Smart Flow Battery to Protect Vivabolig Tenants from Volatile Electricity Prices, Blackouts, and Brownouts

At Konvalvej 47 in Aalborg, tenants of the housing organization Vivabolig can now look forward to lower electricity bills. A 10 kW VisBlue flow battery with intelligent control (SMARTflow) will ensure optimal utilization of the property's solar panel system.

Solar energy has seen explosive growth in Denmark in recent years, including rooftop solar panels. While there are many excellent reasons to invest in solar energy, one significant challenge persists for solar panel owners.

As a solar panel owner, you are required to sell excess electricity back to the grid within just one hour of its production.

"We send too much energy back to the grid that we don’t benefit from.”

For tenants at Konvalvej, who are typically at work during the day when solar panels generate energy, this means missing out on their self-produced green and "free" electricity. Instead, this energy is sent back to the grid only to be repurchased at a higher price later when tenants return home.

The solution lies in batteries

Vivabolig has partnered with Danish battery manufacturer VisBlue, which develops, produces, installs, and sells flow batteries known for their non-degradable, fire-safe, and environmentally friendly properties.

The solution is to store surplus energy from sunny hours in a flow battery, saving it for the dark evening and nighttime hours when solar panels are inactive. This increases the utilization rate of solar energy from 34% to 57%. The results are visible in both financial and environmental energy accounts.

"In every way, it makes sense to store the energy from our solar panels in a flow battery," says René Kristoffersen, Operations Manager at Vivabolig. "This way, we can save money on energy bills and improve Vivabolig's green profile."

A perfect match: Flow batteries and housing organizations

VisBlue is also delighted to add Vivabolig to its customer portfolio. VisBlue, which supplies flow batteries to municipalities, self-governing institutions, and industry, was founded with the aim of helping housing organizations address the specific challenge of solar panels producing electricity during the day when tenants aren’t home to use it, CEO Søren Bødker explains.

"Housing organizations hold a special place in my heart. That’s why I’m immensely proud and happy every time a housing organization chooses a VisBlue solution," says Søren Bødker, CEO and Co-founder of VisBlue.

The battery shaves the peak off energy demand

In addition to storing surplus energy from the property’s solar panels, the VisBlue flow battery will also store electricity from the grid when prices are low.

This further optimizes energy use, providing value even during the darker winter months when solar panel output is much lower. This capability is made possible because Vivabolig has purchased a battery equipped with VisBlue's SMARTflow software, which uses data to intelligently purchase electricity when grid prices are low.

In doing so, Vivabolig has future-proofed its tenants at Konvalvej against volatile electricity prices, unexpected blackouts, and planned brownouts—events that are expected to increase as a result of the transition to renewable energy. Unlike blackouts, brownouts are a tool electricity companies can use to prevent grid overload during periods of high electricity input.

"I believe batteries are here to stay," says René Kristoffersen. "I am convinced the power grid will become so overloaded in the future that we will see many more and larger price fluctuations."

"I completely agree with René’s conviction," adds Søren Bødker. "Although we are integrating more green energy into the grid, electrification is causing a significant increase in electricity consumption. I am confident we’ll see both more and more radical behavior regulations in efforts to balance the grid, including tariff management, blackouts, and planned brownouts," elaborates Søren Bødker.

Contact

Mia Voldum
Head of Marketing, Communications & Press
+45 27 23 06 12
mvo@visblue.com

About VisBlue

VisBlue works towards a balanced world through a stable and green power grid.

We are a partner in energy storage solutions, with a track record of over 150 installed flow batteries across Denmark, Portugal, Norway, Germany, and the Czech Republic.

Our flow batteries enable customers to store energy for later use, increasing the efficiency of renewable energy sources like solar, wind, and hydro.

Our batteries use the proven vanadium redox flow technology to store energy in a water-based solution known for its non-degradable, fire-safe, and low-risk properties. With a recycling rate of 99% and a lifespan of over 20 years, VisBlue’s flow batteries are a sustainable, safe, and long-lasting alternative to conventional battery types on the market. Additionally, they are scalable, meaning the battery's output and capacity can be tailored to meet unique customer needs.

Our current customers include municipalities (schools, sports halls, nursing homes), housing associations, self-governing institutions, industrial companies, and cultural institutions, all using our battery solutions to balance energy consumption sustainably—economically, socially, and environmentally.

About Vivabolig

Vivabolig is a social housing organization that builds and renovates affordable housing in Aalborg and its surrounding areas. We aim to provide service beyond expectations, continuously improving the experience for residents and applicants.

Vivabolig manages over 4,500 rental units across 30 departments, primarily in Aalborg, but also in Støvring, Skørping, Klarup, Vodskov, Visse, Nøvling, Vadum, and Brovst. We offer a wide range of housing, including family homes, senior housing, and youth accommodations.

Konvalvej is one of Vivabolig’s older departments, with 236 apartments built in 1957. Located near scenic areas in Aalborg’s southwestern part, it is close to the city center and offers a stunning view of Aalborg.

This press release has been translated by Energy Cluster Denmark.

news-letter-logo

Sign up to our newsletter