KOER Ltd. is a technological company specialized in innovative energy solutions. Deliberating on the need for a modern electrical energy system and possibilities of developing an electrical energy market in Croatia, KOER developed the hardware and software infrastructures for the first Croatian virtual electric plant. Accordingly, it became at the same time a new participant of the electric energy market – the first Croatian aggregator with its own platform for a virtual electric plant. As an aggregator, KOER represents a link between the electric power market and end-users who are part of the virtual electric plant. In addition, it manages the virtual power plants whose end-users make available a portion of both their electric power production and consumption capacities.
Balancing the production and consumption of energy
Contrary to the traditional power plant which is located in one place within the electric energy system, a virtual power plant brings together producers, consumers and electric energy storage facilities which can be located anywhere within the Croatian electrical energy system. It opens up possibilities for all those included to achieve multiple benefits. End users are offered the possibility of becoming active participants of the electric power market and that way attaining additional revenue. KOER offers the Croatian transmission system operator (HOPS), with which it has a signed agreement, ancillary services geared at optimizing the managing and balancing of the electric power system. The balancing is achieved in such a way that at the request of the operator the energy consumption of end-users, who are part of the virtual power plant, is reduced, From the perspective of the electric power system such an action of the virtual power plant has the effect equivalent to the activation of the actual power plant which replaces the lack of electricity in the system in order to achieve a balance between the production and consumption of energy.
Smarter use of energy
The Croatian electric power system is rapidly decentralizing and the virtual power plant is its very important part. It is necessary for the connection of new capacities of renewable energy sources, electrification of transport and achieving sustainability through the construction of new infrastructure for the optimization and stabilization of the electric power system. “Our goal is to step up the energy transition and introduce a smarter way of managing energy”, Marko Lasić, the director of KOER, pointed out, adding “I hope the KOER virtual power plant will become an important factor of stability of the modern electric energy system and platform for business models that will promote the sustainability of renewable energy sources and accelerate the development of new energy infrastructure”.
KOER sees a future in which renewable energy sources are the foundation of sustainable development and social progress. “We have recognized the same vision of the future in the activities of the RESC Association. The relevance of the themes and information we receive through RESC’s digital platforms and the seriousness and quality of the events at which they bring together stakeholders from all domains of renewable energy sources have convinced us that through our membership we can have an even more concrete impact on the energy transition in Croatia and the region. After the first talks with the RESC team, it was clear that it too recognizes the virtual power plant as a missing link in the existing renewable source ecosystem”. Marko Lasić, KOER director underlined.
RESC supports and connects companies that assist in enhancing the renewable energy source sector in order to create through joint efforts based on knowledge and experience added value in Croatia. The director of the OIEH, Maja Pokrovac, expressing her satisfaction with the growing number of interested parties for such synergetic activities, emphasized: “We are very pleased with and appreciative of the innovativeness and engagement we recognize in the KOER Company. The contribution with which it partakes in the development of the infrastructure of the Croatian electric power system is significant. In addition, the fact that it is the first company in Croatia to develop such a business model which provides multiple benefits to all interested stakeholders in the electric power market is of crucial importance. I believe our cooperation will additionally expand its use and thereby benefit the entire system.
