Project Highlight: oekostrom AG Relies on FlexPowerHub for Hybrid Trading
This quarter, we successfully implemented a technical lighthouse project: oekostrom AG is now using FlexPowerHub to manage its hybrid portfolio of battery storage systems (BESS) and hydropower plants.
The Challenge: A pool of diverse asset types offers immense flexibility, but is highly complex to manage. Varying technical characteristics meet a market that requires new decisions every 15 minutes. The oekostrom AG was therefore looking for a partner to provide the technological depth for market connectivity while keeping strategic decision-making authority in-house.
In this setup, our platform serves two core roles:
- Data Compass: High-precision price forecasts serve as the foundation for oekostrom AG’s internal optimizer (NEO).
- Automated Execution: FlexPowerHub handles fully automated bid submission and communication with the transmission system operator APG.
The integration was seamless thanks to our modern Swagger API, significantly accelerating the connection to the client’s internal systems. A key strategic advantage: market-wide regulatory changes (such as PICASSO or MARI) are implemented centrally via our SaaS model, ensuring oekostrom AG remains market-compliant at all times without the need for internal programming effort.
The Bottom Line: A partnership that demonstrates how modern infrastructure and internal optimization expertise go hand in hand to make hybrid portfolios future-proof and efficient to market.
Bid-Manager Upgrade: Significant Performance Boost via New Backend
We are pleased to announce a major technical upgrade to our Bid-Manager backend. To meet the increasing demands for data volume and processing speed, the system has been completely rebuilt using the latest asynchronous technology and extensive database optimizations.
Following a successful testing phase, the new system has been live since January 27, 2026, delivering a significant acceleration to your daily workflows.
Key Performance Improvements at a Glance
The technological realignment has resulted in a massive reduction in loading times across all core modules:
- Event Log: Increased loading speed by a factor of 24 (from an average of 240 seconds to under 10 seconds).
- We have redesigned the Approval Center so you can now review and release manual bids even faster. Everything in one central location and with a significantly better overview.
- Positions: Performance optimization of nearly 17x faster.
- Overall View: Acceleration of more than 7.5x faster.
- TSO Status Efficiency Increase: The system performance for processing the feedback from Transmission System Operators was increased 5.5x faster.
Through this technological advancement, you will benefit from a smoother workflow and near-instant processing of your bids. We are excited to provide you with an even more powerful tool for your daily business.
Update: Retrieval Rate Curve for BESS in Live Testing
In one of our previous newsletters, we reported on the development of our new Retrieval Rate Forecast. Today, we are excited to announce the next major milestone: the model for predicting the activation quota is now undergoing live testing for Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS)
Promising Initial Results
The first data from the test phase are very positive. The Retrieval Rate Curve Forecast enables our algorithms to map the activation quota of bids in the balancing energy market with unprecedented precision. For our BESS customers, this specifically means:
- Optimized State-of-Charge (SoC) Management: Storage cycles can be planned even more efficiently through more accurate aktivation quota predictions.
- Higher Revenue Potential: Bidding strategies are adjusted in real-time to actual retrieval quotas.
- Market Optimization: By turning uncertainty into calculated probabilities, we make your BESS monetization more predictable and drive substantial increases in profitability.
Validation and Rollout
The current test run confirms that the models developed as part of the FFG research cooperation perform excellently in practice. We are utilizing the insights from this final phase to perfect the parameters for our BESS customers and to make the benefits of the Retrieval Rate Curve Forecast available across daily trading operations.
Roadmap 2026: FCR Innovation and Expansion into Western Europe
Standing still is not an option for us. To continuously strengthen our customers’ market positions, we are currently working at full speed on expanding our forecasting models and entering new European markets.
Our current development focus at a glance:
- FCR Marginal Price Forecasts: We are developing dedicated forecasting models for marginal prices in FCR (Frequency Containment Reserve). The goal is to align bidding even more precisely with marginal costs, thereby optimizing the foundation for our customers’ trading decisions in this highly competitive market.
- Expansion into the Netherlands: We are implementing a specific 4h forecasts. for the Dutch secondary capacity market. This addresses local market requirements and provides our customers with the necessary basis for their participation in this market.
- Secondary Capacity Market France: In parallel, we are advancing the development of forecasts for the French secondary capacity market. This is a crucial step in our strategy to establish FlexPowerHub as the leading platform for European balancing energy marketing.
These developments are part of our commitment to always provide you with the most advanced tools for data-driven and cross-border marketing.
Q1 Market Report: Operational Stability in a Quiet aFRR Environment
The first quarter of 2026 the German and Austrian aFRR-markets began much more moderately than the dynamic end of the previous year. The first two months were characterized by a market-wide consolidation, during which FlexPowerHub demonstrated its strengths through high-precision and above-average award rates, before the end of the “Dunkelflaute”-Period in March led to a significant increase in revenues.
Market Trend: Consolidation at a Solid Level
Following the lively turn of the year, a noticeable calm returned to the markets in January. Revenues in both Austria and Germany declined in step with the market average. Values in the aFRR+ corrected significantly, while the aFRR- proved to be somewhat more resilient. FlexPowerHub accurately reflected this trend: while aFRR+ revenues decreased, we strengthened our market access in Germany with an increased bid acceptance rate of 96%.
Performance Focus: Precision Outperforms Volatility
In February, the moderate price level persisted, increasing the demands on our forecasting. In Austria, FlexPowerHub excelled during this phase with a near-perfect forecasting performance of 99% in aFRR-,demonstrating that our models provide excellent predictions even in an environment of declining market prices. In Germany, performance in aFRR+ remained at a very high level with bid acceptance rates consistently above 94%, while forecasting performance gradually improved to 80%.
Revenue surge following the end of the “Dunkelflaute”
In March, the end of the “Dunkelflaute” (dark doldrums) period triggered a drastic trend reversal and rising revenues in both markets. In Austria, FlexPowerHub successfully capitalized on this upward trend in aFRR– 92 % thanks to a forecasting performance that increased to 92%. In Germany, performance in aFRR+ remained characteristically stable with an award rate of 95%, while forecasting accuracy in aFRR– improved significantly to 84%.
