Energy Arbitrage
The practice of purchasing energy when prices are low (off-peak) and using or selling it when prices are high (peak).
Technical Details
Requires integration with Day-Ahead or Intraday energy markets (e.g., EPEX SPOT). Algorithms optimize charging schedules against price curves.
Fleet Applications
Charging buses at night when electricity is cheap (e.g., 20 cents/kWh) vs evening peaks (e.g., 40 cents/kWh) can save thousands per month.
Related Terms
Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G)
Bidirectional charging technology that enables electric vehicles to return digitally managed energy from their batteries back to the power grid during peak demand periods.
Smart Charging
Intelligent management of EV charging sessions to optimize energy consumption based on grid constraints, energy prices, and vehicle schedule requirements.
Peak Shaving
Strategy to reduce electricity consumption during intervals of maximum demand to lower demand charges.
Day-Ahead Market
Electricity market where prices are set for delivery on the next day, typically in hourly blocks.
Intraday Market
Electricity market for trading closer to real time, enabling adjustments after day-ahead prices are set.
Energy Trading
Participation in wholesale electricity markets to buy (and sometimes sell) energy based on price signals.