Why your peak costs more than your consumption suggests
The capacity tariff bases the grid portion of your bill on your highest average power drawn over a fifteen-minute period. For an SME, that means this part of the bill is not determined by the 40,000 kWh used per year, but by that one fifteen-minute period on a Monday morning when the compressor, oven and three EV chargers started at the same time. One bad fifteen-minute period per month is enough to pay more throughout the year.
The good news is that such a peak is almost never necessary. It is created by simultaneous production, not production. Machines that all start together after the nightfall, an EV charging area without control, a boiler that warms up just then. Those who tackle the simultaneous pay less for exactly the same current.
Step one: Know where your peaks come from
Peak shaving starts with measurement. Your digital meter's fifteen-minute readings are available through the Fluvius portal; in our article on request quarter hourly energy data Read your step by step how to export that profile. From that profile, we get three things:
- How high your monthly peaks are And how far they stand above your average decline. A peak of 60 kW at an average of 15 kW screams for flattening.
- When they fall: Always the same startup quarter, or spread out? Predictable peaks are the easiest to cut.
- How wide they are: A peak of one quarter of an hour requires little battery capacity, a three-hour plateau mainly requires control.
Step two: control, the cheapest kilowatts
Before you think about storage, take out what's free or almost free. Smart control shifts or limits consumers without compromising the process:
- EV chargers with dynamic load management: the EV charging area automatically deviates for the rest of the operation and distributes the available power across the wagons. Also read our article about dynamic charging.
- Sequential startup: machines and heating that hit at the same time instead of simultaneously. Often a matter of relays and institutions.
- Movable consumers: water heaters, cooling with buffer and compressed air compressors that you get out of the peak quarter.
Rule of thumb in practice: for most SMEs, control cuts away 20 to 40 percent of the peak alone, before one battery cell is needed.
Step three: a battery for what you can't shift
If after control there remains a hard peak, then comes battery storage On screen. The battery unloads exactly during peak quarters and recharges during quiet hours or on excess of your solar panels. The net therefore sees a flat decrease, while your process simply goes crazy. Meanwhile, the same battery earns through self-consumption of solar power and, with a dynamic contract, through the difference between cheap and expensive hours.
An example from practice: a workshop with a connection that peaks around half past seven to 55 kW every morning because compressor, heating and two charging posts work together, while the rest of the day runs around 18 kW. Sequential start-up and load management on the charging poles already bring that morning peak back to a level close to 35 kW; a compact battery cuts off the rest. The use of the workshop doesn't change kilowatt hours, the net bill does.
Do you want to save even deeper afterwards, combine peak flattening with a relamping your lighting: One prints your net cost, the other pushes your kWh. And soon you'll electrify your vans or commercial cars, then read our roadmap to get you fleet to electrify: Whoever builds the EV charging area from the beginning doesn't have to level anything off afterwards.
Frequently asked questions about peak flattening for SMEs
Cannot find your question? Call or email us for an answer from an installer rather than a salesperson.
What exactly is peak flattening?
Deliberately reducing your highest average power drawn from the grid over a fifteen-minute period by spreading out or limiting loads, and having a battery help during peak periods. Your consumption stays the same while your grid charges fall.
How much can an SME save with peak flattening?
That depends on how far your peaks rise above your average power demand and on your grid tariff. Businesses with sharp start-up peaks or an unmanaged EV charging area generally save the most. We calculate it in advance using your own fifteen-minute data, so that you have a figure rather than a promise.
Do I always need a battery for peak flattening?
No. Steering comes first: load management on loading posts, sequential start-up and shifting boilers or cooling often cut away a large part of the peak. A battery only makes sense for the hard residual peak that you can't shift.
How big does a battery have to be to level off peaks?
That follows from the height and duration of your peaks. A short peak lasting one fifteen-minute period requires little capacity; a plateau lasting hours requires much more. We determine the right size from your fifteen-minute data, not from a standard package.
Does peak flattening disturb my production process?
We can't do that, and it won't happen properly. Sturding limits only consumers who can wait or slow down, such as charging stations and boilers. Critical processes always get priority, and the battery captures the rest.
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Send us your fifteen-minute data and get a figure, not a promise
We analyze your peaks, set the right mix of control and battery and show the payback period on your own profile. Even if the conclusion is that you shouldn't buy anything.
What applies to your situation?
Equipment selection, price, scheduling and any conditions will be confirmed for your project. This information does not replace an assessment of your installation or an individual quote.