Dear Victron Energy team,
I am writing regarding DESS (Dynamic ESS) and how electricity prices and tariffs are currently handled.
In the present implementation, electricity pricing can be configured as:
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a variable spot market price, and
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a single fixed tariff.
Unfortunately, this setup does not reflect the reality in many EU countries, where grid and electricity tariffs vary multiple times throughout the day. Common examples include:
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peak / off-peak tariffs (day / evening / night),
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time-of-use grid tariffs with specific peak windows,
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seasonal and time-dependent network charges,
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time-based fees that are independent of the spot market price.
In practice, this means that DESS cannot optimize correctly, because the actual electricity cost is often:
spot price + time-dependent tariff
—not simply spot price plus a fixed add-on.
Suggested improvement
I would like to suggest extending DESS with support for:
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multiple tariff profiles per day, for example via:
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time-based schedules (hourly intervals),
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weekday vs. weekend profiles,
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optional seasonal profiles.
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Alternatively, the ability to import a complete hourly price signal (spot price + tariffs) from an external source or API.
This would significantly improve DESS usability across large parts of the EU and enable much better:
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battery optimization,
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grid load reduction,
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and overall economic performance for the user.
I am using Victron equipment in an advanced ESS setup and see great potential in DESS, but the current tariff limitation is a significant obstacle to optimal operation.
Thank you for developing such a strong platform and for considering user feedback.
I would be happy to provide concrete examples or assist with testing if useful.
Kind regards,
Chris
