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Multi-Market Optimisation in energyPRO

Gain more revenue with multi-market optimisation in energyPRO

The energy market is evolving rapidly - and so are the opportunities.

With energyPRO, you can optimise your energy system across multiple electricity markets, unlocking new revenue streams and making far better use of your system’s flexibility.

Whether you operate engines, boilers, heat pumps, or thermal storage, energyPRO gives you the tools to understand your options, improve your planning, and strengthen your business case.

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Optimise across markets. Increase revenue. Strengthen your business case.

Participating in more than one electricity market can dramatically increase your earning potential. But success relies on understanding:

Market dynamics

When each market activates.

Market dependencies

The prerequisites for participation.

Market rules

Which units are eligible and how they may bid.

 

 

energyPRO simplifies this complexity by allowing you to model, test, and compare strategies across markets within the same platform.

Perfect foresight vs real world planning

Today, energyPRO uses a perfect‑foresight optimisation method, where the model knows exactly when activations occur and at what prices. This provides a best‑case estimate of potential value.

In real‑world operations, uncertainties such as price volatility or unexpected dispatch may lead to challenges like lock‑in effects or unwanted energy production. To bridge this gap, rolling‑horizon modelling introduces more realistic decision‑making based on shorter intervals.

This feature is planned for future energyPRO versions, but our consultants already offer rolling‑horizon analysis today.

Case Example: Varmestrup District Heating

Market participation and system overview

To illustrate the potential, we examined a fictional Danish district heating company, Varmestrup District Heating, analysing their portfolio from 5 March to 1 October 2025.

During this period, several market changes - including PICASSO, the 15 minute mFRR EAM market, and the 15 minute spot market - reshaped earning opportunities.

The company operates:

Component
Heat Output (MW)
Electric Output (MW-e)
mFRR Participation (MW-e)
aFRR Participation (MW-e)
Engine 1
3
2.5
2.5
0
Engine 2
3
2.5
2.5
0
Natural Gas Boiler
19
comptab-no-icon
comptab-no-icon
comptab-no-icon
Electric Boiler
10
10
5-10
5-10
Heat Pump
4
14
comptab-no-icon
comptab-no-icon
Heat Storage Capacity (MWh)
92.7
comptab-no-icon
comptab-no-icon
comptab-no-icon
Heat Demand Peak
10.2
comptab-no-icon
comptab-no-icon
comptab-no-icon

 

By modelling their participation in the day‑ahead, mFRR, and aFRR markets at 15‑minute resolution, we assessed how much more they could have earned through improved planning.

markets optimisation 1
Figure 1: Participation in day-ahead market only
markets optimisation 2
Figure 2: Participation in mFRR and aFRR EAM for engines and electric boiler – remaining units can still participate

What the scenario analysis showed

Four scenarios were tested - from day‑ahead only to full ancillary‑service participation.

The result?

Revenue increased sharply when the plant engaged in multiple markets.
Operational expenses also decreased under all ancillary‑service scenarios.

Scenario
Net revenue (million DKK)
Day-ahead market comptab-infoalt7-icon
–2.60
Full Ancillary Services comptab-infoalt7-icon
7.50
Ancillary Services – Limited 1 comptab-infoalt7-icon
–1.80
Ancillary Services – Limited 2 comptab-infoalt7-icon
–1.90

 

This demonstrates that district‑heating companies can unlock substantial value simply by:

  • Bidding effectively into approved markets.
  • Leveraging existing unit flexibility.
  • Optimising across several markets rather than one.

Perfect foresight

It should be emphasized that a model like this operates with what is called “perfect foresight”, meaning it knows exactly when activation occurs and at what price, allowing it to position itself most advantageously in the respective markets.

If Varmestrup Fjernvarme were to use such a model for investment cases, they would likely need to spend some time incorporating realism by analysing outputs, addressing uncertainties, or working with the so-called “rolling horizon”, which models over a shortened timeframe.

All of this can be done using energyPRO. Talk to our consultants about the available options and what is likely the best path forward.

Who can use energyPRO for multi-markets optimisation?

Many energy-intensive businesses can gain significant value through multi-market optimisation. We have identified the following areas as particularly well suited:

Businesses that can benefit from this use case

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District Heating Plants

 

Battery Developers

Power-to-X facilities

...and other flexible energy assets

If your business operates across multiple energy markets and requires advanced optimisation, energyPRO can help. 

The modules you need

To model and optimise a project of this nature, the following energyPRO modules are recommended:

Recommended package for Markets Optimisation in energyPRO

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DESIGN

For building a detailed component structure of the integrated system.

 

INTERFACE

Perform multiple calculations with different capacities of your new equipment in only one project file.

OPERATION

The OPERATION module optimises short-term production by using forecasts for electricity prices, heat demand, and biogas availability to create a revenue-maximizing schedule.

COMPARE

To analyse and compare different scenarios, such as alternative technologies or market conditions.

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Get started with energyPRO today and take your energy projects from concept to completion.

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Learn. Apply. Succeed: Your energyPRO Training Hub

This use case is illustrative, not prescriptive. Proper dimensioning requires hydraulic and biological expertise. Still, it shows how engineers can use energyPRO to simulate dynamic, modular water-energy systems — a vital step toward smart, cost-effective infrastructure.

Dive into our comprehensive courses, webinars, and tutorials to master energyPRO’s powerful features.

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