Storage Sizing

Storage Sizing

Battery sizing for industry - why your load profile determines the ROI.

Battery sizing for industry - why your load profile determines the ROI.

Battery sizing for industry - why your load profile determines the ROI.

Many companies approach the topic of battery storage with one question:

“How big should the battery be - 500 kW or 5 MW, 1 MWh or 10 MWh?”

The honest answer:

Without your actual load profile data, any number is a guess. And a wrongly sized battery is often more expensive than no battery at all.

Many companies approach the topic of battery storage with one question:

“How big should the battery be - 500 kW or 5 MW, 1 MWh or 10 MWh?”

The honest answer:

Without your actual load profile data, any number is a guess. And a wrongly sized battery is often more expensive than no battery at all.

Many companies approach the topic of battery storage with one question:

“How big should the battery be - 500 kW or 5 MW, 1 MWh or 10 MWh?”

The honest answer:

Without your actual load profile data, any number is a guess. And a wrongly sized battery is often more expensive than no battery at all.

Why there is no standard battery for industry

Why there is no standard battery for industry

Why there is no standard battery for industry

Every site has its own profile:

  • grid connection and voltage level

  • load pattern over the day and throughout the year

  • power supply contracts, grid fees and demand charges

  • on-site generation, e.g. PV or CHP

If batteries are sized based only on rules of thumb (for example “x percent of peak load”), power and capacity are quickly off by a wide margin. The result:

  • too small - load peaks are hardly reduced, the business case breaks down

  • too large - unnecessarily high investment with no additional benefit

That is why our basic rule is:

Every site has its own profile:

  • grid connection and voltage level

  • load pattern over the day and throughout the year

  • power supply contracts, grid fees and demand charges

  • on-site generation, e.g. PV or CHP

If batteries are sized based only on rules of thumb (for example “x percent of peak load”), power and capacity are quickly off by a wide margin. The result:

  • too small - load peaks are hardly reduced, the business case breaks down

  • too large - unnecessarily high investment with no additional benefit

That is why our basic rule is:

Every site has its own profile:

  • grid connection and voltage level

  • load pattern over the day and throughout the year

  • power supply contracts, grid fees and demand charges

  • on-site generation, e.g. PV or CHP

If batteries are sized based only on rules of thumb (for example “x percent of peak load”), power and capacity are quickly off by a wide margin. The result:

  • too small - load peaks are hardly reduced, the business case breaks down

  • too large - unnecessarily high investment with no additional benefit

That is why our basic rule is:

First understand the load profile, then size the battery.

First understand the load profile,
then size the battery.

First understand the load profile,
then size the battery.

RLM load profiles as the basis of the analysis

RLM load profiles as the basis of the analysis

RLM load profiles as the basis of the analysis

In Germany:

From an annual consumption of more than 100,000 kWh, customers are generally billed using registered power metering (RLM).

This means:

  • your metering point operator or grid operator records your power consumption at 15-minute intervals

  • these values form your load profile - your actual power draw over time

  • as an RLM customer you can request this data and typically receive it as a file

These load profiles are the foundation of our battery sizing.

Which data FION uses for battery sizing

Which data FION uses for battery sizing

Which data FION uses for battery sizing

To work with facts rather than assumptions, we combine several data sources in our own software:

1. Load profiles (RLM data)

  • 15-minute data over at least 12 months

  • actual annual peak loads and load spikes

  • typical daily, weekly and seasonal patterns

2. Power prices and grid fees

  • current and planned power supply contracts

  • energy charges, demand charges, grid fees

  • special cases such as high load time windows or atypical grid usage

3. Generation and grid connection data

  • PV or CHP generation

  • import and export at the grid connection point

  • voltage level and technical boundary conditions

4. Looking ahead

  • changes in production or shifts

  • new assets, additional loads, electrification

  • site strategy (growth, consolidation)

How FION determines the optimal battery size

How FION determines the optimal battery size

How FION determines the optimal battery size

Step 1 - Data intake and quality check

As soon as we have your data:

  • we import load profiles and tariff data

  • we check completeness and plausibility

  • we clean up measurement errors and outliers

Step 2 - Simulation of many battery and use case combinations

Our software then simulates for your site:

  • different battery sizes (power and capacity)

  • different operating strategies, e.g.

    • peak shaving

    • reduction of demand charges and grid fees

    • combination with PV self-consumption

  • different price and regulatory scenarios

The goal is not a “theoretical optimum”, but a solution that is technically realistic and operable in day-to-day business.

Step 3 - Selection based on payback and robustness

For each variant we calculate, among other things:

  • investment and operating costs

  • annual savings

  • expected payback period

  • sensitivity to changes in power prices and usage patterns

From this portfolio we identify the battery solution that

  • has a realistic payback period,

  • delivers robust savings and

  • fits your site strategy.

Multi-use instead of single-use - the battery as a Swiss army knife

Multi-use instead of single-use - the battery as a Swiss army knife

Multi-use instead of single-use - the battery as a Swiss army knife

An industrial battery can serve several purposes at the same time:

  • peak shaving

  • reduction of demand charges and grid fees

  • use of low-price hours

  • integration of on-site generation

We simulate different multi-use profiles instead of looking only at an isolated peak shaving case. This leads to sizing that is close to the real payback and avoids ending up with a “nice to have” battery without a clear business case.

Results within a maximum of
3 working days

Results within a maximum of
3 working days

Results within a maximum of
3 working days

Once we have your data in full, the process typically looks like this:

Day 1

  • data import, quality check, definition of boundary parameters

Day 2

  • simulation of battery and use case combinations, economic evaluation

Day 3

  • preparation of results, derivation of a clear recommendation

No later than 3 working days after receiving your data we can present and discuss the results with you.

What you receive from the battery sizing

What you receive from the battery sizing

What you receive from the battery sizing

In the results presentation you receive, among other things:

  • 1–2 concrete recommended battery sizes (power and capacity)

  • expected payback period and annual savings potential

  • overview of the most relevant use case combinations

  • sensitivity of the results to changing boundary conditions

  • technical key data as a basis for further planning and offers

The goal is a robust decision basis:

Whether a battery at your site makes sense - and if so, in which size and with which operating profile. If you decide to move forward, FION accompanies you over the entire lifetime of the battery: from installation through to optimised operation.

Whether a battery at your site makes sense - and if so, in which size and with which operating profile. If you decide to move forward, FION accompanies you over the entire lifetime of the battery: from installation through to optimised operation.

Whether a battery at your site makes sense - and if so, in which size and with which operating profile. If you decide to move forward, FION accompanies you over the entire lifetime of the battery: from installation through to optimised operation.