Estonian start-up Fusebox and Norwegian company Pixii started a cooperation to develop and combine energy storage systems with demand response. The project enabled real-time communication between electricity consumers, energy storage, and energy systems to maximize the use of renewables and solve the issues related to variable generation. The €1.4 million development project started on 1 June 2021 and was partly funded through the Norway Grants Green ICT programme by Enterprise Estonia.

The energy sector is moving from centralized thermal electricity generation to more decentralized and volatile generation from renewables such as wind and solar. “An increasing share of renewables generation helps to reduce the energy sector’s carbon footprint and creates the preconditions for deployment of carbon-neutral electricity generation,” said Tarvo Õng, Fusebox founder and CEO. “However, due to the highly variable generation characteristics, solar and wind energy must be balanced or compensated fast to maintain stability of the electricity system.”

What the partnership actually does

The cooperation replaces traditional, carbon-intensive generating flexibility assets with smarter integration and use of distributed flexible assets such as batteries and loads. This reduces the energy sector’s carbon intensity while increasing the efficiency of the energy system. “This is achieved by combining Fusebox’s demand response experience and Pixii’s energy storage competence to enable next-generation energy infrastructure, instead of investing in existing infrastructure built to support centralized electricity generation,” explained Õng.

Fusebox and Pixii set out to complement energy storage systems with demand-side flexibility, developing and testing the solution with Fusebox’s virtual power plant (VPP) in the Finnish and Estonian markets.

Pixii is a Norwegian power conversion and energy storage company, developing compact, modular, and scalable energy storage systems from 10 to 1,000 kW — built for the fast-responding, cost-effective flexibility that renewable energy and EV charging demand. Pixii is headquartered in Norway, with subsidiaries in Australia and Slovakia.

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FuseBox and Pixii aim to complement energy storage systems with demand-side flexibility and develop and test the solution with FuseBox Virtual Power Plant in the Finnish and Estonian markets.

Energy start-up FuseBox connects energy consumers and energy systems to permit better integration of renewables and reduce CO2. Our main product is a virtual power plant (VPP) that helps to balance electricity production and consumption, enables organizations to contribute to greener environment and earn revenue on buildings without interrupting their core business. Our innovative technological solution reduces customer’s consumption during the deficit in the energy system and increases it when excess energy is available. Company’s headquarter is located in Estonia and we employ 10 professionals around the world. We are represented in the Baltics and Finland. Fusebox is the trailblazer and the only demand response flexibility provider in the Baltics.

The power conversion and energy storage expert Pixii is a young, R&D intensive Norwegian company with the aim to revolutionize the market for frequency regulation applications in combination with other value-adding behind-the-meter services. Our focus is the development and provision of compact, modular and scalable energy storage systems in the range from 10 to 1000 kW, to provide distributed, fast-responding, and cost-effective flexibility to meet the future demand for renewable energy and EV charging. Pixii’s headquarters is located in Norway, with subsidiaries in Australia and Slovakia.