Exploring the Revenue Potential of Photovoltaic Systems Participating in Frequency Containment Reserve

This paper investigates the financial prospects of photovoltaic (PV) systems without battery storage providing frequency containment reserve (FCR) services by operating with a dedicated active power reserve. Using operational data from a 49.5 MWp PV system in the Netherlands the potential revenue from FCR provision was compared against earnings in the day-ahead (DA) electricity market, over the period of January 1st to October 31st 2024. The analysis indicated that in 136 out of 304 days, average FCR prices exceeded DA market prices, during the 12:00–16:00 interval, relevant for PV systems. Moreover, actively providing FCR services would have been possible and profitable on 71 of these days, generating an additional revenue of €53,661, corresponding to an 11.34% increase compared to selling energy exclusively on the DA market for those days. Overall, incorporating FCR into the operational strategy resulted in a revenue boost of approximately 2.87% over the entire 10-month study period. These findings highlight the potential economic benefits for PV systems without battery storage actively participating in frequency regulation.