How to Generate New Revenue Streams With Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) on EV Charging Sites

Why Battery Storage Management is essential for EV charging sites

High-power charging creates steep demand peaks that increase tariffs and pressure grid connections. Integrating a battery charging system for electric vehicles with a co-located Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) enables operators to stabilise power flows, reduce peak demand charges, and avoid costly grid upgrades.

With a BESS energy management system, the battery charges when electricity is cheap, discharges during expensive periods, and supports participation in flexibility markets, turning on-site storage into a new revenue engine.

What is Battery Energy Storage Systems

A Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) is a co-located battery storage system that stores electricity and delivers it when an EV charging site requires additional power. It operates as an EV charging battery system, providing short bursts of high power during peaks and improving charging stability, grid compliance, and operational cost control.

How do Battery Energy Storage Systems work

A BESS charges during low-price or low-demand hours and discharges during load spikes, ensuring the site stays within its grid limit and helping reduce peak demand charges.
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The system is continuously supervised by an intelligent battery management system combined with advanced battery energy management logic.

The battery is controlled by an energy storage control system, such as FLEXECHARGE’s HARMON-E platform, which communicates via Modbus TCP, API, or MQTT to decide when the battery should charge, discharge, or remain idle. This enables full value stacking: peak shaving, arbitrage, boosting, DNO curtailment compliance, and participation in flexibility markets.

Applications of BESS for high-power EV charging sites

Battery Energy Storage Systems enable high-power charging sites to operate more efficiently, reliably, and profitably, especially where grid capacity is limited or electricity prices fluctuate. The key applications include:

Peak shaving and load management

A BESS discharges during high-load moments to keep total site consumption below grid limits. This prevents overloads, reduces peak demand charges, and avoids costly grid reinforcements.

Tariff arbitrage

The battery charges when electricity prices are low and discharges when prices rise. This lowers energy costs and stabilises operating expenses, especially in volatile markets.

Power boosting

BESS supports chargers during periods of high instantaneous demand, allowing sites to deliver maximum charging power even with constrained grid connections.

Flexibility and ancillary services‍

When not fully used for charging operations, the BESS can provide fast-response power to the grid, participating in FCR, FFR, and other flexibility programs, creating additional revenue streams.

DNO curtailment compliance

During grid curtailment, the battery supplies power to chargers while preventing any feed-in to the grid, maintaining operations without violating distribution constraints.

Solar integration

When paired with on-site PV, a BESS stores excess solar energy and uses it to support charging, reducing grid consumption and improving energy self-consumption.