The partnership
Stadtwerke (SW) Hünfeld operates the biggest BESS (battery energy storage system) in the German state of Hessen. It was taken live by enspired in December 2024 for cross-market optimization. Munich-based demand response provider Entelios, a trusted long-term partner of enspired, manages the grid processes involved in the project, including integration of ancillary services, balancing group, prequalification, redispatch, and pooling.
The customer
As the utility for the city of Hünfeld in Hessen, Germany, Stadtwerke (SW) Hünfeld values regionality, sense of community, and sustainability. The company covers the supply of electricity, gas, and water and is also responsible for operating local car parks, public pools, and the city bus.
The partner
Entelios is a European pioneer in industrial demand response and balancing reserve market solutions. With tailored consulting and flexibility potential assessment as core elements of the service approach, the company supports clients throughout the prequalification process and secures participation through its reserve pools.
The use case
SW Hünfeld’s battery is a 6.4 MW/21.6 MWh standalone asset with a 3-hour duration. The future-oriented project showcases the market’s evolving gravitation toward longer-duration storage to steel the grid against renewable fluctuations and prepare for increasing flexibility demands. “The industry’s interest in longer-duration battery storage is growing alongside the renewable buildout,” explains Manuel Gollbach, CEO of SW Hünfeld. “Bringing our asset to market with enspired and Entelios has opened profitable commercial opportunities for us. Thanks to enspired’s highly intuitive customer dashboard, we have full visibility of our battery’s market activities and can follow the revenue maximization in real time. The collaboration allows us to adapt quickly to changing market conditions, and we know our asset is in the best hands for what’s ahead.”
Image and header copyright: SW Hünfeld
Clarissa Irion, Head of BU Partner – BESS & Renewables at Entelios, shares the enthusiasm: “Having worked with enspired on multiple projects, we are very attuned to each other’s processes. It’s what makes our collaboration smooth and effective. We appreciate SW Hünfeld’s unique approach to addressing grid needs and are fully committed to making the most of their battery, whose commercial potential suits the cross-market strategy ideally.”
The environmental edge
The high-performance battery project marks a significant accomplishment in Germany’s net-zero timeline, as it helps integrate renewable sources, mitigate fluctuations, and ensure grid stability. “SW Hünfeld has demonstrated remarkable industry foresight. They don’t shy away from realizing big projects for an even bigger energy roadmap, bringing true innovation to the utility space,” says Onofrio Belviso, who oversees the project at enspired. “We could not be more excited to maximize the commercial performance of the battery, which also makes a meaningful contribution to the energy transition and decarbonization efforts.”
