Ampere Energy has made an important bet on the industrial segment for large-scale storage and is immersed in several projects to implement its new solution in energy communities. We talk with Francisco Lehuede, CEO of Ampere Energythe company’s plans and the future of storage.
It will be ten years since Ampere Energy appeared in the Spanish energy market. How has the company evolved in this decade?
The company was founded at the end of 2015, but did not start until 2016. Although it had already been a shareholder since 2019, in June of last year Copec became the controlling shareholder of Ampere Energy. We develop smart energy storage solutions that allow 100% of the energy produced by photovoltaic systems to be used, with which users manage to maximize their savings and achieve energy independence. We started developing batteries for the residential sector and we have transferred all our experience and know-how to the industrial segment for large-scale storage, where this year we have given a big jump in battery sales, around ten times more with respect to the previous year. We have also developed a solution for energy communities with centralized storage. We have carried out an energy community in Royal Citytwo in Galiciawe are studying several more projects in the Sierra de Madrid and we have another 10 more in the pipeline.
What forecasts do you have for 2025?
we want multiply sales by four, consolidate the line of new products that we have developed and leave Spain again. At the moment, we are present in seven countries through subsidiaries and distribution agreements. we have a factory in Valencia and we have a staff of 50 employeesof which just over half are specialized in R&D.
They have recently reached an agreement with the mobility operator Telpark. What does it consist of?
Indeed. Telpark has trusted Ampere Energy to boost its plan for the deployment of electric charging points in urban centers. The agreement contemplates the installation of 15 SEMS Buffer Ampere Energy stationary batterieswith a unit power of 100kW and 200kW which will add up to a total of 1.5 MW of power and a 2 MWh joint storage. All equipment will be installed before the end of the year and its function is to improve the performance of cargo supply.
What other sectors interest you?
In mobility we have also worked with other operators that have fast charging points in rural areas of Spain. Outside of this, we are talking to wastewater treatment plantsthe famous WWTPs, which have very marked electrical consumption cycles and, therefore, need to be able to manage energy. We did a project a couple of months ago and we believe that we have the possibility of growing towards operations throughout Spain. We are also dealing with companies from the frozen business and we are doing four projects this year with several portswhich also have high consumption.
How do you see the development of storage in Spain?
In general terms pessimism reigns among companiesbut I am convinced that Storage is going to take off with a bang very soon. There is a very large volume of business and we have to hold on a little longer. It is true that 2023 was a complicated year. Storage failed to take off, largely due to the signals given by large electricity companies, which paid very high prices for storage. surplusbetween 10-12 cents per kWha cost that had no relation to the economic value that the energy had at that time in the market, so having a battery and storing the energy was not an option. Fortunately, things have changed and, today, the price they pay for surpluses is around 5 cents per kWh. We believe that next year they will be at zero, which is what has happened in California either Australiawhere solar penetration has been very high and, in the end, Solar surpluses from customers with high consumption are no longer worth anything. Another important aspect is that batteries are a technology that continues to mature and their costs have been reduced significantly. At Ampere we have reduced costs by 30% and we believe that there may be another adjustment for next year.
What do you expect from the new self-consumption Decree?
We believe that we have to start separating storage from generationso that storage can provide the value it really has to provide. If you want to put a battery in an energy community, you have to put it together with the photovoltaic generation and, therefore, they have to go in tandem, and that has to change.
What do you think about the subsidies?
The subsidies They are very good for the consumer, but they generate a lot of uncertainty and problems in the market. When there are subsidies, companies grow, but when they are cut, demand disappears. I am more in favor of other types of measures, such as having 30% deductions in personal income tax for this type of installations in a sustained manner.
What is the repayment period?
A year ago, batteries had a payback period of around 12 years, but Today they are amortized in 8 years. It seems like a long time, but it is a 12%-13% profitability for the 15 or 20 years that the equipment lasts. AND next year it may be reduced to 6 or 7 years. At Ampere we are committed to the battery as the tool to manage energy, and for that we have invested in technology. All our teams are governed by artificial intelligence algorithms what are they looking for optimize energy consumption every day. You are probably going to consume the same, but more efficiently. We have a model that predicts how much you will consume tomorrow or the next 48 hours, hour by hour. If you have a photovoltaic plant on your roof, whether it is a home or an industry, we make estimates based on the weather, the number of panels, the orientation, the time of year, etc. We understand where you lack energy and where you have excess and, based on that, we apply the price vector that we have in the market and we put together your optimal purchase plan. In the event that you have excess energy, we will tell you what time is best for you to consume it or sell it to the market.
But that, with zero prices, is going to lose meaning, right?
The other way around. It makes a lot more sense.
If you are not going to be able to sell to the distributor…
The time you will not be able to sell energy is at noon, but at six in the afternoon you will be able to displace thermal generation, which is polluting and has an expensive marginal cost, with your surplus that you have stored. In the case of energy communities with storage, we are getting users to the 80% or 90% energy independence through the battery. We see in real time what all the neighbors are consuming and, based on that, we store or release energy.
They have also become a marketer, right?
We are completing the regulatory approval processes for register under the name of Ampere Energy Marketer and Energy Services and focus on a type of client that wants a complete solution, such as SMEs and energy communities. In fact, in the case of energy communities, you can resolve part of the regulation limitations if they are all within the same marketing company. And you settle your accounts internally and you can resolve it.
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