FCR · aFRR · mFRR · Spot Arbitrage · FTM Marketing
Balancing energy with battery storage: FTM revenue for industrial storage
An industrial storage system of 1 MW or more generates daily revenue from FCR, aFRR, mFRR and spot arbitrage – fully automatically, regardless of production operations.
Most providers sell hardware or electricity. CUBE CONCEPTS builds the system behind it.
200,000–300,000 €
FTM Gross Revenue per MW/Year
CUBE CONCEPTS benchmark
+39%
aFRR capacity revenues 2025
ISEA Battery Revenue Index
1 MW
Minimum offer FCR, aFRR, mFRR
smaller systems in the pool
January 1st, 2027
Section 118: investment cut-off date
according to the AgNes draft · commissioning by 4.8.2029
§118: Investment decision according to AgNes draft before January 1, 2027 – still 83 days
Calculate FTM potential – free of charge →
Free · 1–2 Weeks · No Commitment
The four FTM revenue streams
FCR · aFRR · mFRR · Spotarbitrage – a portfolio, four revenue sources
No single channel maximizes revenue permanently. The CUBE EfficiencyUnit reweights FCR, aFRR, mFRR and arbitrage daily – based on market prices, peak load time windows and your load forecast.
FCR ↘ Declining
Frequency Containment Reserve
Frequency containment reserve · full power in ≤30 seconds
Compensation Performance Prize by Unit Price (pay-as-cleared), daily auction with 4-hour products
Degradation ~0.3 full cycles/day – low
Trend 2022/23 the most profitable channel, has been declining since then; around €106,000/MW in 2025 (−6.9 %)
It remains a portfolio component. Source: regelleistung.net · ISEA Battery Revenue Index, revenue 2025
aFRR ↗ +39 % 2025
Automatic Frequency Restoration Reserve
Secondary control power · fully in 5 minutes
Compensation Performance Prize (pay-as-bid, daily, 4-hour products) + Work price via PICASSO
Optimum 2h System (0.5C) – strongest profit channel in 2025
Trend in revenue from power generation in 2025 +39 % to over €146,000/MW (2-hour system)
mFRR ↘ Supplementary channel
Manual Frequency Restoration Reserve
Minute reserve · Activation within 12.5 minutes
Compensation Performance Prize (pay-as-bid, daily, 4-hour products) + Labor Price
Access since 2022 via the European platform MARI
Restriction Manual activation gives BESS an advantage in response time
Supplementary channel when FCR and aFRR are not fully loaded. Source: regelleistung.net
Arbitrage ↗ Growing
Day-Ahead & Intraday · Spot arbitrage
EPEX SPOT · Day-Ahead in quarter-hours since 1.10.2025
Loading mechanism at negative/favorable prices, unloading at high prices
Market data: 573 hours with negative wholesale prices in 2025 (2024: 457)
Trend grows with increasing EE share
Provides stability when balancing energy prices are low. Source: BNetzA/SMARD · BNetzA 2025
Portfolio Strategy: The CUBE EfficiencyUnit reweights FCR, aFRR, mFRR (as a supplementary channel) and arbitrage daily – based on market prices, peak load time windows and your load forecast. No fixed channel plan, no manual switching required.
Prerequisites
When can a battery storage system participate in the grid balancing market?
Five factors determine the FTM potential at your site. CUBE CONCEPTS analyzes all five in the first step – free of charge, based on your load profile data.
Minimum requirements
1 MW
Minimum bid size
750 kW
Entry at CUBE CONCEPTS, marketing in the pool
≤30 s
FCR: full power
5 Minutes
aFRR full response time
Prequalification: Proof of compliance with the technical requirements to the connecting TSO; for battery storage systems in FCR this includes a minimum activation time of 15 minutes and a power reserve of 25 %. CUBE CONCEPTS coordinates the prequalification as a full service.
Five factors for the business case
01
Grid connection capacity
Available connection capacity determines FTM-enabled capacity
02
Storage Dimensioning (C-Rate)
2h systems achieved around €259,000/MW in 2025, 1h systems around €151,000/MW (ISEA)
03
Grid operator & grid level
Grid fees, peak load time windows, and connection conditions vary depending on the grid operator; balancing energy prices apply uniformly nationwide
04
BTM Profile §19 / §118
§19: Notification by September 30 (until 2028) · §118: Investment decision before January 1, 2027 (draft), commissioning by August 4, 2029
05
BTM/FTM Split
Remaining capacity after BTM coverage determines FTM potential
Request location analysis →
CUBE CONCEPTS analyzes all 5 factors – free of charge based on your load profile data
Who balancing energy is relevant for
Which profile applies to you?
Four decision profiles – different questions, the same basis: Open-book calculation based on your location data.
Investment Decision & Balance Sheet Clarity
“Which IRR is realistic – and how do we account for it?”
KPMG comparison calculation: IRR 10.5 % for LFP (10 MW / 40 MWh, Feb. 2026); your value results from the open-book calculation. Off-balance-sheet treatment possible with BESS Contracting (subject to IFRS 16 assessment). Open-book calculation based on your load profile – CUBE BatterySizer calculates over 250 operating variants site-specifically.
0 € CAPEX · Off-balance-sheet (IFRS) · Open-Book
Sustainability Goals & CSRD Reporting
“How does FTM marketing affect our carbon footprint?”
Participation in balancing energy = measurable, system-supportive contribution to grid stability. According to the Federal Network Agency, storage systems have a “special function in the electricity supply system of the future as a flexibility provider”. The operational data can be included in the CSRD reporting (ESRS E1).
CSRD-compatible · system-supportive · verifiable
Operational Safety & Plant Engineering
“How does the storage system integrate without interfering with our production?”
Fully automatic. The CUBE EfficiencyUnit controls FCR, aFRR and arbitrage without intervening in the PLC, control system or production control. 24/7 monitoring. Manufacturer-independent system design – at least 3 comparative offers, LCOS-assessed.
Fully automatic · no intervention · 24/7
Energy Procurement & Electricity Purchase Costs
“How can I unlock untapped FTM potential at my grid connection?”
Monthly billing per channel, OPEX displayed separately – no opaque pool billing. Market benchmarks (ISEA, KPMG) as the basis for decision-making. No manufacturer portfolio – your data, your calculation.
Open-Book · per channel · no lock-in
Revenue Numbers & Business Case
What does an industrial storage facility with FTM marketing earn?
CUBE CONCEPTS benchmark values, put into context with the ISEA Battery Revenue Index and the KPMG comparison calculation (February 2026). All values are location-dependent: grid connection, storage duration, and BTM/FTM split affect the result.
Total Gross Revenue FTM
200,000–300,000 €
per MW/year · CUBE CONCEPTS benchmark; ISEA 2025: around €259,000 for 2h storage
of which aFRR share
largest channel in 2025
aFRR capacity revenues +39 % · ISEA Battery Revenue Index
LCOS LFP – Benchmark
110 €/MWh
KPMG AG, February 2026 · Benchmark for manufacturer tenders
LCOS ZnBr (Zinc-Bromine Flow)
104 €/MWh
KPMG AG, February 2026 · lowest LCOS, long-term operation
LCOS NIB (sodium-ion battery)
127 €/MWh
little operational experience, under observation · KPMG AG, Feb. 2026
Practical example – industrial site 1 MW / 2 MWh LFP · FTM marketing
FTM Gross Revenue/Year200,000–300,000 €
OPEX/Year (O&M, Marketing)−55,000 €
Net market revenue/year145,000–245,000 €
Contracting-Share (25 %) ~ 36,000–61,000 €/year
Total investment cost (GIK, approx. 250 €/kWh)~500,000 €
KPMG reference IRR LFP (10 MW)10.5 %
Amortization 2–4 years
Purchase: Full control · 100 % of net revenues
CUBE CONCEPTS benchmark values · IRR from the KPMG comparison calculation (10 MW / 40 MWh, Feb. 2026) · Site-specific: Grid connection, storage duration, and BTM/FTM split affect the result · Free potential analysis
Calculate your FTM revenue potential →
CUBE BatterySizer calculates over 250 operating variants on a site-specific basis · free
Control Logic & Daily Conflicts
Three conflicts per day – the CUBE EfficiencyUnit resolves them automatically
FCR, §19 compliance and arbitrage compete daily for the same storage capacity. CUBE EfficiencyUnit prioritizes automatically – without manual intervention.
01
FCR vs. Peak Shaving
FCR binds ~50 % SoC symmetrically – capacity that is missing for peak shaving.
Solution: Hourly reprioritization based on peak load time windows + load forecast + market price
02
Arbitrage vs. §19 peak load time windows
Cheap charging periods conflict with peak load time windows – charging jeopardizes §19 claims.
Solution: peak load time windows stored daily, charging automatically blocked
03
Cycle threshold
Price spread too small = cycle costs more than it yields.
Solution: Break-even calculated dynamically – only profitable cycles are executed
Illustrative daily schedule – multi-use operation
Revenue mix by location profile
What strategy suits your location?
No channel lock-in – the strategy follows the market and your load profile, not the manufacturer.
Profile 1 – High demand charge
Primary: BTM – Peak Shaving & §19
A single quarter-hour peak determines the demand charge for the entire billing year. BTM brings immediate, measurable value.
BTM comes first – FTM supplements outside the peak load time windows. §19 application deadline: September 30 (until 2028).
Profile 2 – Free grid capacity
Primary: FTM – aFRR + Arbitrage
Free grid connection capacity is the ticket to the balancing energy markets. 200,000–300,000 €/MW/year FTM gross revenue.
FTM comes first – the same storage system later switches to combined operation without hardware replacement; since October 2026, the allocation of electricity quantities has been governed by the MiSpeL determination.
Profile 3 – PV system available
Primary: BTM – Self-consumption + Peak Shaving
FCR possible. Arbitrage limited by EEG regulations. Since October 2026, MiSpeL has enabled combined PV + FTM.
With MiSpeL: for the first time, a PV system and FTM marketing at the same time without a remuneration conflict.
Profile 4 · Since MiSpeL (Oct. 2026)
BTM + FTM combined – full combination
MiSpeL (BNetzA determination pursuant to § 85d EEG) enables PV systems and FTM marketing for the first time without a subsidy conflict: arbitrage and EEG market premium combined.
No channel lock-in – the strategy follows the market, not the manufacturer.
Which profile suits your location
Submit your load profile – CUBE CONCEPTS analyzes it free of charge
Prequalification Full Service
From load profile analysis to ongoing operation – what CUBE CONCEPTS takes care of
01
Load Profile Analysis & Open-Book Calculation
CUBE BatterySizer analyzes free grid capacity, §19 qualification, and optimal storage dimensioning – all FTM and BTM levers with Euro amounts.
Free · 1–2 weeks
02
System Configuration & TSO Coordination
Measurement concept, coordination with the TSO, manufacturer tender – at least 3 offers, LCOS evaluated, manufacturer-independent.
2–4 months
03
Technical Tests & TSO Prequalification
Installation, grid connection, CUBE EfficiencyUnit configuration, prequalification with the TSO – FCR ≤30 seconds, aFRR 5 minutes.
3–6 months
04
Ongoing Operations & Billing
Bid submission, dispatch, monthly billing per channel (OPEX listed individually). 24/7 monitoring, §19 compliance documented.
20+ years
Market positioning
Market positioning – why open book instead of pool optimizers?
Most providers sell hardware or electricity. CUBE CONCEPTS builds the system behind it.
| Criterion | Provider optimizer | CUBE CONCEPTS |
|---|---|---|
| Calculation basis | Portfolio/Manufacturer – optimized for their own utilization | Your load profile – location-specific, before you commit |
| Open-book | Internal – not visible before contract conclusion | All assumptions open · before your decision · no negotiating position |
| Revenue mix | Often one channel – manufacturer’s optimum | FCR + aFRR + mFRR as supplementary channel + dynamic arbitrage |
| EMS Priority | Provider revenue – §19 secondary | Customer interest – §19 + Peak Shaving always a priority |
| Pre-qualification | Customer side – own effort | Full-service CUBE – including TSO coordination |
| Billing | Pool, OPEX opaque | Net market revenue by channel, OPEX shown individually |
Our open-book calculation is not a bargaining position – it is the foundation on which partnership works. Open-book means transparency within the business relationship – no public disclosure of project data.
Request open-book calculation
Submit your load profile – we show your potential based on your data, not our portfolio
Typical objections
The most common objections – answered directly
“§19 compliance suffers when FTM is running.”
Compliance with §19 and peak shaving always take priority. FTM runs exclusively outside the peak load time windows. The CUBE EfficiencyUnit automatically blocks charging operations – no manual intervention, documented for audit purposes. §19 Application deadline: September 30th.
“What if FCR prices continue to fall?”
Portfolio strategy: FCR + aFRR + mFRR as a supplementary channel + arbitrage are dynamically weighted daily. aFRR capacity revenues increased by 39 % in 2025 (ISEA Battery Revenue Index) – the channel change occurs without hardware modification. FCR remains a portfolio component, not a sole pillar.
“We don’t have any free grid capacity.”
Often, there is more available connection capacity than is known internally. CUBE BatterySizer analyzes over 250 operating variants based on your load profile data – free of charge, before you make your decision.
“We don’t know yet whether we want Contracting or a purchase.”
That is not an obstacle. The open-book calculation shows both models side by side – based on the same location, the same numbers. Contracting (0 € CAPEX, 25 % share) or purchase (100 % revenue): CUBE CONCEPTS calculates both before you make a decision.
References
Tier-1 references – across Europe · on the same foundation
Over 150 realized PV projects, multi-site deployments across Europe. Now battery storage – on the same foundation, with the same ambition.
Available as a reference upon request.
TI Automotive
Magna International
Valeo
Voestalpine
Tenneco
ITW
Energy projects Europe-wide
Does your location also qualify
Submit your load profile – CUBE CONCEPTS will review it free of charge and without obligation
Frequently Asked Questions
Balancing energy & FTM – Answers for decision-makers
FCR (Frequency Containment Reserve) must deliver full power within 30 seconds. Availability is remunerated: daily auction the day before with six 4-hour products, uniform price (pay-as-cleared). Around 0.3 full cycles per day, therefore low degradation. FCR revenues have been declining since 2023 (2025: around €106,000/MW, −6.9 % according to ISEA), but FCR remains a portfolio component.
aFRR (automatic Frequency Restoration Reserve) must deliver full power within 5 minutes. Both capacity (daily auction, 4-hour products, pay-as-bid) and activated energy (European platform PICASSO) are remunerated. According to the ISEA Battery Revenue Index, aFRR capacity revenues of a 2-hour storage system increased by 39 % to over €146,000/MW in 2025, while revenues across all markets fell by 16 %.
The minimum bid size for FCR, aFRR and mFRR is 1 MW; smaller systems are marketed through a prequalified provider in the pool. CUBE CONCEPTS implements storage units from 750 kW. Proof of compliance includes, among other things, the activation times (FCR 30 seconds, aFRR 5 minutes, mFRR 12.5 minutes). CUBE CONCEPTS performs the prequalification as a full-service provider.
CUBE CONCEPTS expects 200,000–300,000 € FTM gross revenue per MW per year; according to the ISEA Battery Revenue Index, the potential of a 2-hour storage system in 2025 was around 259,000 €/MW. Site-specific; the cost benchmark is LCOS, for LFP 110 €/MWh (KPMG AG, Feb. 2026). Potential analysis free of charge.
Daily reprioritization based on peak load time windows, load forecast, and market price. §19 compliance and peak shaving always take priority. FTM only runs outside the peak load time windows – §19 application deadline: September 30 – documented for audit purposes.
CUBE calculates based on your load profile – open book; all assumptions are disclosed before you commit. Pool optimizers calculate based on their portfolio. The result: calculation in the customer’s interest, not the provider’s interest.
Charging at negative or favorable prices, discharging at high prices, on the day-ahead market (in quarter-hour intervals since October 1, 2025) and in intraday trading. In 2025, there were 573 hours in Germany with negative wholesale prices (2024: 457). Arbitrage stabilizes revenues when balancing energy prices are low. Source: Federal Network Agency/SMARD.
Yes – the CUBE EfficiencyUnit coordinates automatically. BTM (§19 application deadline September 30) takes precedence. FTM runs in free capacity windows. MiSpeL: PV + FTM combined since October 2026. §118: Investment decision according to AgNes draft before January 1, 2027, commissioning by August 4, 2029.
Next step
Analyze FTM potential – location-specific and free of charge
CUBE CONCEPTS calculates based on your load profile: free grid capacity, optimal storage dimensioning, FCR/aFRR/arbitrage potential, and your revenue expectation – open book, before your decision.
§118: Investment decision according to AgNes draft before January 1, 2027 – still 83 days
Submit load profile – free potential analysis →
Free · 1–2 weeks · No commitment · §118: Investment decision before 1.1.2027 (AgNes draft)
Sources: regelleistung.net · ISEA Battery Revenue Index 2025 · BNetzA/SMARD · KPMG, Investment Case Stationary Battery Storage, February 2026 · Section 118(6) of the EnWG · BNetzA, AgNes draft determination of 06.08.2026 · BNetzA, MiSpeL determination of 01.10.2026 · § 19 StromNEV
As of: 09.10.2026. AgNes information based on the draft determination; the final determination is planned for the end of 2026.
As of: 09.10.2026. AgNes information based on the draft determination; the final determination is planned for the end of 2026.
Further topics
Battery storage – all topics at a glance
Battery storage that cuts energy costs. Make regulation a lever. Activate the revenue potential at your grid connection – today.
Revenues & LCOS
BTM savings + FTM market revenues – figures, sources, calculation
Peak Shaving & §19
Lower the demand charge, observe the §19 application deadline of September 30
Multi-Use BTM + FTM
Combining both revenue streams – full combination from Phase III
CUBE Profit Flex Solution
The overarching operating model: FTM, BTM, and Full Combination