Direct marketing works!
EPEX SPOT and OFATE shed light on the market integration of renewables in Germany and France
Paris, 02 October 2017. The European Power Exchange EPEX SPOT and the French-German Office for the Energy transition (Office franco-allemand pour la transition énergétique, OFATE) have published a background paper on direct marketing of renewables at EPEX SPOT. Their analysis of electricity market data shows how direct marketing has become a successful mechanism in Germany. It integrates considerable amounts of electricity from renewable energy sources into the power market and therefore achieves the result intended by the legislator. In France, legislation on the Energy Transition and Green Growth has kick-started future market developments by introducing direct marketing for renewables in 2015. Further developments will however highly depend on the expansion of renewables according to Programmation Pluriannuelle de l’Energie (PPE).
Direct marketers react to market price signal, indicating the successful integration of renewables
An analysis of the traded volumes at EPEX SPOT reveals a growing importance of direct marketers on the German spot market. The development of the regulatory framework is also reflected by the data set. With the optional introduction of the direct marketing mechanism in 2012, more and more producers have decided to trade their volumes at the electricity exchange. In addition to this, the monthly traded volumes of aggregators correlate highly with wind generation in Germany.
Through a case study EPEX SPOT and OFATE furthermore demonstrate that direct marketers increasingly react to negative prices and align their feed-in behavior with the market price. This confirms that power exchanges offer an ideal framework for the integration of renewables.
Prices and products – the exchange’s dual role in the integration of renewables
The Power Exchange plays a pivotal role in the successful integration of electricity from renewable energy sources, in France as well as in Germany. The reference price leads short-term generation and consumption decisions as well as long-term decisions in investments in new generation capacities. Both countries rely on EPEX SPOT’s hourly market price to calculate the respective market premium, and both models set incentives for maximizing proceeds. If a plant – German or French – is run efficiently, the operator’s market profits will be above the average EPEX SPOT reference price.
The paper furthermore depicts that besides the reference price, flexibility products fulfil key functions in the integration of renewables. The price signal of 15- and 30-minute contracts determines a market value for flexibility and sets incentives for serviceable behavior. Especially on days when the overall electricity system was strained, EPEX SPOT’s short-term markets as well as the 15-minute auction contributed to security of supply. Lead-time reductions on the Intraday markets further increase the flexibility of power markets.
„In Germany, 90% of wind power passes through the direct marketing mechanism, and in France we also count on a dynamic development of the market. Our trading products make markets fit for renewables and are therefore a main driver of the Energy Transition” says Jonas Törnquist, Chief Operating Officer of EPEX SPOT.
To download the background paper:
In German:
https://energie-fr-de.eu/de/systeme-maerkte/nachrichten/leser/hintergrundpapier-zur-direktvermarktung-von-erneuerbaren-energien-an-der-stromboerse.html
In French:
https://energie-fr-de.eu/fr/systemes-marches/actualites/lecteur/note-de-synthese-sur-la-vente-directe-des-energies-renouvelables-sur-la-bourse-de-lelectricite.html
- ENDS
The European Power Exchange EPEX SPOT SE and its affiliates operate physical short-term electricity markets in Central Western Europe and the United Kingdom. The creation of a pan-European power market is what defines EPEX SPOT’s mission. In 2016, its 278 members traded 529 TWh – a third of the domestic consumption in the eight countries covered. 49% of its equity is held by HGRT, a holding of transmission system operators. EPEX SPOT is part of EEX Group. For more information, please visit www.epexspot.com.