Slovenian power distribution firm invites consumers to offer flexibility services

Electricity distributor Elektro Ljubljana has invited its customers to apply for providing flexibility services.

Elektro Ljubljana is offering consumers to earn money by contributing to grid flexibility, which is crucial for its stability. Distributed generation of electricity, mostly with solar panels, is becoming a challenge for distribution system operators in Europe, but also all over the world.

Eligible to apply are consumers who use electric devices for heating like heat pumps and electric stoves, if they can turn them off for a short while, and have a monthly power bill higher than EUR 100 during the winter. Owners of battery storage units can also participate, and so can legal entities that have the ability to adjust their consumption.

The fee for participating for six months is up to EUR 50 in total

Flexibility is the user’s ability to temporarily reduce consumption or capacity at the measuring point upon request, Elektro Ljubljana explained.

According to the procedure, the utility sends a request to flexibility service providers to reduce consumption for a short while. The more they reduce consumption, the bigger their fee is. The fee for participating for six months is up to EUR 50 in total.

There are four steps from the moment a consumer applies until it can provide flexibility services.

Korošec: We enable consumers to earn money

Elektro Ljubljana said Slovenia’s decarbonization implies large-scale electrification, adding that the company is rapidly analyzing various options to reduce network congestion and ensure a reliable and affordable supply.

Flexibility is the first among advanced networking concepts that the firm plans to introduce.

Elektro Ljubljana enables consumers to earn money when the network is overloaded by switching off devices, Board President Vekoslav Korošec said.

Of note, Elektro Ljubljana is one of the five companies that manage the distribution network in Slovenia. SODO has the role of the national distribution system operator (DSO), but the five power distribution companies own the infrastructure, so SODO has contracts with them to carry out the tasks of the DSO.

The remaining distribution companies are Elektro Celje, Elektro Gorenjska, Elektro Maribor and Elektro Primorska.