suena energy and Prokon Regenerative implement innovation project with solar and green energy storage

As part of the Federal Network Agency's innovation tender, the Hamburg-based battery marketer, suena energy, and Europe's largest energy cooperative, Prokon Regenerative Energien eG (Prokon), are implementing a joint co-location project for the first time that intelligently combines solar energy and battery storage through fully automated multi-market trading.

This systematically exploits the economic potential of flexibility, even under challenging regulatory conditions, such as the requirement to charge the storage system exclusively from the connected PV system.

Co-location of solar power and battery storage is becoming increasingly important within renewable energy systems. It relieves strain on the power grid and supports the integration of volatile energy sources by increasing flexibility. However, it also presents challenges such as strict regulatory requirements, limited grid connection capacity, and the need for precise forecasting and real-time optimization. Therefore, intelligent automation is essential for scalability and efficiency, especially when coordinating two interdependent systems at a single grid connection.

Prokon is responsible for the technical implementation on site. The suena Energy Trading Autopilot enables automated multi-market trading optimization and thus coordinated participation in multiple electricity markets. The trading system ensures the efficient management of both solar power generation and battery flexibility at the grid connection point.

This includes real-time forecasts, market-based dispatch decisions, and continuous strategy adjustments across the day-ahead, intraday auction, and continuous intraday markets. Furthermore, the system is configured for potential participation in balancing energy markets, particularly for the provision of positive secondary control power (aFRR), which will be tested during project implementation.

Katharina Beyer, member of the board of Prokon eG, explains: "By combining our renewable energy generation plants with battery storage systems, we increase the overall efficiency of energy use and enable more flexible, grid-supporting operations. In suena energy, we have found a strong partner that not only provides us with full access to the electricity markets, but also ensures that our co-location project is optimally commercialized – across all relevant markets, fully automated, and in compliance with all the framework conditions of the innovation tender. "

This project makes a concrete contribution to the transformation of the energy system. Instead of throttling renewable energies during grid bottlenecks, they are efficiently integrated into the grid through connected battery storage and predictive management.

With the help of an intelligent trading strategy that leverages price signals, forecasts, and storage flexibility, volatile generation is utilized economically. The project demonstrates that colocation is not only technically feasible, but also economically viable and scalable. A solution that can serve as a blueprint for other hybrid systems in Germany and Europe.

Lennard Wilkening, CEO and founder of suena energy, added: "Co-location projects like this bring with them specific challenges. These range from requirements for the exclusive feed-in of renewable energy and regulatory constraints to the efficient use of limited grid connection capacities. Therefore, an intelligent, automated multi-market approach is essential to unlock the economic value of flexibility.

"Together with Prokon, we are creating a pioneering model for the successful integration of storage and solar into the grid. We greatly value the close collaboration and our shared goal of bringing grid-supporting, scalable, and profitable hybrid systems to market."

The project lays the foundation for the broad rollout of co-location solutions that are both grid-friendly and economically viable – a key building block for the future resilience of the energy system.