What is the difference between peak shaving and trading?

Although both strategies involve smart energy management, they differ in focus and timescale:

• Peak Shaving
  Focuses on flattening peak consumption to limit costs for transmission and connection capacity. The time horizon is minutes to hours.
• Energy Trading
  Involves optimally buying or selling energy based on market price signals. The time horizon is hours to days (day-ahead or intraday).

By combining both, you can not only limit peaks but also actively profit from price differences. This makes your energy consumption smarter and more profitable.

Why is this combination attractive?

The energy market is becoming increasingly dynamic. With hourly tariffs, flexibility markets, and congestion management, companies can significantly reduce their costs through active control. The benefits of this combination are:

• Dual Benefits
  Peak shaving reduces your grid costs, while trading leverages price differences for additional revenue.
• Better Utilization of Storage
  Batteries used for peak shaving can also store energy during low prices and sell it when prices are high.
• Increased Flexibility
  You can respond to market signals and local constraints, making your operations future-proof.

According to Energeia companies that actively manage peaks and market signals yield an average of 15 to 25 percent additional return on their energy investments.

How does this combination work in practice?

A smart EMS enables the combination of peak shaving and trading. The system automatically monitors, forecasts, and controls based on both grid capacity and market prices. A practical example:

• The battery charges at night during low market prices (trading strategy).
• During the day, the battery is used to flatten peaks during high load (peak shaving).
• During extremely high prices, the system temporarily feeds energy back into the grid (market participation).

This way, the same battery is optimally utilized multiple times a day. Companies that automate this via an EMS often achieve higher returns than companies that manage peaks or prices separately. More explanation about this approach can be found in the description of how Zympler works.

Which markets are relevant?

To combine energy trading with peak shaving, there are various markets companies can leverage:

• Day-ahead market
  Here, energy prices are determined 24 hours in advance. With a predictive EMS, you can align consumption or storage accordingly.
• Intraday market
  Here, you can still trade up until shortly before delivery. Batteries offer a lot of flexibility in this market.
• Imbalance Market
  The TenneT market where flexibility is rewarded for stabilizing the grid. See TenneT.
• Local Flexibility Markets
  Initiatives such as GOPACS make it possible to alleviate local congestion with financial incentives.

The combination of these markets ensures that flexibility in your assets – batteries, charging stations, production – generates multiple revenue streams.

What technical requirements do you have?

To combine peak shaving and trading, three technologies are essential:

• Real-time Metering Infrastructure
  Without accurate data on consumption, generation, and storage, you cannot manage effectively.
• Battery Storage
  The physical buffer that absorbs peaks and capitalizes on price opportunities.
• EMS with Trading Module
  The brain that combines forecasts with price data and rules for peak reduction. A smart EMS does this automatically and independently of energy suppliers.

What are the financial benefits of this combination?

Profit comes from two directions: savings and revenue.

• Savings
  Lower transport costs and fewer penalties for peak exceedance.
• Revenue
  Income from energy trading by buying low and selling high, or by providing flexibility to markets.

An average industrial company with 1 MW peak capacity can save and earn around €40,000 to €70,000 per year. According to RVO you can recoup the investment in battery and EMS within three to five years, depending on market volatility.

What are the risks and considerations?

While the combination has great potential, it also requires a careful approach:

• Market knowledge
  Energy trading requires insight into price dynamics and regulations.
• Balance between peaks and prices
  The system must limit peaks without missing profitable trading opportunities – that requires smart algorithms.
• Regulations
  Access to markets often requires registration as a BRP participant or collaboration with an aggregator.

A smart EMS automates many of these choices and ensures that control always remains within safe limits.

How do you start with peak shaving and trading?

The combination doesn't have to be complex. Follow these steps:

• 1. Start with insight
  Analyze consumption data, peak profiles, and price charts. Understand when energy is expensive or cheap.
• 2. Implement peak shaving
  First, stabilize your consumption and reduce transmission costs.
• 3. Add storage
  Use a battery as a physical buffer and increase your flexibility.
• 4. Connect to price signals
  Use an EMS that integrates data from market platforms.
• 5. Automate and evaluate
  Let the EMS trade or manage based on pre-set rules and learn from the results.

Companies that go through this process often see noticeable savings and additional revenue within the first year.

Practical example

A refrigeration company in North Holland implemented battery storage (1 MWh) and an EMS that combines peak reduction with intraday trading. The system reduced peaks by 30 percent and generated an additional €25,000 in revenue from imbalance trading. Another example is a logistics park where Zympler installed a smart EMS that combines peak shaving with day-ahead optimization. Within six months, energy costs were 22 percent lower, without changes to operations.

The future of peak shaving and trading

In the coming years, the distinction between producer, consumer, and trader will blur. Companies that leverage their flexibility in markets will become prosumers: they consume and trade. The combination of peak shaving and trading forms the foundation for this. A smart EMS makes this accessible, without companies having to trade themselves. Want to know more about this approach? Read the explanation about how a smart EMS works.