Reduxi explainer · Peak shaving
Peak shaving explained: how it works and what it needs
Peak shaving cuts the highest power you draw from the grid. Lower peaks mean lower grid charges and no penalties for exceeding your power limit. Reduxi controls your battery and flexible consumers so the peak never happens.
01What is peak shaving?
What is peak shaving?
Peak shaving means reducing the short, high power peaks in your grid consumption. Your grid operator often bills the highest peak of a month or year, not only the energy you use. One short peak, for example when a heat pump, EV chargers and machines start together, can set the bill.
Peak shaving keeps your grid import below a limit you set. The meaning is simple: you flatten the top of your load curve and by doing so reduce your electricity costs.
Peak per interval: one tall bar sets the bill, the limit line shows where peak shaving cuts it.
02How it works
How does peak shaving work?
Two things bring a peak down: more supply from your own side, or less demand. A battery covers the part of your load that would exceed the limit. Flexible consumers such as EV chargers and heat pumps reduce their power or pause for a short time.
A controller makes this work. It reads your grid connection every second, compares it with your limit and reacts before the limit is crossed. Without a controller, a battery or a load has no information about the peak. Read more in EMS controller explained.
1. The controller reads
It compares your grid connection with your limit and reacts before it is crossed.
2. The battery covers, or loads reduce
The battery supplies the part of your load that would exceed the limit. Or the controller reduces load, for example it limits EV charging power or reduces HVAC power.
03With Reduxi
How AI Energy Manager improves peak shaving
The Reduxi Controller keeps your grid import below your power limit. It reduces or switches off consumers so no consumption peak occurs, and you avoid penalties for exceeding the limit. Your export limit stays in force at the same time, and PV production can be reduced when needed.
The Reduxi AI Energy Manager adds prediction. It forecasts your consumption, solar production and electricity prices, and reduces demand peaks and grid charges through predictive control. You find the controller details on the Reduxi BESS controller and EMS page and the control strategy on the AI Energy Manager page.
Power limit
Grid import stays below the limit you set.
Export limit stays
PV production can be reduced when needed.
Predictive control
Forecasts of consumption, solar and prices reduce demand peaks.
04Compatible batteries
Which batteries work with Reduxi for peak shaving?
Reduxi is manufacturer-independent. Peak shaving works with batteries that Reduxi can read and control, including Huawei, Deye, sonnen, Sungrow, Fox ESS, GoodWe, SolarEdge, SMA, Victron, BYD and Fronius. The full list of supported devices is on the Reduxi support portal: List of supported devices.
05Sizing
How big does the battery need to be?
The power rating of the battery decides how much of a peak you can cover. The capacity decides how long you can cover it. A peak of 30 kW over your limit for 15 minutes needs a different battery than a peak of 80 kW for two hours.
Look at your 15-minute load profile first. It shows how high your peaks are and how often they occur. Flexible loads reduce the battery size you need, because part of the peak is removed by control instead of storage.
06Peak shifting
Peak shifting: move your peaks to cheaper periods
Some grid tariffs set a different price for peak power in different time periods. Peak shifting moves your peaks into the cheaper periods. The peaks you cannot avoid then cost less.
Know your peak power periods
Your grid tariff sets a price for peak power in each period.
Move the peak
Consumption shifts so the peak falls into the cheaper period.
07Austria
Peak shaving in Austria
New grid tariffs apply in Austria from 2027, and peak load limiting with a power limit becomes important for business sites. Energy management is funded in Austria, and the funding page lists the four required functions, including load management. Read the details on the funding page.
2027
New grid tariffs in Austria make peak load limiting important.
4
Required functions for funding, including load management.
FAQ
What is the difference between peak shaving, peak shifting and load shifting?
Peak shaving lowers the highest peak, and peak shifting moves it into a cheaper peak power period of your grid tariff. Load shifting moves consumption to a different time, for example to hours with cheap electricity. Peak shaving and load shifting use the same controller, and both can run together.
Do I need a battery for peak shaving?
No. The controller can reduce or switch off flexible consumers so the peak does not occur. A battery adds more room, because it covers peaks without reducing any load.
Can peak shaving keep my export limit too?
Yes. The export limit stays in force while peak shaving runs, and PV production can be reduced when needed.
Does peak shaving work with my solar system?
Reduxi works with the major brands of PV inverters, batteries, heat pumps and EV chargers. Check the supported devices list for your devices.
Plan peak shaving for your site: start with the Reduxi BESS controller and EMS and see how the controller keeps your grid import below your limit.
