Electron secures flexibility wins with UK operators

Electron, a London-based energy tech company focusing on grid flexibility, has secured two milestones with UK network operators in driving power grid flexibility and balancing.

Electron, which connects grid-aware analytics with coordinated flexibility market activity to support utilities with DER management, this week saw a milestone announced by UK electricity network operator SP Energy Networks (SPEN), which launched ElectronConnect.

According to SPEN, the new flexibility platform, which was developed by Electron, will make it faster, easier and more efficient for service providers to take part in flexibility markets that balance power generation and use.

This was announced two weeks after a second milestone in Scotland, where Electron says they completed a flexibility trial for outage management alongside the distribution network operator, SSEN.

The ElectronConnect platform

The platform, says SP Energy Networks, was developed in close collaboration with flexibility service providers and supports the continued growth of flexibility markets. 

These allow network operators to manage capacity constraints, balance supply and demand, and incorporate more renewable energy on to the grid.

Platform provider Electron has been appointed SP Energy Networks’ flexibility partner for the next three years, to provide a fast and automated digital tool that supports the requirements of energy regulator, Ofgem, and flexibility market facilitator, Elexon.

Work is now underway on the transition to the new platform for SP Energy Networks’ 35 flexibility service providers, in the hopes of ensuring a simplified process and positive user experience for all flexibility tendering, says the utility in a release.

Gerard Boyd, Head of Flexibility at SP Energy Networks, said: "Our flexibility markets have grown significantly year-on-year and having the right partner to help ensure flexibility remains accessible, transparent and ready for the future is vital – so it’s great to welcome Electron on board.

“This partnership will ensure we play our part in delivering a flexible future and growing market opportunities and participation for service providers that support the increased uptake of low-carbon technologies and ultimately deliver reliable networks at the lowest cost for our customers."

Jo-Jo Hubbard, CEO and Co-Founder of Electron, said: "SP Energy Networks is pushing flexibility into its next phase - shifting towards more dynamic, frequent markets that actively shape how the network is planned and operated. We're already seeing this play out through ElectronConnect, with month-ahead markets up and running and insights beginning to guide where and when flexibility delivers the most value.

“Over the next three years, we’ll accelerate from here: enabling SPEN to scale flexibility more precisely to support proactive investment, strengthen reliability, and keep costs down."

Testing flexibility with SSEN

SSEN and Electron's early-stage live trial used day-ahead markets to support customer supplies during planned power works in Maidenhead. 

During two weeks, SSEN procured short-notice flexibility in low volumes to help keep customers’ electricity supplies stable while engineers carried out maintenance. This reduced the number of homes and businesses at risk of losing power, stated Electron in a release.

SSEN and Electron configured and launched the day-ahead market within one week. SSEN then published a day-ahead flexibility requirement one day before delivery, and invited a small number of providers to temporarily reduce their demand or adjust generation during evening peak hours. 

Providers responded through ElectronConnect, allowing SSEN to secure support close to real time. SSEN deliberately limited volumes to test the process under controlled conditions.

The trial delivered 507kW of flexibility across two weeks, with three assets participating. 

During larger planned outages where infrastructure permits, SSEN can reroute network supplies to help ensure no households are without power. Using flexibility at such times reduces the potential for customers to lose supplies if an unexpected issue arises while maintenance is underway. 

According to Electron, the approach increased the available window for planned works and enabled maintenance during higher-demand periods. This reduced the likelihood of customer disruption while helping the network operate efficiently.

The trial also explored outage management as an expanded use case for flexibility procurement. By integrating this requirement into the day-ahead market, SSEN and Electron created additional opportunities for flexibility service providers to participate at short notice, supporting broader market access and opening new potential revenue streams for providers.

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Commenting at the time was Paul Fitzgerald, Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks’ Flexibility Markets Manager: “Using flexibility in this way helps our customers by reducing the likelihood of them going off supply during planned maintenance. 

“This trial has demonstrated the potential for flexibility to help further secure the network and better support our customers. We hope in time to be able to use flex in this way to carry out network maintenance that requires outages at times of the year we wouldn’t normally be able to.”

Added Electron’s Hubbard: “This trial highlights the potential of flexibility becoming fully responsive when moving closer to real time.

“By enabling SSEN to secure support at short notice, day-ahead markets help protect customers during essential works while unlocking new opportunities for providers. That kind of agility is critical as networks manage growing demand and an increasingly decentralised energy system.”

SSEN and Electron will now review the operational and commercial results to assess how day-ahead markets could become part of regular outage management in the future.