hydrogen storage, or pumped hydro storage that capture excess energy, particularly from renewable sources, for later use. These systems play a critical role in balancing intermittent renewable generation and ensuring grid reliability during peak demand.

A reserve market for energy services that respond to significant frequency deviations. FCR-D resources are required to quickly supply energy for up to 20 minutes, helping stabilize the grid during large disturbances or unexpected power plant outages.

A reserve market focused on mitigating minor frequency deviations within the grid’s normal operating range. FCR-N resources must be able to supply or absorb energy for sustained periods, supporting overall grid stability during routine fluctuations.

A market for energy resources that can respond almost instantaneously (within seconds) to sudden changes in grid frequency, ensuring stability by providing rapid injection or reduction of power to the grid. This is crucial for maintaining grid reliability in response to short-term imbalances.

A marketplace where grid operators, like Statnett, procure services to maintain the balance between electricity supply and demand. Participants, such as battery owners or large consumers, are compensated for providing rapid-response services to stabilize the grid frequency at 50 Hz.

Supporting grid stability by helping balance the supply and demand of electricity. BESS can quickly inject or absorb power to maintain the grid’s frequency within acceptable limits. This service is often compensated through specialized markets.

Reducing stress on transmission networks by supplying energy locally during times of high demand. This helps avoid bottlenecks and congestion in the power grid, potentially leading to cost savings for utilities and businesses.

The rate at which the electrical grid operates, typically measured in Hertz (Hz). Stable grid frequency is essential for the smooth operation of the power grid. TGN Grid helps manage and stabilize grid frequency by balancing supply and demand through dispatchable loads and battery storage.

Shifting energy consumption from periods of high prices to periods of lower prices by using the BESS to store energy. This helps optimize energy consumption and aligns with variable rate tariffs to reduce electricity costs.

A localized energy system that can operate independently or in conjunction with the main grid. It integrates distributed energy resources (like solar panels or wind turbines) and can seamlessly transition to “island mode” to supply power during grid outages.

A billing mechanism that credits small-scale energy producers, like homeowners with solar panels, for the electricity they add to the grid. Excess energy generated is fed back into the grid, offsetting energy costs, and in some cases, enabling producers to earn revenue.

A load management strategy that reduces energy consumption during periods of high demand by using stored energy from BESS or other sources. This reduces grid dependency and lowers energy costs by minimizing peak load charges from utility companies.

The adjustment of energy flow to balance shifts between voltage and current in energy-intensive loads.

Storing surplus energy generated by renewable sources, such as solar PV, for later use. This ensures that renewable energy is not wasted and can be used during periods when solar or wind generation is low, maximizing self-consumption and reducing grid dependency.

Storing surplus energy generated by renewable sources, such as solar PV, for later use. This ensures that renewable energy is not wasted and can be used during periods when solar or wind generation is low, maximizing self-consumption and reducing grid dependency.

A modernized electricity grid that uses advanced digital communication and control technologies to monitor, predict, and optimize the generation, storage, distribution, and consumption of energy. It facilitates real-time energy management, improving efficiency, reliability, and sustainability.

Photovoltaic (PV) panels that convert sunlight directly into electricity. Solar energy is one of the most scalable and widely adopted forms of renewable energy, contributing significantly to the global transition toward sustainable, low-carbon energy systems.

Devices that capture solar energy to heat water or air, typically used in residential heating systems. Unlike photovoltaic panels, which generate electricity, solar collectors are used to improve energy efficiency by reducing reliance on conventional heating methods.

The cloud platform that collects and analyzes data from TGN Grid systems and enables participation in energy markets.

The central command system for managing energy flows and optimizing operations.

The smart energy management system that integrates local energy production, energy storage, and energy use.

The process of utilizing a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) for multiple revenue-generating or cost-saving functions simultaneously or at different times. By combining different applications, businesses can maximize the return on their energy storage investments. These include: energy arbitrage, peak shaving, frequency regulation, demand response, backup power / energy resilience, load shifting, renewable energy integration, capacity market participation, black start services, voltage support, grid congestion management, ancillary services. 

A cloud-based system that aggregates and coordinates multiple distributed energy resources, such as batteries, solar panels, and small power plants, to operate as a unified, flexible power source. This helps stabilize the grid by quickly adjusting supply to match demand fluctuations.

Enhancing grid stability by regulating voltage levels. BESS can help maintain appropriate voltage levels in the grid by supplying or absorbing reactive power as needed, which helps prevent voltage drops or surges.